1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to crime prevention; creating the position of 
  1.3             director of domestic violence and sexual assault 
  1.4             prevention and an interagency task force on domestic 
  1.5             violence and sexual assault prevention; specifying the 
  1.6             powers, duties, and organization of the director and 
  1.7             task force; amending Minnesota Statutes 1998, sections 
  1.8             611A.25, by adding a subdivision; and 611A.34, 
  1.9             subdivision 3; proposing coding for new law in 
  1.10            Minnesota Statutes, chapter 611A. 
  1.11  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.12     Section 1.  [611A.201] [DIRECTOR OF PREVENTION OF DOMESTIC 
  1.13  VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT.] 
  1.14     Subdivision 1.  [APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTOR.] The executive 
  1.15  director of the center for crime victim services shall appoint a 
  1.16  person to serve as director of domestic violence and sexual 
  1.17  assault prevention in the center.  The director must have 
  1.18  experience in domestic violence and sexual assault prevention 
  1.19  issues.  The director serves at the executive director's 
  1.20  pleasure in the unclassified service.  The executive director 
  1.21  may appoint, supervise, discipline, and discharge employees to 
  1.22  assist the director in carrying out the director's 
  1.23  responsibilities under this section. 
  1.24     Subd. 2.  [DIRECTOR'S RESPONSIBILITIES.] The director shall 
  1.25  have the following duties: 
  1.26     (1) advocate for the rights of victims of domestic violence 
  1.27  and sexual assault; 
  1.28     (2) increase public education and visibility about the 
  2.1   prevention of domestic violence and sexual assault; 
  2.2      (3) encourage accountability regarding domestic violence 
  2.3   and sexual assault at all levels of the system, and develop 
  2.4   recommendations to improve accountability when the system fails; 
  2.5      (4) support prosecution and civil litigation efforts 
  2.6   regarding domestic violence and sexual assault at the federal 
  2.7   and state levels; 
  2.8      (5) initiate policy changes regarding domestic violence and 
  2.9   sexual assault at all levels of government; 
  2.10     (6) coordinate existing resources and promote coordinated 
  2.11  and immediate community responses to better serve victims of 
  2.12  domestic violence and sexual assault; 
  2.13     (7) build partnerships among law enforcement, prosecutors, 
  2.14  defenders, advocates, and courts to reduce the occurrence of 
  2.15  domestic violence and sexual assault; 
  2.16     (8) encourage and support the efforts of health care 
  2.17  providers, mental health experts, employers, educators, clergy 
  2.18  members, and others, in raising awareness of and addressing how 
  2.19  to prevent domestic violence and sexual assault; 
  2.20     (9) coordinate and maximize the use of federal, state, and 
  2.21  local resources available to prevent domestic violence and 
  2.22  sexual assault and leverage more resources through grants and 
  2.23  private funding; and 
  2.24     (10) serve as a liaison between the executive director of 
  2.25  the center for crime victim services and the commissioner of 
  2.26  health with regard to the department of health's sexual violence 
  2.27  prevention program funded by federal block grants, and oversee 
  2.28  how this money is spent. 
  2.29     Subd. 3.  [SERVICE AS CHAIR OF INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE.] The 
  2.30  director shall serve as the chair of the interagency task force 
  2.31  described in section 611A.202. 
  2.32     Subd. 4.  [ANNUAL REPORT.] By January 15 of each year, the 
  2.33  director shall report to the governor and the legislature on 
  2.34  matters within the director's jurisdiction.  In addition to 
  2.35  other issues deemed relevant by the director, the report may 
  2.36  include recommendations for changes in policies and laws 
  3.1   relating to domestic violence and sexual assault prevention. 
  3.2      Subd. 5.  [OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES.] In addition to those 
  3.3   described in this section, the executive director of the center 
  3.4   may assign other appropriate responsibilities to the director. 
  3.5      Sec. 2.  [611A.202] [INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE ON DOMESTIC 
  3.6   VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT PREVENTION.] 
  3.7      Subdivision 1.  [TASK FORCE MEMBERSHIP.] The interagency 
  3.8   task force on domestic violence and sexual assault prevention 
  3.9   consists of the following individuals, or their designees: 
  3.10     (1) the director of domestic violence and sexual assault 
  3.11  prevention; 
  3.12     (2) the director of the department of public safety's 
  3.13  office of drug policy and violence prevention; 
  3.14     (3) a representative of the department of children, 
  3.15  families, and learning who is responsible for or knowledgeable 
  3.16  about violence prevention issues within the department's 
  3.17  jurisdiction; appointed by the commissioner of children, 
  3.18  families, and learning; 
  3.19     (4) a representative of the department of corrections who 
  3.20  is responsible for or knowledgeable about violence prevention 
  3.21  and restorative justice issues within the department's 
  3.22  jurisdiction; appointed by the commissioner of corrections; 
  3.23     (5) a representative of the department of health who is 
  3.24  responsible for or knowledgeable about family and public health 
  3.25  violence prevention issues within the department's jurisdiction; 
  3.26  appointed by the commissioner of health; 
  3.27     (6) a representative of the department of human services 
  3.28  who is responsible for or knowledgeable about violence 
  3.29  prevention issues within the department's jurisdiction; 
  3.30  appointed by the commissioner of human services; 
  3.31     (7) a representative of the department of economic security 
  3.32  who is responsible for or knowledgeable about violence 
  3.33  prevention issues within the department's jurisdiction; 
  3.34  appointed by the commissioner of economic security; 
  3.35     (8) a county attorney knowledgeable in domestic violence 
  3.36  and sexual assault issues; appointed by the Minnesota county 
  4.1   attorney's association; 
  4.2      (9) a judge knowledgeable in domestic violence and sexual 
  4.3   assault issues; appointed by the chief justice of the supreme 
  4.4   court; 
  4.5      (10) a city attorney knowledgeable in domestic violence and 
  4.6   sexual assault issues; appointed by the league of Minnesota 
  4.7   cities; 
  4.8      (11) a representative from the United States Attorney's 
  4.9   office knowledgeable in domestic violence and sexual assault 
  4.10  issues; appointed by the United States Attorney; 
  4.11     (12) the attorney general; 
  4.12     (13) a representative from the Minnesota coalition for 
  4.13  battered women; appointed by the coalition; 
  4.14     (14) a representative from the Minnesota coalition against 
  4.15  sexual assault; appointed by the coalition; 
  4.16     (15) a representative from a battered women shelter; 
  4.17  appointed by the commissioner of public safety; 
  4.18     (16) the executive director of the center for crime victim 
  4.19  services; and 
  4.20     (17) a peace officer knowledgeable in domestic violence and 
  4.21  sexual assault issues; appointed by the commissioner of public 
  4.22  safety. 
  4.23     Subd. 2.  [CHAIR; STAFF.] The director of domestic violence 
  4.24  and sexual assault prevention shall serve as the task force's 
  4.25  chair and provide necessary staff to assist the task force. 
  4.26     Subd. 3.  [OBJECTIVES.] The task force shall work to 
  4.27  promote the objectives described in section 611A.201, 
  4.28  subdivision 2, and prepare the strategic plan and evaluations 
  4.29  described in subdivision 4. 
  4.30     Subd. 4.  [STRATEGIC PLAN; EVALUATION.] (a) By January 15, 
  4.31  2001, the task force shall submit a strategic plan on domestic 
  4.32  violence and sexual assault prevention to the governor and 
  4.33  legislature.  The plan must include: 
  4.34     (1) recommendations on how to reduce incidents of domestic 
  4.35  violence and sexual assault; 
  4.36     (2) recommendations on how to coordinate existing resources 
  5.1   at the federal, state, and local levels to reduce incidents of 
  5.2   domestic violence and sexual assault; including specific 
  5.3   proposals on how these entities may cooperate better; 
  5.4      (3) recommendations for changes in policies and laws to 
  5.5   reduce incidents of domestic violence and sexual assault; 
  5.6      (4) recommendations on the need for increased services and 
  5.7   resources to reduce incidents of domestic violence and sexual 
  5.8   assault; and 
  5.9      (5) other items deemed appropriate by the task force. 
  5.10     (b) By January 15 of each year, the task force shall 
  5.11  evaluate the progress made in reducing domestic violence and 
  5.12  sexual assaults during the preceding year.  The evaluation must 
  5.13  detail the response to the strategic plan described in paragraph 
  5.14  (a), including the progress, if any, made towards implementing 
  5.15  each of its recommendations.  The evaluation must also assess 
  5.16  the successes and failures of the director of domestic violence 
  5.17  and sexual assault prevention in achieving the director's 
  5.18  objectives. 
  5.19     Subd. 5.  [SAFE COUNCIL.] To the degree feasible, the task 
  5.20  force shall cooperate and coordinate its activities with the 
  5.21  SAFE council. 
  5.22     Subd. 6.  [EXPIRATION AND COMPENSATION.] Notwithstanding 
  5.23  section 15.059, the task force expires June 30, 2005.  Task 
  5.24  force members may receive expense reimbursements as provided in 
  5.25  section 15.059.  Task force members who are not public employees 
  5.26  may receive compensation for serving as provided in section 
  5.27  15.059. 
  5.28     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 611A.25, is 
  5.29  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  5.30     Subd. 4.  [DUTIES.] In addition to other duties, the 
  5.31  advisory council shall advise the director of domestic violence 
  5.32  and sexual assault prevention in matters related to preventing 
  5.33  occurrences of these types of violence. 
  5.34     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 611A.34, 
  5.35  subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  5.36     Subd. 3.  [DUTIES.] The advisory council shall: 
  6.1      (1) advise the commissioner on all planning, development, 
  6.2   data collection, rulemaking, funding, and evaluation of programs 
  6.3   and services for battered women that are funded under section 
  6.4   611A.32, other than matters of a purely administrative nature; 
  6.5      (2) advise the commissioner on the adoption of rules under 
  6.6   chapter 14 governing the award of grants to ensure that funded 
  6.7   programs are consistent with section 611A.32, subdivision 1; 
  6.8      (3) recommend to the commissioner the names of five 
  6.9   applicants for the position of battered women's program 
  6.10  director; 
  6.11     (4) advise the commissioner on the rules adopted under 
  6.12  chapter 14 pursuant to section 611A.33; 
  6.13     (5) review applications received by the commissioner for 
  6.14  grants under section 611A.32 and make recommendations on the 
  6.15  awarding of grants; ~~and~~ 
  6.16     (6) advise the program director in the performance of 
  6.17  duties in the administration and coordination of the programs 
  6.18  funded under section 611A.32; and 
  6.19     (7) advise the director of domestic violence and sexual 
  6.20  assault prevention in matters related to preventing these 
  6.21  occurrences of these types of violence. 
  6.22     Sec. 5.  [INITIAL EVALUATION.] 
  6.23     The first evaluation required by Minnesota Statutes, 
  6.24  section 611A.202, subdivision 4, paragraph (b), is due January 
  6.25  15, 2002. 
  6.26     Sec. 6.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  6.27     Sections 1 to 5 are effective July 1, 2000.