HF 1542

as introduced - 86th Legislature (2009 - 2010) Posted on 02/09/2010 01:52am

A bill for an act
relating to public safety; providing funding for the public defender; establishing
a public defender fee for licensed attorneys; establishing a public defender fee
account in the special revenue fund.

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

Section 1. new text begin PUBLIC DEFENDER FEE; PUBLIC DEFENDER FEE ACCOUNT.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Creation of fee. new text end

new text begin The state court administrator, through the lawyer
registration office, may assess a public defender fee on each licensed attorney in the state.
The fee must be equal to or greater than the civil legal services fee that licensed attorneys
are required to pay pursuant to the rules of the supreme court on lawyer registration.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Creation of account. new text end

new text begin A public defender fee account is created in the
special revenue fund. The public defender fee is deposited in the public defender fee
account in the special revenue fund. The amounts in the account are appropriated to the
Board of Public Defense.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Purpose of account. new text end

new text begin The purpose of the public defender fee account is to
provide funding for the Board of Public Defense.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Prohibition on nonpublic defender transfers from account.
new text end

new text begin Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, money in the public defender fee account shall
be appropriated solely for the purpose of funding the Board of Public Defense.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2009.
new text end