HF 1082

2nd Engrossment - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026) Posted on 03/27/2025 03:55pm

A bill for an act
relating to public safety; establishing the Minnesota victims of crime account;
providing grants to crime victim service providers; increasing certain fees and
penalties for deposit in account; transferring money from general fund to account;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 517.08, subdivisions 1b, 1c; proposing
coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapters 299A; 609.

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

Section 1.

new text begin [299A.708] MINNESOTA VICTIMS OF CRIME ACCOUNT.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Account established. new text end

new text begin The Minnesota victims of crime account is
established in the special revenue fund.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Source of funds. new text end

new text begin The account consists of money deposited, donated, allotted,
transferred, or otherwise provided to the account and any interest or earnings of the account.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Appropriation; account purpose; grants. new text end

new text begin Money in the account, including
interest accrued, is appropriated to the commissioner of public safety for the Office of Justice
Programs to provide grants to crime victim services providers. Grants must be used for
direct services and advocacy for victims of sexual assault, general crime, domestic violence,
and child abuse. Funding must support the direct needs of organizations serving victims of
crime and may provide: direct client assistance to crime victims; competitive wages for
direct service staff; hotel stays and other housing-related supports and services; culturally
responsive programming; prevention programming, including domestic abuse transformation
and restorative justice programming; and for other needs of organizations and crime victim
survivors. Services funded must include services for victims of crime in underserved
communities most impacted by violence and reflect the ethnic, racial, economic, cultural,
and geographic diversity of the state. Up to ten percent of the appropriation is available for
grant administration.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Reporting; carryover. new text end

new text begin (a) By January 15 of each year, the commissioner of
public safety shall submit a report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the
legislative committees with jurisdiction over public safety policy and finance on the account
established in subdivision 1. The report must provide detailed information on the money
deposited into the account and any money carried over from the previous year, including
the amounts and sources of the money.
new text end

new text begin (b) Money in the account does not cancel but remains available for expenditures for
grants identified in subdivision 3.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 517.08, subdivision 1b, is amended to read:

Subd. 1b.

Term of license; fee; premarital education.

(a) The local registrar shall
examine upon oath the parties applying for a license relative to the legality of the
contemplated civil marriage. Both parties must present proof of age to the local registrar.
If one party is unable to appear in person, the party appearing may complete the absent
applicant's information. The local registrar shall provide a copy of the civil marriage
application to the party who is unable to appear, who must verify the accuracy of the
appearing party's information in a notarized statement. The verification statement must be
accompanied by a copy of proof of age of the party. The civil marriage license must not be
released until the verification statement and proof of age has been received by the local
registrar. If the local registrar is satisfied that there is no legal impediment to it, including
the restriction contained in section 259.13, the local registrar shall issue the license,
containing the full names of the parties before and after the civil marriage, and county and
state of residence, with the county seal attached, and make a record of the date of issuance.
The license shall be valid for a period of six months. Except as provided in paragraph (b),
the local registrar shall collect from the applicant a fee of deleted text begin $115 deleted text end new text begin $125 new text end for administering the
oath, issuing, recording, and filing all papers required, and preparing and transmitting to
the state registrar of vital records the reports of civil marriage required by this section. If
the license should not be used within the period of six months due to illness or other
extenuating circumstances, it may be surrendered to the local registrar for cancellation, and
in that case a new license shall issue upon request of the parties of the original license
without fee. A local registrar who knowingly issues or signs a civil marriage license in any
manner other than as provided in this section shall pay to the parties aggrieved an amount
not to exceed $1,000.

(b) The civil marriage license fee for parties who have completed at least 12 hours of
premarital education is deleted text begin $40 deleted text end new text begin $50 new text end . In order to qualify for the reduced license fee, the parties
must submit at the time of applying for the civil marriage license a statement that is signed,
dated, and notarized or marked with a church seal from the person who provided the
premarital education on their letterhead confirming that it was received. The premarital
education must be provided by a licensed or ordained minister or the minister's designee,
a person authorized to solemnize civil marriages under section 517.18, or a person authorized
to practice marriage and family therapy under section 148B.33. The education must include
the use of a premarital inventory and the teaching of communication and conflict management
skills.

(c) The statement from the person who provided the premarital education under paragraph
(b) must be in the following form:

"I, .......................... (name of educator), confirm that .......................... (names of both
parties) received at least 12 hours of premarital education that included the use of a premarital
inventory and the teaching of communication and conflict management skills. I am a licensed
or ordained minister, a person authorized to solemnize civil marriages under Minnesota
Statutes, section 517.18, or a person licensed to practice marriage and family therapy under
Minnesota Statutes, section 148B.33."

The names of the parties in the educator's statement must be identical to the legal names
of the parties as they appear in the civil marriage license application. Notwithstanding
section 138.17, the educator's statement must be retained for seven years, after which time
it may be destroyed.

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 517.08, subdivision 1c, is amended to read:

Subd. 1c.

Disposition of license fee.

(a) Of the civil marriage license fee collected
pursuant to subdivision 1b, paragraph (a), $25 must be retained by the county. The local
registrar must pay deleted text begin $90 deleted text end new text begin $100 new text end to the commissioner of management and budget to be deposited
as follows:

(1) $55 in the general fund;

(2) $3 in the state government special revenue fund to be appropriated to the
commissioner of public safety for parenting time centers under section 119A.37;

(3) $2 in the special revenue fund to be appropriated to the commissioner of health for
developing and implementing the MN ENABL program under section 145.9255;

(4) $25 in the special revenue fund is appropriated to the commissioner of employment
and economic development for the Minnesota Family Resiliency Partnership under section
116L.96; deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(5) $5 in the special revenue fund, which is appropriated to the Board of Regents of the
University of Minnesota for the Minnesota couples on the brink project under section 137.32 new text begin ;
and
new text end

new text begin (6) $10 in the Minnesota victims of crime account in the special revenue fund under
section 299A.708 new text end .

(b) Of the $40 fee under subdivision 1b, paragraph (b), $25 must be retained by the
county. The local registrar must pay deleted text begin $15 deleted text end new text begin $25 new text end to the commissioner of management and
budget to be deposited as follows:

(1) $5 as provided in paragraph (a), clauses (2) and (3); deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(2) $10 in the special revenue fund is appropriated to the commissioner of employment
and economic development for the Minnesota Family Resiliency Partnership under section
116L.96 new text begin ; and
new text end

new text begin (3) $10 in the Minnesota victims of crime account in the special revenue fund under
section 299A.708 new text end .

Sec. 4.

new text begin [609.1015] CORPORATE OFFENDERS; PENALTY ASSESSMENT
REQUIRED.
new text end

new text begin (a) As used in this section, "corporation" means any entity, other than a natural person,
that is capable under the laws of any state to sue, be sued, own property, contract, or employ
another.
new text end

new text begin (b) When a court is sentencing a corporation that has been convicted of a crime, the
court shall impose an assessment of up to $1,000,000 if the conviction is for a felony offense,
up to $250,000 if the conviction is for a gross misdemeanor offense, and up to $100,000 if
the conviction is for a misdemeanor offense. The assessment is in addition to any criminal
fines, restitution, or surcharge, otherwise authorized or required under law. The court shall
impose an assessment of not less than 30 percent of the maximum assessment authorized
by this section unless the defendant makes a showing of undue hardship. The court may not
waive payment of the assessment.
new text end

new text begin (c) In setting the amount of the assessment, the court shall take the following into
consideration:
new text end

new text begin (1) the nature and seriousness of the offense;
new text end

new text begin (2) the number of offenses committed;
new text end

new text begin (3) the persistence of the criminal conduct;
new text end

new text begin (4) the length of time over which the criminal conduct occurred;
new text end

new text begin (5) the willfulness of the corporation's criminal conduct;
new text end

new text begin (6) the corporation's assets, liabilities, and net worth; and
new text end

new text begin (7) the particular harm to victims of the crime.
new text end

new text begin (d) Assessments collected under this section must be deposited into the Minnesota victims
of crime account under section 299A.708.
new text end

Sec. 5.

new text begin [609.1016] VICTIM SERVICES ASSESSMENT.
new text end

new text begin (a) When a court is sentencing a person for an offense listed in paragraph (b), the court
must impose a victim services assessment. If the violation is a misdemeanor, the assessment
must be at least $500 and not more than $750. For any other violation, the assessment must
be at least $750 and not more than $1,000.
new text end

new text begin (b) The victim services assessment applies to a conviction of the following offenses:
new text end

new text begin (1) any crime of violence as defined in section 624.712, subdivision 5, other than a
violation of chapter 152;
new text end

new text begin (2) section 518B.01, subdivision 14 (violation of domestic abuse order for protection);
new text end

new text begin (3) section 609.2242 (domestic assault);
new text end

new text begin (4) section 609.324, subdivision 1, 1a, or 2 (patronizing or hiring an individual engaged
in prostitution);
new text end

new text begin (5) section 609.3458 (sexual extortion);
new text end

new text begin (6) section 609.748, subdivision 6 (violation of harassment restraining order);
new text end

new text begin (7) section 617.261 (nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images); or
new text end

new text begin (8) section 629.75 (violation of domestic abuse no contact order).
new text end

new text begin (c) The court must waive payment of the assessment required under this subdivision on
a showing of indigency and may waive or reduce payment of the assessment on a showing
of undue hardship upon the convicted person or the convicted person's immediate family.
new text end

new text begin (d) Assessments collected under this section must be deposited into the Minnesota victims
of crime account under section 299A.708.
new text end

Sec. 6. new text begin GENERAL FUND TRANSFER.
new text end

new text begin $....... in fiscal year 2026 and $....... in fiscal year 2027 are transferred from the general
fund to the Minnesota victims of crime account in the special revenue fund under Minnesota
Statutes, section 299A.708.
new text end