1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to crime; making a bias-motivated assault a 
  1.3             felony; amending Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 
  1.4             609.2231, subdivision 4. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 609.2231, 
  1.7   subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  1.8      Subd. 4.  [ASSAULTS MOTIVATED BY BIAS; FELONY.] (a) Whoever 
  1.9   assaults another because of the victim's or another's actual or 
  1.10  perceived race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, 
  1.11  disability as defined in section 363.01, age, or national origin 
  1.12  may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year and 
  1.13  a day or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both. 
  1.14     (b) Whoever violates the provisions of paragraph (a) within 
  1.15  five years of a previous conviction under paragraph (a) is 
  1.16  guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not 
  1.17  more than one year and a day two years or to payment of a fine 
  1.18  of not more than $3,000, or both. 
  1.19     Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  1.20     Section 1 is effective August 1, 1998, and applies to 
  1.21  crimes committed on or after that date.