1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to public safety; increasing penalties for obstructing trunk highway, airport,
1.3 or transit traffic; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 609.74; 609.855,
1.4 subdivision 2.
1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 609.74, is amended to read:
1.7 609.74 PUBLIC NUISANCE.
1.8 (a) Whoever by an act or failure to perform a legal duty intentionally does any of the
1.9following is guilty of maintaining a public nuisance, which is a misdemeanor:
1.10 (1) maintains or permits a condition which unreasonably annoys, injures or endangers
1.11the safety, health, morals, comfort, or repose of any considerable number of members of
1.12the public; or
1.13 (2) except as provided in paragraph (b), interferes with, obstructs, or renders dangerous
1.14for passage, any public highway or right-of-way, or waters used by the public; or
1.15 (3) is guilty of any other act or omission declared by law to be a public nuisance and for
1.16which no sentence is specifically provided.
1.17 (b) It is a gross misdemeanor for a person to interfere with or obstruct traffic that is
1.18entering, exiting, or on a freeway or entering, exiting, or on a public roadway within the
1.19boundaries of airport property with the intent to interfere with, obstruct, or otherwise disrupt
1.20traffic. This paragraph does not apply to the actions of law enforcement or other emergency
1.21responders, road or airport authorities, or utility officials, or their agents, employees, or
1.22contractors when carrying out duties imposed by law or contract. For purposes of this
1Section 1.
REVISOR KLL/NS 25-0062811/22/24
State of Minnesota
This Document can be made available
in alternative formats upon request
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H. F. No. 112
NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
Authored by Engen, Davis, Dotseth, Hudson, Zeleznikar and others01/22/2025
The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Public Safety Finance and Policy 2.1paragraph, "airport" means an airport that has a control tower and airline service, and
2.2"freeway" means any section of a divided highway where the only access and egress for
2.3vehicular traffic is from entrance and exit ramps.
2.4 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025, and applies to crimes
2.5committed on or after that date.
2.6 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 609.855, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
2.7 Subd. 2.Unlawful interference with transit operator.(a) Whoever intentionally
2.8commits an act that interferes with or obstructs, or tends to interfere with or obstruct, the
2.9operation of a transit vehicle is guilty of unlawful interference with a transit operator a crime
2.10and may be sentenced as provided in paragraph (c).
2.11 (b) An act that is committed on a transit vehicle that distracts the driver from the safe
2.12operation of the vehicle, restricts passenger access to the transit vehicle, or that endangers
2.13passengers is a violation of this subdivision if an authorized transit representative has clearly
2.14warned the person once to stop the act.
2.15 (c) A person who violates this subdivision may be sentenced as follows:
2.16 (1) to imprisonment for not more than three years or to payment of a fine of not more
2.17than $5,000, or both, if the violation was accompanied by force or violence or a
2.18communication of a threat of force or violence; or
2.19 (2) to imprisonment for not more than 90 364 days or to payment of a fine of not more
2.20than $1,000 $3,000, or both, if the violation was not accompanied by force or violence or
2.21a communication of a threat of force or violence.
2.22 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025, and applies to crimes
2.23committed on or after that date.
2Sec. 2.
REVISOR KLL/NS 25-0062811/22/24