1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to crime; setting out the expanded 
  1.3             alternative elements of the crime of unlawful 
  1.4             interference with a transit operator; amending 
  1.5             Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 609.855, subdivision 
  1.6             2. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 609.855, 
  1.9   subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  1.10     Subd. 2.  [UNLAWFUL INTERFERENCE WITH TRANSIT OPERATOR.] 
  1.11  (a) Whoever intentionally commits an act that: 
  1.12     (1) interferes with or obstructs, or tends to interfere 
  1.13  with or obstruct, the operation of a transit vehicle, 
  1.14     (2) distracts the driver from the safe operation of a 
  1.15  transit vehicle, or 
  1.16     (3) endangers the passengers of a transit vehicle, 
  1.17  is guilty of unlawful interference with a transit operator and 
  1.18  may be sentenced as provided in paragraph ~~(c)~~ (b). 
  1.19     (b) ~~An act that is committed on a transit vehicle that~~ 
  1.20  ~~distracts the driver from the safe operation of the vehicle or~~ 
  1.21  ~~that endangers passengers is a violation of this subdivision if~~ 
  1.22  ~~an authorized transit representative has clearly warned the~~ 
  1.23  ~~person once to stop the act.~~ 
  1.24     ~~(c)~~ A person who violates this subdivision may be sentenced 
  1.25  as follows: 
  1.26     (1) to imprisonment for not more than three years or to 
  2.1   payment of a fine of not more than $5,000, or both, if the 
  2.2   violation was accompanied by force or violence or a 
  2.3   communication of a threat of force or violence; or 
  2.4      (2) to imprisonment for not more than 90 days or to payment 
  2.5   of a fine of not more than $700, or both, if the violation was 
  2.6   not accompanied by force or violence or a communication of a 
  2.7   threat of force or violence.  
  2.8      Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.9      Section 1 is effective August 1, 2000, and applies to 
  2.10  crimes committed on or after that date.