SB434: Bill Text

LRB-2664/2

MGG:wlj:rs

2003 - 2004 LEGISLATURE

2003 Senate BILL 434

February 4, 2004 - Introduced by Senators Stepp, Kedzie, Breske, S. Fitzgerald, Wirch, Welch, Jauch, Kanavas, Hansen, Schultz, Erpenbach and Roessler, cosponsored by Representatives D. Meyer, M. Williams, Gard, Gronemus, Krawczyk, Travis, Towns, Plouff, LeMahieu, Hebl, Grothman, J. Lehman, Hahn, J. Fitzgerald, Huebsch, Ott, Kerkman, Petrowski, McCormick, Albers, M. Lehman, Bies, Gunderson, Ladwig, Ainsworth, Freese, Kreibich, Powers, Gottlieb, Van Roy, Suder, Hines, Seratti, Friske and Vrakas. Referred to Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.

SB434,1,2 An Act to amend 350.055 of the statutes; relating to: the content of the program of instruction on snowmobile laws and safety.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) administers a program instructing persons in the safe use of snowmobiles. The program is conducted by instructors certified by DNR. For each person receiving instruction who is under 16 years old, this bill requires that the content of the program include six hours of classroom instruction and allows the instructor to provide up to two additional hours of instruction on a snowmobile.

For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB434, s. 1 Section 1. 350.055 of the statutes is amended to read:

SB434,2,18 350.055 Safety certification program established. The department shall establish a program of instruction on snowmobile laws, including the intoxicated snowmobiling law, regulations, safety and related subjects. The program shall be conducted by instructors certified by the department. The department may procure liability insurance coverage for certified instructors for work within the scope of their duties under this section. For each person who is under the age of 16 years, the program shall include 6 hours of classroom instruction, and the instructor may provide to the person up to 2 additional hours of instruction on a snowmobile as to how it is actually operated. Each person satisfactorily completing this program shall receive a snowmobile safety certificate from the department. The department shall establish by rule an instruction fee for this program. An instructor conducting a program of instruction under this section shall collect the instruction fee from each person who receives instruction. The department may determine the portion of this fee, which may not exceed 50%, that the instructor may retain to defray expenses incurred by the instructor in conducting the program. The instructor shall remit the remainder of the fee or, if nothing is retained, the entire fee to the department. A person who is required to hold a valid snowmobile safety certificate may operate a snowmobile in this state if the person holds a valid snowmobile safety certificate issued by another state or province of the Dominion of Canada and if the course content of the program in such other state or province substantially meets that established by the department under this section.

SB434,2,19 (End)