SF5172

Purpose

This bill updates how Minnesota handles funding for off-highway vehicles (OHVs) by changing the allowed uses of three dedicated accounts (offhighway motorcycle account, offroad vehicle account, and all-terrain vehicle account). It aims to fund administration, enforcement, trail and use-area development, safety and education programs, and grants to local governments and OHV organizations, all subject to appropriation and guided by the statewide outdoor recreation plan.

Key Provisions and What They Do

• Aligns spending with specific accounts:
  • Offhighway motorcycle account (Sec. 1): funds administration, enforcement, and implementation of OHV rules, acquire/maintain/develop OHV motorcycle trails and use areas, grants to counties/municipalities for trails, enforcement and public education grants to local police, and grants to OHV organizations.
  • Offroad vehicle account (Sec. 2): funds administration, enforcement, and implementation of OHV rules across sections 84.773–84.8045, acquire/maintain/develop OHV trails and use areas, grants to counties/municipalities for trails, grants to local safety programs, enforcement/public education grants to local police, and grants to OHV organizations.
  • All-terrain vehicle account (Sec. 4): funds education/training programs, administration/enforcement/implementation of OHV rules, acquire/maintain/develop ATV trails and use areas, grants to counties/municipalities for ATV trails, grants to local safety programs, enforcement/public education grants to local police, maintenance of certain forest roads used as trails, and grants to ATV organizations.
• Emphasizes local safety and enforcement:
  • Includes grants to local law enforcement for safety programs and public education.
• Requires planning guidance for grants:
  • Grants-in-aid programs must be guided by the statewide comprehensive outdoor recreation plan.
• Strengthens and formalizes OHV volunteer programs (Sec. 3):
  • The state may enter agreements with OHV organizations to provide volunteer services for maintaining, improving, and monitoring trails on state forest land and other public lands.
  • Organizations must promote safe and responsible OHV operation and comply with applicable laws and rules.
  • Organizations may help locate and train OHV instructors.
  • The state may assist volunteers to improve safety and efficiency of the program.
  • The state will establish standards and certify organizations and volunteers; training must cover identifying invasive species, reporting their locations, and basic GPS use.
  • Grants under this section may be distributed using a formula and may be paid based on hours worked by participants.

Main Provisions by Topic

• Funding Authority and Limits

  • Funds from three OHV accounts may be spent only for the purposes listed above, subject to legislative appropriation.
  • Activities include administration, enforcement, trail development, and public education.

• Trail and Use Areas

  • Acquisition, maintenance, and development of OHV trails and use areas are eligible costs.
  • Statesupported or locally supported projects may be funded to construct/maintain trails.

• Local Government and Education

  • Grants to counties/municipalities for trail work.
  • Local safety program grants and enforcement/public education grants to local law enforcement.

• OHV Organizations and Volunteer Programs

  • Agreements and grants to OHV organizations to promote safe operation and to assist with trail-related work and education.
  • Training and certification requirements for volunteers, including environmental safeguards (invasive species) and technology training (GPS).

• Environmental Safeguards

  • Training includes identifying and reporting invasive species to protect ecosystems.

• Oversight and Planning

  • Distribution of grant funds to organizations must follow a commissioner-determined formula.
  • Grants are guided by the statewide comprehensive outdoor recreation plan.

What This Changes in Law

• Expands and clarifies how OHV funds can be used across three separate accounts (offhighway motorcycle, offroad vehicle, all-terrain vehicle), adding or strengthening categories like local safety programs, enforcement and public education, and OHV organization grants.
• formalizes a volunteer program with explicit standards, training requirements, and environmental considerations (invasive species and GPS training).
• ensures grant distributions consider statewide planning guidance for outdoor recreation.

Implementation Considerations

• All provisions are subject to appropriation by the legislature, meaning actual funding levels will depend on future appropriations.
• The bill directs funding and activities through a centralized framework (the statewide comprehensive outdoor recreation plan) to ensure consistency with statewide goals.

Relevant Terms - offhighway motorcycle account - offroad vehicle account - all-terrain vehicle account - administration - enforcement - implementation - trails and use areas - grants-in-aid - counties and municipalities - local safety programs - local law enforcement agencies - offhighway motorcycle organizations - offroad vehicle organizations - section 84.9011 subdivision 2 (OHV organizations agreements/grants) - state forest land - public lands - invasive species - GPS (global positioning system) - volunteer services - training standards and certification - statewide comprehensive outdoor recreation plan - subject to appropriation