HF 2045

1st Engrossment - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 03/09/2023 03:46pm

A bill for an act
relating to transit; amending requirements governing transit enforcement;
establishing a transit service intervention project; requiring a report; appropriating
money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 609.855, subdivision 3;
proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 473.

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

Section 1.

new text begin [473.4065] TRANSIT PASSENGER ACTIVITIES.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Code of conduct. new text end

new text begin (a) The council must adopt a rider code of conduct for
transit passengers. The council must post a copy of the code of conduct in a prominent
location at each light rail transit station and each park-and-ride station.
new text end

new text begin (b) The code of conduct must not prohibit sleeping in a manner that does not otherwise
violate conduct requirements.
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new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Prohibited activities; removal from premises. new text end

new text begin A peace officer, as defined in
section 626.84, subdivision 1, paragraph (c), may order a person to depart a transit vehicle
or transit facility for a violation as follows:
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new text begin (1) violating the rider code of conduct established under subdivision 1;
new text end

new text begin (2) smoking, as defined in section 144.413, subdivision 4;
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new text begin (3) urinating or defecating;
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new text begin (4) consuming an alcoholic beverage, as defined in section 340A.101, subdivision 2;
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new text begin (5) damaging a transit vehicle or transit facility, which includes but is not limited to
vandalism, defacement, and placement of graffiti, as defined in section 617.90, subdivision
1;
new text end

new text begin (6) throwing or depositing litter; or
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new text begin (7) engaging in disorderly conduct as specified in section 609.72, subdivision 1, clause
(3).
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new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE; APPLICATION. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following
final enactment and applies in the counties of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey,
Scott, and Washington.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 609.855, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Prohibited activities; misdemeanor.

(a) A person is guilty of a misdemeanor
who, while riding in a vehicle providing public transit service:

deleted text begin (1) operates a radio, television, tape player, electronic musical instrument, or other
electronic device, other than a watch, which amplifies music, unless the sound emanates
only from earphones or headphones and except that vehicle operators may operate electronic
equipment for official business;
deleted text end

deleted text begin (2) deleted text end new text begin (1) new text end smokes or carries lighted smoking paraphernalia; new text begin or
new text end

deleted text begin (3) consumes food or beverages, except when authorized by the operator or other official
of the transit system;
deleted text end

deleted text begin (4) deleted text end new text begin (2) new text end throws or deposits litter deleted text begin ; or deleted text end new text begin .
new text end

deleted text begin (5) carries or is in control of an animal without the operator's consent.
deleted text end

(b) A person is guilty of a violation of this subdivision only if the person continues to
act in violation of this subdivision after being warned once by an authorized transit
representative to stop the conduct.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment and
applies to violations committed on or after that date.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin TRANSIT SERVICE INTERVENTION PROJECT.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Definitions. new text end

new text begin (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have
the meanings given.
new text end

new text begin (b) "Council" means the Metropolitan Council established under Minnesota Statutes,
chapter 473.
new text end

new text begin (c) "Intervention project" means the Transit Service Intervention Project established in
this section.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Establishment. new text end

new text begin A Transit Service Intervention Project is established to provide
coordinated, high-visibility interventions on light rail transit lines that provide for enhanced
social services outreach and engagement, code of conduct regulation, and law enforcement.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Project manager. new text end

new text begin By March 13, 2023, the governor must appoint a project
manager to implement the intervention project. The project manager must have managerial
experience in social services, transit service, or law enforcement.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Participating organizations. new text end

new text begin The project manager must seek the participation
of the following entities to provide for coordination on the intervention project:
new text end

new text begin (1) the Department of Human Services;
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new text begin (2) the Department of Public Safety;
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new text begin (3) the Metropolitan Council;
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new text begin (4) each county within which a light rail transit line operates;
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new text begin (5) each city within which a light rail transit line operates;
new text end

new text begin (6) the National Alliance on Mental Illness Minnesota;
new text end

new text begin (7) the exclusive representative of transit vehicle operators; and
new text end

new text begin (8) other interested community-based social service organizations.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Duties. new text end

new text begin (a) In collaboration with the participating organizations under subdivision
4, the project manager must:
new text end

new text begin (1) establish social services intervention teams that consist of county-based social services
personnel and personnel from nonprofit organizations having mental health services or
support capacity to perform on-site social services engagement with (i) transit riders
experiencing homelessness, (ii) transit riders with substance use disorders or mental or
behavioral health disorders, or (iii) a combination;
new text end

new text begin (2) establish coordinated intervention teams that consist of personnel under clause (1),
community service officers, and peace officers;
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new text begin (3) implement interventions in two phases as follows:
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new text begin (i) by April 3, 2023, and for a period of three weeks, deploy the social services
intervention teams on a mobile basis on light rail transit lines and facilities; and
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new text begin (ii) beginning at the conclusion of the period under item (i), and for a period of at least
nine weeks, deploy the coordinated intervention teams on a mobile basis on light rail transit
lines and facilities, utilizing both social services and law enforcement partners; and
new text end

new text begin (4) evaluate impacts of the intervention teams related to social services outreach, code
of conduct violations, and rider experience.
new text end

new text begin (b) Social services engagement under paragraph (a) includes but is not limited to outreach,
preliminary assessment and screening, information and resource sharing, referral or
connections to service providers, assistance in arranging for services, and precrisis response.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Administration. new text end

new text begin Using existing resources, the council must provide staff
assistance and administrative support for the project.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 7. new text end

new text begin Reports. new text end

new text begin By the 15th of each month, the project manager must submit a status
report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with
jurisdiction over transportation policy and finance. At a minimum, each report must include:
new text end

new text begin (1) a summary of activities under the intervention project;
new text end

new text begin (2) a fiscal review of expenditures; and
new text end

new text begin (3) analysis of impacts and outcomes related to social services outreach, violations under
Minnesota Statutes, section 473.4065, and rider experience.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 8. new text end

new text begin Expiration. new text end

new text begin This section expires June 30, 2024.
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; TRANSIT SERVICE INTERVENTION PROJECT.
new text end

new text begin (a) $1,050,000 in fiscal year 2023 is appropriated from the general fund to the
Metropolitan Council for implementation of the duties of the Transit Service Intervention
Project under section 3. Of this amount:
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new text begin (1) $50,000 is for the project manager under section 3; and
new text end

new text begin (2) $1,000,000 is for grants as specified by the project manager to participating
organizations under section 3, subdivision 4, to provide reimbursements for project
implementation, including but not limited to intervention teams, labor, and other expenses.
new text end

new text begin (b) This is a onetime appropriation and is available until June 30, 2024.
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