Relating to crimeARTICLE 1 - DEATH PENALTY PROCEDURESAuthorizing and providing for court imposition of the death penalty +for conviction of murder in the first degree under certain aggravating circumstances; requiring notice by the prosecuting attorney to the +court and the defendant of the intent to seek the death sentence in the event +of conviction; requiring the court to order appointment of counsel in +death penalty cases, exception; excluding certain cases from imposition of +the death sentence; requiring and providing for a separate sentencing proceeding to +determine imposition of the death or other sentence, specifying certain +aggravating and mitigating circumstances; excluding mental retardation cases from +imposition of the death penalty; providing for imposition of the death sentence or +of life without the possibility of release upon findings by the jury of +aggravating or mitigating circumstance, prohibiting the carrying out of the sentence+ of death on persons committing the crime as a minor, on persons with mental +illness and on pregnant persons; providing for execution of the sentence by +lethal injection, administrative requirements, requiring the pronunciation +of death by a licensed physician; subjecting a sentence of death to automatic +review by the supreme court, procedure, specifying certain review guidelines, +requiring notice to the governor; requiring the supreme court to establish by +rule a unified review procedure to provide for presentation to the +sentencing and supreme courts possible challenges to the trial, conviction, sentence+ and detention of defendants sentenced to death, procedure to govern +pretrial and posttrial appellate review of death penalty cases; requiring the +supreme court to establish by rule a series of checklists to be used by the trial +court, the prosecuting attorney and defense counsel before, during and after the+ trial to assure consideration and assertion of all possible matters of +defense; providing for stay of execution of death by the governor in cases of +mental illness or pregnancy; providing for issuance of the death warrant by +the governor after notice from the supreme court of the upholding of the +death sentence and for reassignment of inmates with set aside death +sentences from the death unit; specifying certain duties of the commissioner of +corrections in designating the place of execution and of the chief executive officer+ of the designated maximum security facility; classifying information +relating to the identity and compensation of the executioner; specifying certain +execution witness requirements; requiring signing and return of the death +warrant after execution to the governor and filing of an attested copy of the +warrant with the court administrator imposing the sentence; providing for warrant +issuance by and return to the supreme court under certain conditions; +requiring the state to reimburse counties for costs incurred in prosecuting cases +involving the death penalty; requiring attorney general prosecutorial +assistance upon county prosecutor requestARTICLE 2 - BEST PRACTICES CAPITAL PUNISHMENT MODEL AND PROSECUTORIAL+ CHARGE GUIDELINESEstablishing the Minnesota capital punishment policy commission to +design, develop and maintain a best practices capital punishment model policy+ governing the institutional architecture and operation of capital punishment in+ the state, specifying certain commission membership and policy content requirements; requiring the commission to coordinate and work with collaborative task forces to assist in developing best practices recommendations and to serve as a clearinghouse and information +center for the collection, preparation, analysis and dissemination of information on+ capital sentencing practices in other jurisdictions; requiring the +commissioner of corrections to provide assistance to the commission; requiring the +commission to adopt death penalty guidelines for the prosecutorial charge +decision, specifying certain guidelines requirements; requiring the office of +the attorney general to establish a capital charge review panel to ensure+ the consistency of charging the death penalty in accordance with public +policy and the capital punishment doctrine of the federal supreme court, +specifying certain duties of the attorney general; requiring the state public +defender to establish a capital defense and trial services unit and the manager +of the unit to establish a public defense function task force, the attorney +general to establish a capital prosecution and trial support division and the +manager of the division to establish a capital prosecution function task force +and the state court administrator to appoint a capital punishment task force +to develop recommendations relating to the judicial function; requesting the +supreme court to develop recommendations relating to capital case jurors and jury instructions; requiring the superintendent of the bureau of criminal apprehension (BCA) to develop uniform procedures and protocols for +collection and preservation of evidence in murder cases, requiring creation of a+ capital cases DNA data bank; requiring the capital punishment policy +commission to appoint a task force to assist in developing continuing education +programs and minimum standards of professional competence in death penalty +litigation and a task force to assist in calculating the costs of a capital punishment+ sanction system, specifying certain membership requirements and duties; +imposing a schedule for implementation of the death penalty; specifying certain +reporting requirements ARTICLE 3 � APPROPRIATIONS FOR CAPITAL PUNISHMENT Appropriating money to the commissioner of corrections, to the +bureau of criminal apprehension (BCA), to the board of public defense, to the +attorney general and to the supreme and district courts to carry out the +required functions and to the commissioner of finance to reimburse counties +for prosecuting capital cases ARTICLE 4 - TECHNICAL AMENDMENTSMaking conforming amendments to certain statutory provisions relating+ to conditional release, sentences available, the sentencing of persons +for certain heinous crimes, parole or discharge, stay of sentence and the +sentence for murder in the first degree (je)