1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to public safety; establishing the crime of
1.3 	providing false information to law enforcement;
1.4 	amending Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 609.505.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 609.505, is
1.7 	amended to read:
1.8 	609.505 FALSELY REPORTING CRIME; PROVIDING FALSE
1.9 	INFORMATION.
1.10 		Subdivision 1.False reporting. Whoever informs a law
1.11 	enforcement officer that a crime has been committed, knowing
1.12 	that it is false and intending that the officer shall act in
1.13 	reliance upon it, is guilty of a misdemeanor.  A person who is
1.14 	convicted a second or subsequent time under this section is
1.15 	guilty of a gross misdemeanor.
1.16 		Subd. 2.False information. (a) Except as provided in
1.17 	subdivision 1 and unless a more severe penalty is imposed
1.18 	elsewhere in law, whoever provides false information about
1.19 	another person to a law enforcement officer knowing that it is
1.20 	false, intending that the officer shall act in reliance upon it,
1.21 	and intending to obstruct justice, is guilty of a gross
1.22 	misdemeanor.  A person who is convicted a second or subsequent
1.23 	time under this section is guilty of a felony and may be
1.24 	sentenced to imprisonment for not more than two years or to
1.25 	payment of a fine of not more than $4,000, or both.
2.1 	(b) To prove that a person intended to obstruct justice
2.2 	under paragraph (a), it is not necessary to show that the person
2.3 	engaged in any type of physical act or used threatening language.
2.4 	
EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective August 1, 2005,
2.5 	and applies to crimes committed on or after that date.