1999 Minnesota Statutes

     144.121 X-ray machines and facilities using other 
  sources of ionizing radiation. 

    Subdivision 1.    Registration; fees.  The fee for the 
 registration for x-ray machines and other sources of ionizing 
 radiation required to be registered under rules adopted by the 
 state commissioner of health pursuant to section 144.12, shall 
 be in an amount as described in subdivision 1a pursuant to 
 section 144.122.  The registration shall expire and be renewed 
 as prescribed by the commissioner pursuant to section 144.122. 

    Subd. 1a.    Fees for x-ray machines and other sources of 
 ionizing radiation.  A facility with x-ray machines or other 
 sources of ionizing radiation must biennially pay an initial or 
 biennial renewal registration fee consisting of a base facility 
 fee of $132 and an additional fee for each x-ray machine or 
 other source of ionizing radiation as follows:  

      (1) medical or veterinary equipment                 $106
      (2) dental x-ray equipment                          $ 66
      (3) accelerator                                     $132
      (4) radiation therapy equipment                     $132
      (5) x-ray equipment not used on humans or animals   $106
      (6) devices with sources of ionizing radiation
          not used on humans or animals                   $106
      (7) sources of radium                               $198

    Subd. 1b.    Penalty fee for late registration.  
 Applications for initial or renewal registrations submitted to 
 the commissioner after the time specified by the commissioner 
 shall be accompanied by a penalty fee of $20 in addition to the 
 fees prescribed in subdivision 1a. 

    Subd. 1c.    Fee for x-ray machines and other sources of 
 ionizing radiation registered during last 12 months of a 
 biennial registration period.  The initial registration fee of 
 x-ray machines or other sources of radiation required to be 
 registered during the last 12 months of a biennial registration 
 period will be 50 percent of the applicable registration fee 
 prescribed in subdivision 1a. 

    Subd. 2.    Inspections.  Periodic radiation safety 
 inspections of the sources of ionizing radiation shall be made 
 by the state commissioner of health.  The frequency of safety 
 inspections shall be prescribed by the commissioner on the basis 
 of the frequency of use of the source of ionizing radiation; 
 provided that each source shall be inspected at least once every 
 four years. 

    Subd. 3.    Exemption.  Notwithstanding rules adopted by 
 the commissioner under section 144.12, subdivision 1, clause 
 (15), practitioners of veterinary medicine are not required to 
 conduct densitometry and sensitometry tests as part of any 
 ionizing radiation quality assurance program. 

    Subd. 4.    Radiation monitoring.  Whenever involved in 
 radiation procedures, practitioners of veterinary medicine and 
 staff shall wear film-based radiation monitoring badges to 
 monitor individual exposure.  The badges must be submitted 
 periodically to a dosimetry service for individual exposure 
 determination. 

    Subd. 5.    Examination for individual operating X-ray 
 equipment.  After January 1, 1997, an individual in a facility 
 with X-ray equipment for use on humans that is registered under 
 subdivision 1 may not operate, nor may the facility allow the 
 individual to operate, X-ray equipment unless the individual has 
 passed an examination approved by the commissioner of health, or 
 an examination determined to the satisfaction of the 
 commissioner of health to be an equivalent national, state, or 
 regional examination, that demonstrates the individual's 
 knowledge of basic radiation safety, proper use of X-ray 
 equipment, darkroom and film processing, and quality assurance 
 procedures.  The commissioner shall establish by rule criteria 
 for the approval of examinations required for an individual 
 operating an X-ray machine in Minnesota. 

    Subd. 6.    Inspection.  At the time a facility with 
 X-ray equipment is inspected by the commissioner of health in 
 accordance with subdivision 2, an individual operating X-ray 
 equipment in the facility must be able to show compliance with 
 the requirements of subdivision 5. 

    Subd. 7. Repealed, 1999 c 86 art 2 s 6 

    Subd. 8.    Exemption from examination requirements; 
 operators of certain bone densitometers.  (a) This subdivision 
 applies to a bone densitometer that is used on humans to 
 estimate bone mineral content and bone mineral density in a 
 region of a finger on a person's nondominant hand, gives an 
 x-ray dose equivalent of less than 0.001 microsieverts per scan, 
 and has an x-ray leakage exposure rate of less than two 
 milliroentgens per hour at a distance of one meter, provided 
 that the bone densitometer is operating in accordance with 
 manufacturer specifications. 

    (b) An individual who operates a bone densitometer that 
 satisfies the definition in paragraph (a) and the facility in 
 which an individual operates such a bone densitometer are exempt 
 from the requirements of subdivisions 5 and 6. 

    HIST: 1974 c 81 s 1; 1975 c 310 s 35; 1977 c 305 s 45; 1985 c 
 248 s 70; 1993 c 188 s 1,2; 1995 c 146 s 1-3; 1997 c 203 art 2 s 
 7-10; 1999 c 245 art 2 s 20