1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to transportation; creating Minnesota Rural Road Safety Task Force; 
1.3 	providing appointments; requiring development of strategy to reduce rural road 
1.4 	fatalities and serious injuries; requiring report; appropriating money.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. MINNESOTA RURAL ROAD SAFETY TASK FORCE.
 1.7 		Subdivision 1.Members. (a) The Minnesota Rural Road Safety Task Force is 
1.8 	composed of 17 members, appointed as follows:
1.9 	(1) one member designated by the commissioner of transportation;
1.10 	(2) one member designated by the commissioner of public safety;
1.11 	(3) one member designated by the commissioner of health;
1.12 	(4) one member designated by the commissioner of agriculture;
1.13 	(5) two members of the senate, one appointed by the majority leader and one 
1.14 	appointed by the minority leader;
1.15 	(6) two members of the house of representatives, one from the majority party, 
1.16 	appointed by the speaker of the house, and one from the minority party, appointed by 
1.17 	the minority leader;
1.18 	(7) three members representing counties with fatalities and injuries on rural roads, 
1.19 	appointed by the Association of Minnesota Counties;
1.20 	(8) three members associated with the University of Minnesota's Center for 
1.21 	Excellence in Rural Safety, appointed by the dean of the Hubert H. Humphrey School of 
1.22 	Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota; and
1.23 	(9) three members associated with the Toward Zero Deaths coalition, appointed by 
1.24 	the commissioner of transportation.
2.1 	(b) Appointments must be made by July 1, 2011. The member designated by the 
2.2 	commissioner of transportation shall convene the first meeting of the task force no later 
2.3 	than August 1, 2011. The task force shall elect a chair from among the members at the 
2.4 	first meeting.
2.5 	(c) The Center for Excellence in Rural Safety in the Hubert H. Humphrey School of 
2.6 	Public Affairs, University of Minnesota, shall provide assistance to the task force.
2.7 		Subd. 2.Duties. The task force shall develop a comprehensive state plan targeted 
2.8 	toward reducing fatalities and serious injuries on rural roads and highways, building 
2.9 	on the state highway safety plan, and county-level safety plans in greater Minnesota. 
2.10 	To develop this plan, the task force shall:
2.11 	(1) consider all facets of a solution, including engineering, education, enforcement, 
2.12 	and emergency medical systems;
2.13 	(2) develop a multifaceted policy plan that includes the identification of unsafe 
2.14 	driving behaviors and uses the most advanced technology;
2.15 	(3) use SafeRoadMaps.org and other online tools to enhance accessibility of fatality 
2.16 	and serious injury crash data to support rural safety planning and rural outreach on road 
2.17 	safety issues;
2.18 	(4) investigate issues surrounding rural teen driving;
2.19 	(5) examine innovative approaches to rural emergency medical systems;
2.20 	(6) explore state and local policies that have impact in reducing rural road fatalities, 
2.21 	including, but not limited to, stronger enforcement of the primary seat belt law in rural 
2.22 	areas, sobriety checkpoints, motorcycle safety approaches, graduated drivers' licenses, 
2.23 	automated speed enforcement, and breathalyzer-based ignition locks for DWI violators; 
2.24 	(7) conduct outreach and education on rural road safety; and
2.25 	(8) examine the creation of a database or secure cloud-based service that could be 
2.26 	used to track improvements in rural roadway safety, including research and evaluation of 
2.27 	initiatives and measures.
2.28 		Subd. 3.Reports. The task force shall submit a preliminary report to the legislature 
2.29 	by January 15, 2012. The task force shall submit a final report to the legislature by January 
2.30 	15, 2013. The reports shall contain findings on all matters identified in subdivision 2, along 
2.31 	with proposed legislation to implement recommendations contained in the report and 
2.32 	proposals for executive agency activities to implement recommendations of the task force.
2.33 		Subd. 4.Expiration. The task force expires June 30, 2014, unless extended by law.

2.34 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.
 3.1 	$500,000 is appropriated from the trunk highway fund to the commissioner of 
3.2 	transportation for a grant to the Center for Excellence in Rural Safety, Hubert H. 
3.3 	Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota, for the purpose stated 
3.4 	in section 1, subdivision 1, paragraph (c).