1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to crime prevention; creating a pilot project 
  1.3             grant program to provide services to victims and 
  1.4             witnesses of crime; appropriating money. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [PILOT PROJECT GRANT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE 
  1.7   SERVICES TO CRIME VICTIMS AND WITNESSES.] 
  1.8      Subdivision 1.  [PROGRAM ESTABLISHED.] The executive 
  1.9   director of the center for crime victim services shall 
  1.10  administer a pilot project grant program and make grants to 
  1.11  nonprofit organizations to provide neighborhood-based services 
  1.12  to victims and witnesses of crime during the period between the 
  1.13  occurrence of the crime and the filing of charges against the 
  1.14  alleged perpetrator.  Grant recipients must target victims and 
  1.15  witnesses of crime from groups that currently underreport crime, 
  1.16  including recent immigrants or refugees, communities of color, 
  1.17  and victims of bias-motivated crime.  Services must be provided 
  1.18  in locations and at times typically convenient to prospective 
  1.19  clients.  The types of services that may be offered by grant 
  1.20  recipients are those that attempt to address the lack of trust 
  1.21  and understanding that prospective clients have of the criminal 
  1.22  justice system and include legal advice and advocacy services.  
  1.23  The executive director shall ensure that grants under this 
  1.24  section fund pilot projects offering the described services in 
  1.25  at least five locations throughout the state. 
  2.1      Subd. 2.  [REQUIRED REPORT.] By January 15, 2002, the 
  2.2   executive director shall report to the chairs and ranking 
  2.3   minority members of the senate and house committees and 
  2.4   divisions having jurisdiction over criminal justice funding on 
  2.5   the grants made and pilot projects funded under this section. 
  2.6      Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.7      $....... for fiscal year ending June 30, 2000, and $....... 
  2.8   for fiscal year ending June 30, 2001, is appropriated from the 
  2.9   general fund to the executive director of the center for crime 
  2.10  victim services to administer the grant program and make the 
  2.11  grants described in section 1.