SB 406

This bill makes the following changes relating to the regulation of snowmobile

operation in this state:

1. Current law prohibits a person from operating a snowmobile in this state

unless the snowmobile is covered by a public-use or private-use registration issued

by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) or is exempt from registration. A

person who owns a snowmobile is generally exempt from snowmobile registration

requirements in this state if the snowmobile is covered by a valid registration in

another state or country. A public-use registration is valid for two years and a

private-use registration is valid until ownership of the snowmobile is transferred.

This bill eliminates the two-year registration period for a public-use registration

and provides that a public-use registration is valid until ownership of the

snowmobile is transferred. The bill also lowers the public-use registration fee from

$30 to $15.

2. Under current law, a person who owns a snowmobile that is not registered

in this state or is exempt from registration must display a trail use sticker issued by

DNR on the snowmobile. The fee for this sticker is $35. This bill requires all

snowmobiles to display a trail use sticker, regardless of whether the snowmobile is

registered in this state. The bill provides that the fee for a trail use sticker issued

for a snowmobile that is registered in this state is $14.25 if the snowmobile is owned

by a snowmobile club member and $34.25 if the owner does not belong to a

snowmobile club.

3. Current law requires absolute sobriety for any person operating a

snowmobile who is under the age of 19. This bill increases this age so that the

absolute sobriety requirement applies to anyone under the age of 21.

4. The bill imposes increased penalties for operating a snowmobile under the

influence of an intoxicant or with alcohol concentrations above specified levels if the

snowmobile is operated with a passenger under 16 years of age.

5. Current law prohibits a person from operating a snowmobile at night at a

rate of speed exceeding 55 miles per hour. Current law sunsets this provision on July

1, 2010. This bill repeals the sunset.

6. Under current law, DNR provides funding from the snowmobile account in

the conservation fund for snowmobile regulation purposes including aids to counties

for activities such as snowmobile trail development and maintenance and law

enforcement. Currently, these activities are funded by snowmobile fees and by

moneys transferred from the transportation fund to the conservation fund. The

amount of this transfer equals the estimated snowmobile gas tax formula. The

estimated snowmobile gas tax formula amount is based on an estimate of the amount

of excise tax paid on gasoline by operators of all snowmobiles registered in this state.

This bill bases the estimated snowmobile gas tax formula on an estimate of the excise

tax paid on gasoline by operators of registered snowmobiles in this state who are