Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Minnesota Senate Bill SF967 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; increasing certain criminal penalties for crimes committed
3	3	1.3 because of the victim's political affiliation or beliefs; amending Minnesota Statutes
4	4	1.4 2024, sections 609.2231, subdivision 4; 609.2233; 609.595, subdivisions 1a, 2;
5	5	1.5 609.749, subdivision 3.
6	6	1.6BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
7	7	1.7 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 609.2231, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
8	8	1.8 Subd. 4.Assaults motivated by bias.(a) Whoever assaults another in whole or in
9	9	1.9substantial part because of the victim's or another's actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity,
10	10	1.10religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, political
11	11	1.11affiliation or beliefs, national origin, or disability as defined in section 363A.03, or because
12	12	1.12of the victim's actual or perceived association with another person or group of a certain
13	13	1.13actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender
14	14	1.14identity, gender expression, age, political affiliation or beliefs, national origin, or disability
15	15	1.15as defined in section 363A.03, may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 364
16	16	1.16days or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both.
17	17	1.17 (b) Whoever violates the provisions of paragraph (a) within five years of a previous
18	18	1.18conviction under paragraph (a) is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment
19	19	1.19for not more than one year and a day or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or
20	20	1.20both.
21	21	1.21 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025, and applies to crimes
22	22	1.22committed on or after that date.
23	23	1Section 1.
24	24	25-02513 as introduced01/24/25 REVISOR KLL/ES
25	25	SENATE
26	26	STATE OF MINNESOTA
27	27	S.F. No. 967NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
28	28	(SENATE AUTHORS: HOWE)
29	29	OFFICIAL STATUSD-PGDATE
30	30	Introduction and first reading02/03/2025
31	31	Referred to Judiciary and Public Safety 2.1 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 609.2233, is amended to read:
32	32	2.2 609.2233 FELONY ASSAULT MOTIVATED BY BIAS; INCREASED
33	33	2.3STATUTORY MAXIMUM SENTENCE.
34	34	2.4 A person who violates section 609.221, 609.222, or 609.223 in whole or in substantial
35	35	2.5part because of the victim's or another person's actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity,
36	36	2.6religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, political
37	37	2.7affiliation or beliefs, national origin, or disability as defined in section 363A.03, or because
38	38	2.8of the victim's actual or perceived association with another person or group of a certain
39	39	2.9actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender
40	40	2.10identity, gender expression, age, political affiliation or beliefs, national origin, or disability
41	41	2.11as defined in section 363A.03, is subject to a statutory maximum penalty of 25 percent
42	42	2.12longer than the maximum penalty otherwise applicable.
43	43	2.13 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025, and applies to crimes
44	44	2.14committed on or after that date.
45	45	2.15 Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 609.595, subdivision 1a, is amended to read:
46	46	2.16 Subd. 1a.Criminal damage to property in the second degree.(a) Whoever intentionally
47	47	2.17causes damage described in subdivision 2, paragraph (a), is guilty of a felony and may be
48	48	2.18sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year and a day or to payment of a fine of
49	49	2.19not more than $3,000, or both, if the damage:
50	50	2.20 (1) was committed in whole or in substantial part because of the property owner's or
51	51	2.21another's actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation,
52	52	2.22gender identity, gender expression, age, political affiliation or beliefs, national origin, or
53	53	2.23disability as defined in section 363A.03;
54	54	2.24 (2) was committed in whole or in substantial part because of the victim's actual or
55	55	2.25perceived association with another person or group of a certain actual or perceived race,
56	56	2.26color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression,
57	57	2.27age, political affiliation or beliefs, national origin, or disability as defined in section 363A.03;
58	58	2.28or
59	59	2.29 (3) was motivated in whole or in substantial part by an intent to intimidate or harm an
60	60	2.30individual or group of individuals because of actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity,
61	61	2.31religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, political
62	62	2.32affiliation or beliefs, national origin, or disability as defined in section 363A.03.
63	63	2Sec. 3.
64	64	25-02513 as introduced01/24/25 REVISOR KLL/ES 3.1 (b) In any prosecution under paragraph (a), the value of property damaged by the
65	65	3.2defendant in violation of that paragraph within any six-month period may be aggregated
66	66	3.3and the defendant charged accordingly in applying this section. When two or more offenses
67	67	3.4are committed by the same person in two or more counties, the accused may be prosecuted
68	68	3.5in any county in which one of the offenses was committed for all of the offenses aggregated
69	69	3.6under this paragraph.
70	70	3.7 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025, and applies to crimes
71	71	3.8committed on or after that date.
72	72	3.9 Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 609.595, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
73	73	3.10 Subd. 2.Criminal damage to property in the third degree.(a) Except as otherwise
74	74	3.11provided in subdivision 1a, whoever intentionally causes damage to another person's physical
75	75	3.12property without the other person's consent may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more
76	76	3.13than 364 days or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both, if: (1) the damage
77	77	3.14reduces the value of the property by more than $500 but not more than $1,000 as measured
78	78	3.15by the cost of repair and replacement; or (2) the damage was to a public safety motor vehicle
79	79	3.16and the defendant knew the vehicle was a public safety motor vehicle.
80	80	3.17 (b) Whoever intentionally causes damage to another person's physical property without
81	81	3.18the other person's consent may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 364 days
82	82	3.19or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both, if the damage reduces the value
83	83	3.20of the property by not more than $500 and:
84	84	3.21 (1) was committed in whole or in substantial part because of the property owner's or
85	85	3.22another's actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation,
86	86	3.23gender identity, gender expression, age, political affiliation or beliefs, national origin, or
87	87	3.24disability as defined in section 363A.03;
88	88	3.25 (2) was committed in whole or in substantial part because of the victim's actual or
89	89	3.26perceived association with another person or group of a certain actual or perceived race,
90	90	3.27color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression,
91	91	3.28age, political affiliation or beliefs, national origin, or disability as defined in section 363A.03;
92	92	3.29or
93	93	3.30 (3) was motivated in whole or in substantial part by an intent to intimidate or harm an
94	94	3.31individual or group of individuals because of actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity,
95	95	3.32religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, political
96	96	3.33affiliation or beliefs, national origin, or disability as defined in section 363A.03.
97	97	3Sec. 4.
98	98	25-02513 as introduced01/24/25 REVISOR KLL/ES 4.1 (c) In any prosecution under paragraph (a), clause (1), the value of property damaged
99	99	4.2by the defendant in violation of that paragraph within any six-month period may be
100	100	4.3aggregated and the defendant charged accordingly in applying this section. When two or
101	101	4.4more offenses are committed by the same person in two or more counties, the accused may
102	102	4.5be prosecuted in any county in which one of the offenses was committed for all of the
103	103	4.6offenses aggregated under this paragraph.
104	104	4.7 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025, and applies to crimes
105	105	4.8committed on or after that date.
106	106	4.9 Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 609.749, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
107	107	4.10 Subd. 3.Aggravated violations.(a) A person who commits any of the following acts
108	108	4.11is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years or
109	109	4.12to payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both:
110	110	4.13 (1) commits any offense described in subdivision 2 in whole or in substantial part because
111	111	4.14of the victim's or another's actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender,
112	112	4.15sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, political affiliation or beliefs,
113	113	4.16national origin, or disability as defined in section 363A.03, or because of the victim's actual
114	114	4.17or perceived association with another person or group of a certain actual or perceived race,
115	115	4.18color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression,
116	116	4.19age, political affiliation or beliefs, national origin, or disability as defined in section 363A.03;
117	117	4.20 (2) commits any offense described in subdivision 2 by falsely impersonating another;
118	118	4.21 (3) commits any offense described in subdivision 2 and a dangerous weapon was used
119	119	4.22in any way in the commission of the offense;
120	120	4.23 (4) commits any offense described in subdivision 2 with intent to influence or otherwise
121	121	4.24tamper with a juror or a judicial proceeding or with intent to retaliate against a judicial
122	122	4.25officer, as defined in section 609.415, or a prosecutor, defense attorney, or officer of the
123	123	4.26court, because of that person's performance of official duties in connection with a judicial
124	124	4.27proceeding; or
125	125	4.28 (5) commits any offense described in subdivision 2 against a victim under the age of
126	126	4.2918, if the actor is more than 36 months older than the victim.
127	127	4.30 (b) A person who commits any offense described in subdivision 2 against a victim under
128	128	4.31the age of 18, if the actor is more than 36 months older than the victim, and the act is
129	129	4.32committed with sexual or aggressive intent, is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to
130	130	4Sec. 5.
131	131	25-02513 as introduced01/24/25 REVISOR KLL/ES 5.1imprisonment for not more than ten years or to payment of a fine of not more than $20,000,
132	132	5.2or both.
133	133	5.3 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025, and applies to crimes
134	134	5.4committed on or after that date.
135	135	5Sec. 5.
136	136	25-02513 as introduced01/24/25 REVISOR KLL/ES