Criminal Justice (Victims' Rights)

This bill requires inmates to pay all court-ordered restitution before becoming eligible for "supervision abatement status," which is a reduced supervision level after serving time. It directly affects individuals on supervised release who have restitution obligations, as they cannot transition to this lower supervision tier until payments are fully completed. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes 244.46 to add this requirement, overriding previous eligibility rules that considered time served and public safety factors. This change applies to all supervised release terms, including conditional release for life sentences. The policy does not alter existing public safety risk assessments or time-served calculations.

HF 3496 requires inmates to pay all court-ordered restitution before becoming eligible for "supervision abatement status," which allows them to transition off active supervision. This change directly affects individuals on supervised release or conditional release terms who have earned compliance credits through good behavior. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes section 244.46 to add that restitution payment is a mandatory prerequisite for eligibility, overriding previous rules that allowed placement based solely on earned credits and time served. It does not alter existing safety risk assessments but adds payment as a strict eligibility condition. The bill is currently in the introduction stage, having been referred to the Public Safety Finance and Policy committee.

HF 467 repeals the expiration date for correctional fees charged by probation agencies and the Department of Corrections. The bill removes the requirement that supervision fees (including community service, restitution, and postprison supervision) must phase out by August 1, 2027. This change ensures these fees can continue to be collected indefinitely without a sunset deadline. The bill directly affects individuals under probation or supervision who pay these fees, as well as probation agencies and the Department of Corrections.

SF 2907 repeals a sunset provision in Minnesota law that required probation agencies and the Department of Corrections to phase out supervision fees by August 1, 2027. This bill removes the requirement to develop and implement plans for ending these fees, meaning correctional fees for services like probation supervision, electronic monitoring, and restitution collection will no longer have an automatic expiration date. The repeal directly affects probation agencies and the Department of Corrections, which currently collect these fees for court-ordered services. The change preserves the existing fee structure without a mandated end date.

HF 1288 increases presumptive sentence lengths for specific criminal sexual conduct crimes in Minnesota by 25%. It applies to violations of statutes covering sexual assault (Minnesota Statutes §§ 609.342-609.3458), requiring the Sentencing Guidelines Commission to adjust the 2025 sentencing grid. The increase does not apply when the offender held a position of authority over the victim (e.g., a teacher or supervisor). The changes take effect August 1, 2025, for crimes committed on or after that date.