This bill updates Minnesota laws to change the age at which a child can be classified as a delinquent child or a child in need of protection or services. It primarily affects the state's juvenile justice and child welfare systems by delaying the implementation of a previous rule that would have excluded children under 13 from these categories. The legislation sets a new effective date of August 1, 2027, ensuring that children under 13 who commit acts before turning 13 will no longer be processed under these specific legal definitions after that date. By removing the exclusion for young children, the bill allows the state to apply its current definitions to their actions once the new timeline begins.
This bill lowers the minimum age at which a child can be charged with serious crimes in Minnesota from thirteen to ten years old, starting on August 1, 2026. It directly affects children aged ten or older who commit violent offenses, such as murder or attempted murder, by allowing them to be treated as delinquent rather than children in need of protection. The law includes specific exceptions, such as excluding first-degree murder committed by children over sixteen and excluding certain sexual exploitation cases. Additionally, the bill modifies the definition of a "child in need of protection or services" by removing the clause that allows children under ten to be placed in the foster care system for delinquent acts, with a temporary exception for violent crimes committed by those aged ten and older.
