SF2497

SF2497 (Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026))

Minimum age for delinquency ten years of age maintenance

Related bill: HF287

AI Generated Summary

This bill seeks to amend Minnesota's juvenile justice provisions by changing the minimum age of delinquency. Here are the key elements:

Raising the Age of Delinquency:
- Currently, the minimum age of delinquency is set at ten years old. Under this bill, effective August 1, 2026, a child under the age of 13 will no longer be considered delinquent for committing an offense.
Definition of Delinquent Child:
- As of August 1, 2026, a child under 13 who commits a delinquent act will not be classified as a "delinquent child."
Juvenile Petty Offenses:
- A child under 13 years old will no longer be categorized as a juvenile petty offender for committing certain minor offenses.
Child in Need of Protection or Services (CHIPS):
- The bill updates the CHIPS category to include children under 13 who commit delinquent acts or juvenile petty offenses. Previously, this applied only to children under 10.
Exclusions:
- Certain serious offenses, such as first-degree murder committed by minors over 16, remain outside the juvenile delinquency system.

Overall Impact:

The bill raises the minimum age at which a child can be considered delinquent from 10 to 13.
Children under 13 who commit offenses will be addressed under child welfare rather than juvenile justice.
This shift aligns with policies that favor rehabilitation and support services over formal prosecution for younger children.

The changes go into effect on August 1, 2026, and apply to offenses committed on or after that date.

Bill text versions

Introduction PDF file

Actions

Date	Chamber	Where	Type	Name	Committee Name
March 12, 2025	House	Floor	Action	Introduction and first reading
March 12, 2025	Senate	Floor	Action	Introduction and first reading
March 12, 2025	House	Floor	Action	Referred to	Judiciary and Public Safety
March 12, 2025	Senate	Floor	Action	Referred to	Judiciary and Public Safety

Citations

[
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "A new provision excluding children alleged to have committed a delinquent act before becoming 13 years old, effective August 1, 2026."
      ],
      "removed": [
        "Clarifies exceptions related to juvenile offenders."
      ],
      "summary": "The bill amends the definition of a 'delinquent child' under section 260B.007, subdivision 6, maintaining ten years of age as the minimum age of delinquency.",
      "modified": [
        "Refinement of the language defining 'delinquent child'."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "260B.007",
    "subdivision": "subdivision 6"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "New exclusion for children below 13 years old, effective August 1, 2026."
      ],
      "removed": [
        "Clarifies exceptions related to certain offenses."
      ],
      "summary": "Amends the definition of juvenile petty offenses in section 260B.007, subdivision 16.",
      "modified": [
        "Refinement to what constitutes a juvenile petty offense."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "260B.007",
    "subdivision": "subdivision 16"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Provision for delinquent acts by children under ten expiring on July 31, 2026."
      ],
      "removed": [
        ""
      ],
      "summary": "Updates section 260C.007, subdivision 6, outlining when a child is in need of protection or services.",
      "modified": [
        "Expanded definitions relating to child welfare terms such as 'abandoned' and 'medically neglected'."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "260C.007",
    "subdivision": "subdivision 6"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        ""
      ],
      "removed": [
        ""
      ],
      "summary": "References procedural aspects of child protection plans in the context of parental rights.",
      "modified": [
        "Contextual provisions about the best interests of the child regarding parental rights termination."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "260C.503",
    "subdivision": "subdivision 2"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        ""
      ],
      "removed": [
        ""
      ],
      "summary": "Referenced in the definition modifications of delinquent child and juvenile petty offenses.",
      "modified": [
        "Clarifications related to major traffic offenses and adult court traffic offenses."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "260B.225",
    "subdivision": ""
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        ""
      ],
      "removed": [
        ""
      ],
      "summary": "Definitions relevant to victims of physical or sexual abuse.",
      "modified": [
        "Incorporates specific reference to clauses concerning child abuse definitions."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "260E.03",
    "subdivision": "subdivisions 18 and 20"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        ""
      ],
      "removed": [
        ""
      ],
      "summary": "Referenced in the context of excluding certain offenses from being defined as juvenile petty offenses.",
      "modified": [
        "Clarifies misdemeanor-level exclusion criteria."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "518B.01",
    "subdivision": ""
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        ""
      ],
      "removed": [
        ""
      ],
      "summary": "Referenced in defining exclusions for certain crimes from petty offenses.",
      "modified": [
        "Specifies misdemeanor-level crimes that cannot be considered petty offenses."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "609.224",
    "subdivision": ""
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        ""
      ],
      "removed": [
        ""
      ],
      "summary": "Relevant to exclusions from juvenile petty offenses related to sexual conduct.",
      "modified": [
        "Clarifies exclusions based on sexual conduct laws."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "609.324",
    "subdivision": "subdivisions 2 and 3"
  }
]