HF 810 increases criminal penalties for assaulting firefighters, EMS personnel, and healthcare workers in hospital emergency departments. It amends Minnesota law to upgrade assaults causing demonstrable bodily harm from a gross misdemeanor (max 2 years jail/$4,000 fine) to a felony (max 3 years jail/$6,000 fine). The bill directly affects individuals who assault these emergency responders during their duties or hospital emergency staff providing care. The changes take effect August 1, 2025, applying to crimes committed on or after that date.
HF 559 requires courts to order convicted individuals who falsely report emergencies to pay restitution. The bill mandates that courts order full restitution to public agencies for their emergency response costs and to direct victims of the false report. This amendment to Minnesota Statutes section 609.78 (2024) applies specifically to those convicted under the statute for making fictitious emergency reports. The restitution requirement does not limit victims' ability to seek additional damages in civil court.
HF 1116 creates a formal process for prosecutors to maintain a "Brady-Giglio list" of Minnesota peace officers with documented credibility issues, such as untruthfulness, criminal convictions, or disciplinary problems. It requires prosecutors to adopt clear policies for adding officers to this list, including providing written notice to the officer before designation and allowing them to review relevant records and request reconsideration. The bill also prohibits law enforcement agencies from firing or disciplining an officer solely because prosecutors identified exculpatory evidence related to the officer. This directly affects peace officers whose credibility is under review and sets new procedural standards for prosecutors handling such cases.
This bill establishes a new public safety aid program for Minnesota counties, cities, and tribal governments, appropriating $300 million in fiscal year 2026. Aid amounts are calculated based on population using three allowances: county basic (70% of funds), county additional (30% of funds), and local unit allowance (100% for cities/towns). Funds must be used for public safety services like community violence prevention, mental health crisis response, first responder equipment, and training - but cannot cover armored vehicles, police station construction, or misconduct costs. The commissioner will certify payments by September 2025, with full disbursement by December 2025 for 2025 aid.
This bill makes body camera footage public in specific cases involving elected officials. It requires that footage documenting use of force by police resulting in death or serious injury becomes public, and mandates that bodycam data related to elected officials charged with a felony must be released to the public within 14 days of a criminal complaint being filed. The bill allows limited redaction only for sensitive information or to protect ongoing investigations, and establishes a court process for public requests to access otherwise restricted footage. It directly affects police agencies, elected officials facing felony charges, and the public seeking transparency in law enforcement interactions.
HF 538 modifies Minnesota's law on when police may use deadly force, specifically preventing officers from using lethal force solely to stop a person from harming themselves (e.g., in a suicide situation). The bill requires that if an officer uses deadly force to protect someone from apparent death, they must instead reasonably believe the person poses an immediate threat of death or serious injury to others, meeting specific criteria like the threat being specific, likely to occur, and needing immediate action. This change directly affects Minnesota police officers and individuals in crisis, aiming to limit unnecessary lethal force while maintaining existing standards for protecting officers or the public from violence.
SF 1363 modifies several public safety laws in Minnesota. It requires law enforcement agencies to make bail-related data public (including who posted bail for certain crimes), mandates sex trafficking offenders to register as predatory offenders, and creates new crimes for trespassing on critical infrastructure. The bill also requires county attorneys to publicly report reasons for dismissing charges and post this information online. Additionally, it establishes mandatory minimum sentences for certain sex trafficking offenses and enhances penalties for assaulting police officers. These changes primarily affect law enforcement agencies, county attorneys, sex trafficking offenders, and individuals involved in critical infrastructure trespass.
