Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Minnesota Senate Bill SF760 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1.1 A bill for an act
2	2	1.2 relating to public safety; prohibiting charging the victim of a crime for towing or
3	3	1.3 impounding a motor vehicle; prohibiting the sale of a motor vehicle that is a crime
4	4	1.4 victim's vehicle for 180 days; providing for reimbursement of a crime victim's
5	5	1.5 vehicle that is sold by a unit of government; prohibiting charging the victim of a
6	6	1.6 crime any fine or fee; requiring law enforcement agencies to investigate reports
7	7	1.7 of stolen vehicles and provide an update on that investigation; amending Minnesota
8	8	1.8 Statutes 2024, sections 168B.011, by adding a subdivision; 168B.051, by adding
9	9	1.9 a subdivision; 168B.06, subdivision 1, by adding a subdivision; 168B.07, by adding
10	10	1.10 a subdivision; 168B.08, by adding a subdivision; 169.042, by adding a subdivision;
11	11	1.11 611A.675, subdivision 1; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes,
12	12	1.12 chapters 611A; 626.
13	13	1.13BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
14	14	1.14 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 168B.011, is amended by adding a subdivision
15	15	1.15to read:
16	16	1.16 Subd. 3a.Crime victim's vehicle."Crime victim's vehicle" means a motor vehicle that:
17	17	1.17 (1) has been reported as stolen by the owner of the vehicle;
18	18	1.18 (2) a law enforcement official has probable cause to believe constitutes or contains
19	19	1.19evidence of a crime and the law enforcement official knows or reasonably should know that
20	20	1.20the vehicle had been taken from the owner's possession or was being used without the
21	21	1.21owner's permission; or
22	22	1.22 (3) has been involved in a collision or accident caused by another driver operating a
23	23	1.23vehicle in violation of section 169.13, 169A.20, 609.2112, 609.2113, 609.2114, or 609.487,
24	24	1.24subdivision 3 or 4.
25	25	1.25 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025.
26	26	1Section 1.
27	27	25-00737 as introduced11/25/24 REVISOR KLL/HL
28	28	SENATE
29	29	STATE OF MINNESOTA
30	30	S.F. No. 760NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
31	31	(SENATE AUTHORS: LUCERO)
32	32	OFFICIAL STATUSD-PGDATE
33	33	Introduction and first reading01/30/2025
34	34	Referred to Transportation 2.1 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 168B.051, is amended by adding a subdivision
35	35	2.2to read:
36	36	2.3 Subd. 3.Crime victim's vehicle; sale after 180 days or title transfer.(a) A crime
37	37	2.4victim's vehicle is eligible for disposal or sale under section 168B.08, the earlier of:
38	38	2.5 (1) 180 days after notice to the owner; or
39	39	2.6 (2) the date of a voluntary written title transfer by the registered owner to the impound
40	40	2.7lot operator.
41	41	2.8 (b) A voluntary written title transfer constitutes a waiver by the registered owner of any
42	42	2.9right, title, and interest in the vehicle.
43	43	2.10 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025, and applies to vehicles
44	44	2.11impounded on or after that date.
45	45	2.12 Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 168B.06, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
46	46	2.13 Subdivision 1.Written notice of impound.(a) When an impounded vehicle is taken
47	47	2.14into custody, the unit of government or impound lot operator taking it into custody shall
48	48	2.15give written notice of the taking within five days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal
49	49	2.16holidays, to the registered vehicle owner and any lienholders.
50	50	2.17 (b) The notice must:
51	51	2.18 (1) set forth the date and place of the taking;
52	52	2.19 (2) provide the year, make, model, and serial number of the impounded motor vehicle,
53	53	2.20if such information can be reasonably obtained, and the place where the vehicle is being
54	54	2.21held;
55	55	2.22 (3) inform the owner and any lienholders of their right to reclaim the vehicle under
56	56	2.23section 168B.07;
57	57	2.24 (4) state that, unless the vehicle is a crime victim's vehicle, failure of the owner or
58	58	2.25lienholders to:
59	59	2.26 (i) exercise their right to reclaim the vehicle within the appropriate time allowed under
60	60	2.27section 168B.051, subdivision 1, 1a, or 2, and under the conditions set forth in section
61	61	2.28168B.07, subdivision 1, constitutes a waiver by them of all right, title, and interest in the
62	62	2.29vehicle and a consent to the transfer of title to and disposal or sale of the vehicle pursuant
63	63	2.30to section 168B.08; or
64	64	2Sec. 3.
65	65	25-00737 as introduced11/25/24 REVISOR KLL/HL 3.1 (ii) exercise their right to reclaim the contents of the vehicle within the appropriate time
66	66	3.2allowed and under the conditions set forth in section 168B.07, subdivision 3, constitutes a
67	67	3.3waiver by them of all right, title, and interest in the contents and consent to sell or dispose
68	68	3.4of the contents under section 168B.08; and
69	69	3.5 (5) state that, if the vehicle is a crime victim's vehicle, the owner may reclaim the vehicle
70	70	3.6within 180 days without payment of any fee; and
71	71	3.7 (5) (6) state that a vehicle owner who provides to the impound lot operator documentation
72	72	3.8from a government or nonprofit agency or legal aid office that the owner is homeless,
73	73	3.9receives relief based on need, or is eligible for legal aid services, has the unencumbered
74	74	3.10right to retrieve any and all contents without charge.
75	75	3.11 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025, and applies to vehicles
76	76	3.12impounded on or after that date.
77	77	3.13 Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 168B.06, is amended by adding a subdivision to
78	78	3.14read:
79	79	3.15 Subd. 4.Crime victim's vehicle; third notice.If an unauthorized vehicle that is a crime
80	80	3.16victim's vehicle remains unclaimed after 60 days from the date the notice was sent under
81	81	3.17subdivision 3, a third notice must be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the
82	82	3.18registered owner, if any, of the unauthorized vehicle and to all readily identifiable lienholders
83	83	3.19of record.
84	84	3.20 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025, and applies to vehicles
85	85	3.21impounded on or after that date.
86	86	3.22 Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 168B.07, is amended by adding a subdivision to
87	87	3.23read:
88	88	3.24 Subd. 1a.Crime victim's vehicle; charges prohibited for 180 days.Notwithstanding
89	89	3.25any law to the contrary, the registered owner of an impounded crime victim's vehicle shall
90	90	3.26have a right to reclaim such vehicle from the unit of government or impound lot operator
91	91	3.27taking it into custody within 180 days without payment of towing or storage charges. If the
92	92	3.28registered owner reclaims an impounded vehicle after 180 days, the unit of government or
93	93	3.29impound lot operator may require payment of reasonable towing and storage charges before
94	94	3.30releasing the vehicle.
95	95	3.31 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025, and applies to vehicles
96	96	3.32impounded on or after that date.
97	97	3Sec. 5.
98	98	25-00737 as introduced11/25/24 REVISOR KLL/HL 4.1 Sec. 6. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 168B.08, is amended by adding a subdivision to
99	99	4.2read:
100	100	4.3 Subd. 5.Unauthorized sale of crime victim's vehicle; reimbursement.If a crime
101	101	4.4victim's vehicle is disposed of or sold at auction or sale before the vehicle is eligible for
102	102	4.5disposal or sale, the unit of government responsible for taking the vehicle into custody must
103	103	4.6reimburse the owner of the vehicle in an amount equal to the greater of the fair market value
104	104	4.7of the vehicle or 110 percent of the proceeds derived from a sale conducted under this
105	105	4.8section. The owner must claim reimbursement within two years of the disposal or sale.
106	106	4.9 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025, and applies to vehicles
107	107	4.10impounded on or after that date.
108	108	4.11 Sec. 7. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 169.042, is amended by adding a subdivision to
109	109	4.12read:
110	110	4.13 Subd. 3.Fees and fines prohibited.The victim of a vehicle theft or the owner of a
111	111	4.14vehicle that was stolen shall not be required to pay any fine as a result of the vehicle theft
112	112	4.15and shall not be required to pay any fees for the towing, impoundment, or other storage of
113	113	4.16the stolen motor vehicle. Any fees for the towing, impoundment, or other storage of the
114	114	4.17stolen motor vehicle shall be assessed against any person convicted of the theft of the vehicle.
115	115	4.18 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025, and applies to vehicle
116	116	4.19thefts committed on or after that date.
117	117	4.20 Sec. 8. [611A.025] FINES OR FEES PROHIBITED.
118	118	4.21 A victim shall not be required to pay any fine or fee for any services performed by a
119	119	4.22unit of government or law enforcement agency as a result of a crime, including but not
120	120	4.23limited to towing, impoundment, or storage fees related to the recovery of a stolen vehicle,
121	121	4.24unless the victim is convicted of a related offense.
122	122	4.25 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025, and applies to crimes
123	123	4.26committed on or after that date.
124	124	4.27 Sec. 9. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 611A.675, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
125	125	4.28 Subdivision 1.Grants authorized.The commissioner of public safety shall make grants
126	126	4.29to prosecutors and victim assistance programs for the purpose of providing emergency
127	127	4.30assistance to victims. As used in this section, "emergency assistance" includes but is not
128	128	4.31limited to:
129	129	4Sec. 9.
130	130	25-00737 as introduced11/25/24 REVISOR KLL/HL 5.1 (1) replacement of necessary property that was lost, damaged, or stolen as a result of
131	131	5.2the crime;
132	132	5.3 (2) purchase and installation of necessary home security devices;
133	133	5.4 (3) transportation to locations related to the victim's needs as a victim, such as medical
134	134	5.5facilities and facilities of the criminal justice system;
135	135	5.6 (4) cleanup of the crime scene; and
136	136	5.7 (5) reimbursement for reasonable travel and living expenses the victim incurred to attend
137	137	5.8court proceedings that were held at a location other than the place where the crime occurred
138	138	5.9due to a change of venue; and.
139	139	5.10 (6) reimbursement of towing and storage fees incurred due to impoundment of a recovered
140	140	5.11stolen vehicle.
141	141	5.12 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025, and applies to crimes
142	142	5.13committed on or after that date.
143	143	5.14 Sec. 10. [626.745] MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT; INVESTIGATION AND NOTICE.
144	144	5.15 A law enforcement agency that receives a report that a motor vehicle has been taken
145	145	5.16from the owner's possession or is being used without the owner's permission must investigate
146	146	5.17the report. The law enforcement agency must provide the motor vehicle's owner with an
147	147	5.18update on the status of the investigation within 60 days of the report and must provide the
148	148	5.19notice required under section 169.042.
149	149	5.20 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025, and applies to thefts
150	150	5.21reported on or after that date.
151	151	5Sec. 10.
152	152	25-00737 as introduced11/25/24 REVISOR KLL/HL