This bill, H.F. No. 1775, introduced in the Minnesota House of Representatives, focuses on public safety, data collection, and transparency in the state's criminal justice system.

Key Provisions:

1. Criminal Case Data Collection (§ 609.016)

   • Criminal justice officials and agencies must collect and report detailed information on criminal cases.
   • Required data includes:
     • Defendant demographics (name, age, gender, race, etc.).
     • Booking and release dates for detainees.
     • Details on charges (filing, severity, plea agreements, trial outcomes).
     • Bail or bond information (amount set, conditions, revocations, etc.).
     • Court appearances, failures to appear, and warrant issuances.
     • Defense attorney type (public defender, private counsel, or pro se).
     • Sentencing details (fine amounts, restitution, outcomes, etc.).
   • The Sentencing Guidelines Commission (SGC) and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) will collect and standardize this data.

2. Data Repository & Oversight

   • The BCA will manage a centralized repository for the collected data.
   • The SGC will consult legal system stakeholders (law enforcement, prosecutors, public defenders, corrections officers, etc.) to guide the data analysis.
   • Annually, starting January 1, 2026, the BCA will submit a statewide dataset to the SGC.
   • The SGC will analyze the data and may contract a nonprofit research organization to further study state criminal justice trends.

3. Public Dashboard (By July 1, 2030)

   • The BCA will create a publicly accessible dashboard with criminal case data.
   • This dashboard will be interactive, searchable, and intended for public, academic, and policy research purposes.

4. Funding Provisions

   • Sentencing Guidelines Commission: Funds allocated in FY 2026 & FY 2027 for:
     • Implementation of data collection.
     • A grant for nonprofit research to assess statewide criminal justice practices.
   • Department of Public Safety: Funds allocated in FY 2026 & FY 2027 for:
     • Grants to local criminal justice officials to hire staff, upgrade case-management systems, and establish necessary data-collection processes.
     • BCA costs to implement this law.

Summary:

H.F. No. 1775 aims to increase transparency and accountability in Minnesota’s criminal justice system by mandating the collection and public reporting of key data points related to arrests, charges, trials, bail, and sentencing. It establishes a centralized data repository, directs the creation of a public dashboard, funds criminal justice system improvements, and supports research on pretrial and sentencing trends to inform policy decisions.