SF 2734

as introduced - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 03/15/2016 11:33am

A bill for an act
relating to criminal justice; establishing a task force and requiring reporting on
issues related to persons with hearing loss who are involved in the criminal
justice system; providing appointments; appropriating money; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2014, sections 241.016, subdivision 1; 299C.18.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 241.016, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Biennial report.

(a) The Department of Corrections shall submit a
performance report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the senate and house
of representatives committees and divisions having jurisdiction over criminal justice
funding by January 15 of each odd-numbered year. The issuance and content of the report
must include the following:

(1) department strategic mission, goals, and objectives;

(2) the department-wide per diem, adult facility-specific per diems, and an average
per diem, reported in a standard calculated method as outlined in the departmental policies
and procedures;

(3) department annual statistics as outlined in the departmental policies and
procedures; deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(4) information about prison-based mental health programs, including, but not
limited to, the availability of these programs, participation rates, and completion rates deleted text begin . deleted text end new text begin ; and
new text end

new text begin (5) information about inmates who have hearing loss, or are deaf or deafblind,
including, but not limited to, the number of inmates so identified in each facility; the
number, kind, and amount spent providing reasonable accommodations to these inmates;
and the number of requests for reasonable accommodations submitted by these inmates
that were denied.
new text end

(b) The department shall maintain recidivism rates for adult facilities on an annual
basis. In addition, each year the department shall, on an alternating basis, complete a
recidivism analysis of adult facilities, juvenile services, and the community services
divisions and include a three-year recidivism analysis in the report described in paragraph
(a). The recidivism analysis must: (1) assess education programs, vocational programs,
treatment programs, including mental health programs, industry, and employment; and (2)
assess statewide re-entry policies and funding, including postrelease treatment, education,
training, and supervision. In addition, when reporting recidivism for the department's
adult and juvenile facilities, the department shall report on the extent to which offenders it
has assessed as chemically dependent commit new offenses, with separate recidivism rates
reported for persons completing and not completing the department's treatment programs.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 299C.18, is amended to read:

299C.18 BUREAU OPERATIONS REPORT.

Biennially, on or before November 15, in each even-numbered year the
superintendent shall submit to the governor and the legislature a detailed report of the
operations of the bureau, of information about crime and the handling of crimes and
criminals by state and local officials collected by the bureau, and the superintendent's
interpretations of the information, with comments and recommendations. The data
contained in the report on Part I offenses cleared by arrest, as defined by the United
States Department of Justice, shall be collected and tabulated geographically at least on a
county-by-county basis. new text begin In addition, the report must include information on the number
of persons who were deaf or deafblind or with hearing loss incarcerated in a jail during
the preceding two calendar years. new text end In such reports the superintendent shall, from time to
time, include recommendations to the legislature for dealing with crime and criminals and
information as to conditions and methods in other states in reference thereto, and shall
furnish a copy of such report to each member of the legislature.

Sec. 3. new text begin DEAF, DEAFBLIND, AND HARD-OF-HEARING PEOPLE'S ACCESS
TO JUSTICE TASK FORCE.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Membership. new text end

new text begin (a) The Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard-of-Hearing
People's Access to Justice Task Force consists of the following 12 members:
new text end

new text begin (1) the superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, or designee;
new text end

new text begin (2) one individual appointed by the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association;
new text end

new text begin (3) one individual appointed by the Minnesota Sheriffs' Association;
new text end

new text begin (4) one individual appointed by the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens;
new text end

new text begin (5) one individual appointed by the Minnesota DeafBlind Association;
new text end

new text begin (6) one individual appointed by the Commission of Deaf, Deafblind, and
Hard-of-Hearing Minnesotans;
new text end

new text begin (7) one individual appointed by the Minnesota Disability Law Center;
new text end

new text begin (8) one attorney in private practice who specializes in working with deaf and
deafblind clients;
new text end

new text begin (9) one representative appointed by the speaker of the house;
new text end

new text begin (10) one representative appointed by the minority leader of the house of
representatives; and
new text end

new text begin (11) two senators, one from the majority caucus and the other from the minority
caucus, appointed by the Subcommittee on Committees of the senate Rules and
Administration Committee.
new text end

new text begin (b) Any vacancy shall be filled by appointment of the appointing authority for the
vacating member.
new text end

new text begin (c) Members shall be appointed by August 1, 2016.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Duties. new text end

new text begin The task force shall research how to provide deaf, deafblind,
and hard-of-hearing people access to interpreters or assistive listening technology, as
appropriate for the individual, for encounters with law enforcement throughout the state
24 hours a day, seven days a week.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin First meeting; chair. new text end

new text begin The representative appointed by the Commission of
Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard-of-Hearing Minnesotans shall convene the initial meeting of
the task force by September 1, 2016. The members of the task force shall elect a chair
from among the deaf, deafblind, and hard-of-hearing members at the first meeting.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Compensation. new text end

new text begin Public members of the task force shall be compensated
pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 15.058, subdivision 3.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Staff. new text end

new text begin The Legislative Coordinating Commission shall provide staff
support, as needed, to facilitate the task force's work.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Report. new text end

new text begin The task force shall submit a report by January 1, 2017, to the
chairs and ranking minority members of the committees in the senate and house of
representatives with primary jurisdiction over law enforcement summarizing its findings
and listing recommendations. The report must include draft legislation to implement the
recommendations of the task force.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 7. new text end

new text begin Sunset. new text end

new text begin The task force expires the day following the submission of the
report under subdivision 6, or January 1, 2017, whichever is earlier.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 4. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the Legislative Coordinating
Commission in fiscal year 2017 for the purposes of the Deaf, Deafblind, and
Hard-of-Hearing People's Access to Justice Task Force established in section 3.
new text end