Minnesota Session Laws - 2021, Regular Session

CHAPTER 24--S.F.No. 519

An act

relating to corrections; requiring that certain information, assistance, services, and medications be provided to inmates upon release from prison; providing identification cards for released inmates; requiring a homelessness mitigation plan and annual reporting on information relating to homelessness;

amending Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 171.06, subdivision 3; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 241.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 171.06, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Contents of application; other information.

(a) An application must:

(1) state the full name, date of birth, sex, and either (i) the residence address of the applicant, or (ii) designated address under section 5B.05;

(2) as may be required by the commissioner, contain a description of the applicant and any other facts pertaining to the applicant, the applicant's driving privileges, and the applicant's ability to operate a motor vehicle with safety;

(3) state:

(i) the applicant's Social Security number; or

(ii) if the applicant does not have a Social Security number and is applying for a Minnesota identification card, instruction permit, or class D provisional or driver's license, that the applicant certifies that the applicant is not eligible for a Social Security number;

(4) contain a notification to the applicant of the availability of a living will/health care directive designation on the license under section 171.07, subdivision 7; and

(5) include a method for the applicant to:

(i) request a veteran designation on the license under section 171.07, subdivision 15, and the driving record under section 171.12, subdivision 5a;

(ii) indicate a desire to make an anatomical gift under paragraph (d);

(iii) as applicable, designate document retention as provided under section 171.12, subdivision 3c; and

(iv) indicate emergency contacts as provided under section 171.12, subdivision 5b.

(b) Applications must be accompanied by satisfactory evidence demonstrating:

(1) identity, date of birth, and any legal name change if applicable; and

(2) for driver's licenses and Minnesota identification cards that meet all requirements of the REAL ID Act:

(i) principal residence address in Minnesota, including application for a change of address, unless the applicant provides a designated address under section 5B.05;

(ii) Social Security number, or related documentation as applicable; and

(iii) lawful status, as defined in Code of Federal Regulations, title 6, section 37.3.

(c) An application for an enhanced driver's license or enhanced identification card must be accompanied by:

(1) satisfactory evidence demonstrating the applicant's full legal name and United States citizenship; and

(2) a photographic identity document.

new text begin (d) A valid Department of Corrections or Federal Bureau of Prisons identification card, containing the applicant's full name, date of birth, and photograph issued to the applicant is an acceptable form of proof of identity in an application for an identification card, instruction permit, or driver's license as a secondary document for purposes of Minnesota Rules, part 7410.0400, and successor rules. new text end

Sec. 2.

new text begin [241.067] RELEASE OF INMATES; DUTIES OF COMMISSIONER. new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Duties upon release. new text end

new text begin When releasing an inmate from prison, the commissioner shall: new text end

new text begin (1) provide the inmate with a copy of the inmate's unofficial criminal history compiled by the department and marked as unofficial; new text end

new text begin (2) provide information to the inmate on how to obtain the inmate's full official criminal history from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension; new text end

new text begin (3) provide general information to the inmate describing the laws and processes for obtaining an expungement of the inmate's criminal record; new text end

new text begin (4) provide general information on the inmate's right to vote; new text end

new text begin (5) provide the inmate with current information on local career workforce centers in the county in which the inmate will reside and, upon the inmate's request, other counties; new text end

new text begin (6) provide the inmate with a record of the programs that the inmate completed while in prison; new text end

new text begin (7) provide the inmate with an accounting of any court-ordered payments, fines, and fees owed by the inmate upon release of which the department has knowledge; new text end

new text begin (8) provide assistance to the inmate in obtaining a Social Security card; new text end

new text begin (9) provide the inmate with a medical discharge summary; new text end

new text begin (10) provide the inmate with information on how the inmate may obtain a complete copy of the inmate's medical record at no charge to the inmate; and new text end

new text begin (11) provide the inmate with general information on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, eligibility criteria, and application process. new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Assistance relating to birth certificate and identification cards. new text end

new text begin (a) Upon the request of an inmate, the commissioner shall assist the inmate in obtaining a copy of the inmate's birth certificate at no cost to the inmate. This assistance does not apply to inmates who (1) upon intake have six months or less remaining in their term of imprisonment, (2) already have an accessible copy of their birth certificate available or other valid identification, or (3) already have a valid photograph on file with the Department of Public Safety that may be used as proof of identity for renewing an identification document. new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner, in collaboration with the Department of Public Safety, shall facilitate the provision of a state identification card to an inmate at no cost to the inmate under the same criteria described in paragraph (a) relating to birth certificates, provided the inmate possesses the necessary qualifying documents to obtain the card. new text end

new text begin (c) The commissioner shall inform inmates of the commissioner's duties under paragraphs (a) and (b) upon intake and again upon the initiation of release planning. new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Medical assistance or MinnesotaCare application. new text end

new text begin At least 45 days before the scheduled release of an inmate, the commissioner shall offer to assist the inmate in completing an application for medical assistance or MinnesotaCare and shall provide the assistance if the inmate accepts the offer. new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Medications. new text end

new text begin (a) When releasing an inmate from prison, the commissioner shall provide the inmate with a one-month supply of any non-narcotic medications that have been prescribed to the inmate and a prescription for a 30-day supply of these medications that may be refilled twice. new text end

new text begin (b) Paragraph (a) applies only to the extent the requirement is consistent with clinical guidelines and permitted under state and federal law. new text end

new text begin (c) Nothing in this subdivision overrides the requirements in section 244.054. new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Exception; release violators. new text end

new text begin With the exception of subdivision 4, this section does not apply to inmates who are being imprisoned for a release violation. The requirements in subdivision 4 apply to all inmates being released. new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective September 1, 2021, except that the requirement in subdivision 1, clause (10), is effective on July 1, 2022. new text end

Sec. 3.

new text begin [241.068] HOMELESSNESS MITIGATION PLAN; ANNUAL REPORTING ON HOMELESSNESS. new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Homelessness mitigation plan; report. new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner of corrections shall develop and implement a homelessness mitigation plan for individuals released from prison. At minimum, the plan must include: new text end

new text begin (1) redesigning of business practices and policies to boost efforts to prevent homelessness for all persons released from prison; new text end

new text begin (2) efforts to increase interagency and intergovernmental collaboration between state and local governmental units to identify and leverage shared resources; and new text end

new text begin (3) development of internal metrics for the agency to report on its progress towards implementing the plan and achieving the plan's goals. new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner shall submit the plan to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees having jurisdiction over criminal justice policy and finance and housing finance and policy by October 31, 2022. new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Reporting on individuals released to homelessness. new text end

new text begin (a) By February 15 of each year beginning in 2022, the commissioner shall report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees having jurisdiction over criminal justice policy and finance and housing finance and policy the following information on adults, disaggregated by race, gender, and county of release: new text end

new text begin (1) the total number released to homelessness from prison; new text end

new text begin (2) the total number released to homelessness by each Minnesota correctional facility; new text end

new text begin (3) the total number released to homelessness by county of release; and new text end

new text begin (4) the total number under supervised, intensive supervised, or conditional release following release from prison who reported experiencing homelessness or a lack of housing stability. new text end

new text begin (b) Beginning with the 2024 report and continuing until the 2033 report, the commissioner shall include in the report required under paragraph (a), information detailing progress, measures, and challenges to the implementation of the homelessness mitigation plan required by subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July, 1, 2021. new text end

Presented to the governor May 21, 2021

Signed by the governor May 25, 2021, 8:20 a.m.