SF447 (Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026))
Consumer protection restitution account establishment provision, public compensation payments exclusion from certain calculations of income provision, certain data classified as public provision, and appropriation
Related bill: HF1392
AI Generated Summary
Senate Bill SF No 447 is a proposed act to establish a consumer protection restitution account within the state of Minnesota. The main goal is to provide a mechanism for managing and distributing funds that cannot be reasonably returned directly to consumers who have been affected by actions deemed unlawful under consumer protection laws.
Key points of the bill include:
Creation of the Consumer Protection Restitution Account: The account is designed to collect and manage funds awarded in consumer enforcement actions that cannot be distributed directly to affected consumers because they cannot be located or because the administration costs to do so would be too high.
Use of the Account: Money in the account is to be used to compensate eligible consumers who are directly impacted by the unlawful acts addressed in consumer enforcement actions. A small portion (not exceeding three percent) can also be used to cover administrative costs.
Management and Oversight: The Attorney General's Office is responsible for administering the account, including appointing administrators for funds and managing the distribution of compensations.
Reporting Requirements: The Attorney General must report annually on the account’s activity, documenting the actions taken, funds collected and distributed, and administrative costs incurred.
Practical Redistribution Rules: The Attorney General can deem it impractical to distribute funds to eligible consumers under certain circumstances, such as low compensation amounts or high costs of distribution relative to the benefit to the consumers, and can decide to retain these funds within the account.
Legislative Review and Consumer Information: The bill requires ongoing updates and transparency through annual reports to the legislature and making these reports available on the Attorney General's website.
This bill primarily seeks to ensure that funds obtained through consumer protection legal actions are managed responsibly and used to benefit consumers who have suffered due to unlawful practices, even when direct distribution is not feasible.
Actions
| Date | Chamber | Where | Type | Name | Committee Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 20, 2025 | House | Floor | Action | Introduction and first reading | |
| January 20, 2025 | Senate | Floor | Action | Introduction and first reading | |
| January 20, 2025 | Senate | Floor | Action | Referred to | Commerce and Consumer Protection |
| January 20, 2025 | House | Floor | Action | Referred to | Commerce and Consumer Protection |
| January 26, 2025 | Senate | Floor | Action | Author added | |
| January 26, 2025 | House | Floor | Action | Author added | |
| March 02, 2025 | Senate | Floor | Action | Comm report: To pass as amended and re-refer to | State and Local Government |
| March 02, 2025 | House | Floor | Action | Comm report: To pass as amended and re-refer to | State and Local Government |
| March 12, 2025 | Senate | Floor | Action | Comm report: To pass as amended and re-refer to | Judiciary and Public Safety |
| March 19, 2025 | Senate | Floor | Action | Comm report: To pass as amended and re-refer to | Finance |
| April 02, 2025 | Senate | Floor | Action | Comm report: To pass as amended and re-refer to | Taxes |
Citations
[
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"A clause for depositing undistributed funds into the consumer protection restitution account."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amendments relating to the distribution of recovered sums in cases where victims are not readily found.",
"modified": [
"Allows funds not redeemed within 120 days to be redeposited."
]
},
"citation": "8.31",
"subdivision": "subdivision 2c"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Relating to court-appointed administrators and remedies provided in consumer enforcement actions.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "8.31",
"subdivision": "subdivision 3c"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Provisions for specific funds related to opioid settlements and enforcement actions."
],
"removed": [
"Previous provisions regarding certain health board distributions."
],
"summary": "This section addresses exceptions for where state-recovered funds must be deposited, including general funds and specific purpose funds.",
"modified": [
"Clarifications made on fund deposits for specified litigation recoveries."
]
},
"citation": "16A.151",
"subdivision": "subdivision 2"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Reference to acceptance of funds directed by a federal court for restitution or monetary penalties.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "United States Code title 18 section 3663a",
"subdivision": "3"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Reference to acceptance of funds directed by a federal court for restitution or monetary penalties.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "United States Code title 18 section 3663A",
"subdivision": "a3"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Reference to the opiate epidemic response fund for opioid related settlements.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "256.043",
"subdivision": "subdivision 1"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Definition section for community health board regarding distribution of litigation or settlement funds.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "145A.02",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Reference to deposit of funds related to opioid consulting firm settlements.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "256.042",
"subdivision": "subdivision 1"
}
]