1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to public defense; requiring courts, 
  1.3             prosecutors, and law enforcement agencies to provide 
  1.4             certain documents and items to public defenders at no 
  1.5             charge; permitting the board of public defense to use 
  1.6             its 1996-1997 biennial appropriation for certain 
  1.7             purposes; amending Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 
  1.8             611.271. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 611.271, is 
  1.11  amended to read: 
  1.12     611.271 [COPIES OF DOCUMENTS; FEES.] 
  1.13     The court administrators of courts, the prosecuting 
  1.14  attorneys of counties and municipalities, and the law 
  1.15  enforcement agencies of the state and its political subdivisions 
  1.16  shall furnish, upon the request of the district public defender, 
  1.17  the state public defender, or an attorney working for a public 
  1.18  defense corporation under section 611.216, copies of any 
  1.19  documents, including police reports, in their possession at no 
  1.20  charge to the public defender, including the following:  police 
  1.21  reports, photographs, grand jury transcripts, audiotapes, 
  1.22  videotapes, transcripts of audiotapes or videotapes and, in 
  1.23  child protection cases, reports prepared by local welfare 
  1.24  agencies. 
  1.25     Sec. 2.  [FISCAL YEAR 1996-1997 APPROPRIATION; BOARD OF 
  1.26  PUBLIC DEFENSE.] 
  1.27     Of the amount appropriated to the board of public defense 
  2.1   in Laws 1995, chapter 226, article 1, section 10, subdivision 3, 
  2.2   up to $100,000 in fiscal year 1996 and up to $100,000 in fiscal 
  2.3   year 1997 may be used by the board for the operation of its 
  2.4   management information system and administration. 
  2.5      Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.6      Section 1 is effective August 1, 1996.  Section 2 is 
  2.7   effective the day following final enactment.