HF 601

2nd Engrossment - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 04/25/2024 10:08am

A bill for an act
relating to public safety; requiring lost and stolen firearms to be reported promptly
to law enforcement; appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in
Minnesota Statutes, chapter 624.

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

Section 1.

new text begin [624.7139] LOST OR STOLEN FIREARMS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Duty to report. new text end

new text begin A person who owns, possesses, or controls a firearm
shall report the loss or theft of the firearm to a law enforcement agency in the jurisdiction
in which the loss or theft occurred as soon as practicable but not later than within 48 hours
of the time the person knew or reasonably should have known of the loss or theft.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Penalty. new text end

new text begin (a) A person who violates this section is guilty of a petty misdemeanor.
new text end

new text begin (b) A person who violates this section a second time is guilty of a misdemeanor.
new text end

new text begin (c) A person who violates this section a third or subsequent time is guilty of a gross
misdemeanor.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Immunity. new text end

new text begin A person who reports a lost or stolen firearm in compliance with
the requirements of subdivision 1 is immune from criminal prosecution for an offense
pursuant to state law related to the storage of firearms.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Report to commissioner of public safety. new text end

new text begin A chief of police or sheriff shall
report a lost or stolen firearm to the commissioner of public safety within seven days of
receiving notification of the loss or theft under this section.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective August 1, 2024, and applies to acts
committed on or after that date.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY; APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $36,000 in fiscal year 2025 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner
of public safety for a reporting system overseen by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
to allow chiefs of police and sheriffs to report lost or stolen firearms. This is a onetime
appropriation.
new text end