Senate Bill No. introduced by W. Curdy establishes the Board of Passenger Ropeway Safety, which will oversee the registration, inspection, and regulation of passenger ropeways in Montana. The board will consist of seven members appointed by the governor, including a licensed attorney, a federal land management employee, a professional engineer, a first responder, and three ski area operators. The bill mandates that all passenger ropeways must be registered with the board, which will issue annual registration certificates based on compliance with established safety rules. The board is also granted the authority to impose fees for registration and assessments on the gross receipts of passenger ropeways to fund its operations.

Additionally, the bill outlines the board's powers, including the ability to conduct inspections, issue corrective action orders, and enforce compliance through suspensions or legal proceedings. It amends existing definitions related to skiing and passenger ropeways, clarifying that the inherent dangers of skiing do not include the safe operation of passenger ropeways. The bill also repeals a previous section of the Montana Code Annotated and codifies the new provisions as part of Title 23, chapter 2, part 7.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 23-2-702, 23-2-734
SB0556_1(1): 23-2-702, 23-2-734
SB0556_1(2): 23-2-702, 23-2-734
SB0556_1(3): 23-2-702, 23-2-734
SB0556_1: 23-2-702, 23-2-734