1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to motor vehicles; requiring notice to 
  1.3             certain vehicle owners of necessity of obtaining USDOT 
  1.4             number before imposition of sanctions; requiring 
  1.5             notice to commercial vehicle owners of potential 
  1.6             damage caused by state inspection of brakes; amending 
  1.7             Minnesota Statutes 2002, sections 168.185; 169.781, by 
  1.8             adding a subdivision. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 168.185, is 
  1.11  amended to read: 
  1.12     168.185 [USDOT NUMBERS.] 
  1.13     (a) An owner of a truck or truck-tractor having a gross 
  1.14  vehicle weight of more than 10,000 pounds, as defined in section 
  1.15  169.01, subdivision 46, other than a farm truck, shall report to 
  1.16  the registrar at the time of registration its USDOT carrier 
  1.17  number.  A person subject to this paragraph who does not have a 
  1.18  USDOT number shall apply for the number at the time of 
  1.19  registration by completing a form MCS-150 Motor Carrier 
  1.20  Identification Report, issued by the Federal Motor Carrier 
  1.21  Safety Administration, or comparable document as determined by 
  1.22  the registrar. 
  1.23     (b) Assigned USDOT numbers need not be displayed on the 
  1.24  outside of the vehicle, but must be made available upon request 
  1.25  of an authorized agent of the registrar, peace officer, other 
  1.26  employees of the State Patrol authorized in chapter 299D, or 
  1.27  employees of the Minnesota Department of Transportation.  The 
  2.1   vehicle owner shall notify the registrar if there is a change to 
  2.2   the owner's USDOT number. 
  2.3      (c) The registrar shall suspend the registration of a 
  2.4   vehicle if an owner fails to report or apply for a USDOT number, 
  2.5   ~~the registrar shall suspend the owner's registration~~ but only if 
  2.6   the registrar has previously provided the owner with mailed 
  2.7   notice that describes the vehicles that must be assigned USDOT 
  2.8   numbers, provides information on applying for a USDOT number, 
  2.9   and furnishes state and federal telephone numbers and Internet 
  2.10  addresses as sources for additional information. 
  2.11     (d) Until October 1, 2003, paragraphs (a) to (c) do not 
  2.12  apply to an agricultural fertilizer or agricultural chemical 
  2.13  retailer while exclusively engaged in delivering fertilizer or 
  2.14  agricultural chemicals to a farmer for on-farm use.  
  2.15     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 169.781, is 
  2.16  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  2.17     Subd. 4a.  [NOTICE REGARDING BRAKE INSPECTION.] The 
  2.18  commissioner shall provide annual notification to owners of 
  2.19  commercial motor vehicles that electric brake inspection may 
  2.20  deplete the vehicle's battery.