1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to highway traffic regulations; authorizing 
  1.3             religious organizations to operate buses painted 
  1.4             school bus glossy yellow and equipped with stop arm 
  1.5             and flashing lights under certain circumstances; 
  1.6             modifying certain annual requirements relating to 
  1.7             school bus drivers; amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, 
  1.8             sections 169.448, by adding a subdivision; 171.321, 
  1.9             subdivision 1, by adding a subdivision. 
  1.10  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.11     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 169.448, is 
  1.12  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.13     Subd. 4.  [VEHICLES OF RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS.] (a) 
  1.14  Notwithstanding subdivision 1, clauses (a) and (b), a bus owned 
  1.15  by a religious organization and used exclusively by a religious 
  1.16  organization to transport persons to and from worship services 
  1.17  or organization events, and operated by a person holding a 
  1.18  driver's license with a valid school bus endorsement, may (1) be 
  1.19  operated on a street or highway despite being painted national 
  1.20  school bus glossy yellow, and (2) be equipped with and may use a 
  1.21  stop signal arm installed near the front of the bus and lamps 
  1.22  and signals complying with section 169.4503, subdivision 16. 
  1.23     (b) Use of signals authorized under paragraph (a) is 
  1.24  subject to section 169.443, subdivisions 1 and 7. 
  1.25     (c) A bus operated as authorized under this subdivision 
  1.26  must bear a certificate of inspection issued under section 
  1.27  169.451 and must be identified on the outside of the bus as a 
  2.1   church bus. 
  2.2      Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 171.321, 
  2.3   subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  2.4      Subdivision 1.  [SCHOOL BUS ENDORSEMENT.] (a) No person 
  2.5   shall drive a school bus when transporting school children to or 
  2.6   from school or upon a school-related trip or activity without 
  2.7   having a valid class A, class B, or class C, or class D driver's 
  2.8   license with a school bus endorsement except that a person 
  2.9   possessing a valid driver's license but not a school bus 
  2.10  endorsement may drive a vehicle with a seating capacity of ten 
  2.11  or less fewer persons used as a school bus but not outwardly 
  2.12  equipped or identified as a school bus. 
  2.13     (b) Notwithstanding section 171.08, a person who otherwise 
  2.14  meets the qualifications for a school bus endorsement or 
  2.15  temporary endorsement under subdivision 3, paragraph (b), may 
  2.16  drive a school bus for up to 30 days without an endorsement so 
  2.17  long as the employer of the person: 
  2.18     (1) has in possession all documentation required for 
  2.19  issuing the endorsement; and 
  2.20     (2) has forwarded proof of possession of the documentation 
  2.21  to the commissioner of public safety. 
  2.22     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 171.321, is 
  2.23  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  2.24     Subd. 1a.  [RESPONSIBILITY FOR ENDORSEMENT STATUS.] It is 
  2.25  the responsibility of the commissioner of public safety to issue 
  2.26  a school bus endorsement to a qualified applicant.  When the 
  2.27  endorsement has been issued, it is the responsibility of the 
  2.28  individual to whom the endorsement is issued to ensure that the 
  2.29  endorsement is in effect before the individual operates a school 
  2.30  bus.  The employer of a school bus driver shall check the 
  2.31  endorsement status when the school bus driver is hired and at 
  2.32  least twice during each 12-month period thereafter. 
  2.33     Sec. 4.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.34     This act is effective the day following final enactment.