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Bill

HF 2010

Age of consent increased from 16 to 18 in criminal sexual conduct offenses involving offenders who are over 21 years of age, and criminal penalties imposed.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Kristin Bahner and 12 co-sponsors

Minnesota bill raises age of consent to 18 for offenders over 21, criminalizing sexual conduct between adults and minors in that age range with attendant penalties.

Authors added Bahner; Frazier; Coulter; Falconer; Curran; Pursell; Olson; Lee, F.; Berg
#crimesandcriminals-sexualoffenses #publicsafetydepartment
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Bill Summary · HF 2010

Legislative bill overview

HF 2010 raises the age of consent from 16 to 18 in Minnesota's criminal sexual conduct statutes, but only for cases where the offender is over 21 years old. This creates a tiered age-of-consent system based on the offender's age. The bill imposes criminal penalties for violations of this new standard.

Why is this important

Currently, 16-year-olds can legally consent to sexual activity with adults of any age in Minnesota under certain circumstances. This bill would criminalize sexual conduct between adults over 21 and minors under 18, closing what advocates view as a significant legal gap in youth protection. The change affects prosecution standards, sentencing guidelines, and sex offender registry requirements.

Potential points of contention

  • Retroactivity questions: Whether the law applies to past relationships or only prospective conduct, affecting those currently in consensual relationships that would become illegal
  • Sentencing severity: The bill's criminal penalties may be viewed as disproportionately harsh by some or insufficient by others, depending on alignment with national standards
  • Age gap precision: Creating different consent thresholds based on offender age (rather than universal age of consent) adds complexity; some argue for simpler standards while others support graduated protections

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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