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HF 1728

Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission required to maintain a publicly searchable database, and money appropriated.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Elliott Engen and 1 co-sponsor

HF 1728 would require the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission to create and publicly maintain a searchable database of sentencing guidelines data, funded by the bill.

Introduction and first reading, referred to Public Safety Finance and Policy
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Bill Summary · HF 1728

HF 1728 — Summary

Overview

HF 1728 would require the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission (SGC) to establish and maintain a publicly searchable database related to sentencing guidelines data, and it would provide funding to support this effort. The bill is introduced and referred to the Public Safety Finance and Policy committee, with companion legislation in the Senate (SF 324). Introduced on February 27, 2025, the bill is currently at the first-reading stage.

Purpose and Intent

  • The bill aims to increase transparency by ensuring the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission maintains a database that is accessible to the public.
  • By embedding an appropriation in the bill, it signals an intent to fund the development, maintenance, and ongoing operation of the database.

Key Provisions (as described by the bill’s title and summary information)

  • Require: The Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission must create and maintain a publicly searchable database. The data would pertain to the Commission’s sentencing guidelines activities and related information.
  • Public Access: The database would be accessible to the general public (i.e., “publicly searchable”), enabling users to query and retrieve information without special authorization.
  • Funding: The bill designates funding to support the establishment and ongoing operation of the database. Specific dollar amounts, sources of funding, or fiscal-year details are not provided in the available information.

Provisions Not Specified in the Summary

  • Exact data fields to be included (e.g., case-level data, guideline supplements, historical changes, jurisdictional filters).
  • Privacy protections, data anonymization, or handling of sensitive information.
  • Technical standards, hosting environment, update cadence, or user interface requirements.
  • Implementation timelines or phased rollout.

Affected Parties and Impacts

  • Primary: Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission (responsible for implementing and maintaining the database).
  • General Public and Stakeholders: Researchers, policymakers, advocates, journalists, and interested members of the public would have access to sentencing data and related information.
  • Potentially affected state agencies and court stakeholders if the database integrates data from multiple sources or informs policy discussions.

Procedural Timeline and Status

  • Introduced: February 27, 2025.
  • Status: Introduction and first reading; referred to Public Safety Finance and Policy.
  • Next steps: Committee discussions, potential amendments, and voting in the Public Safety Finance and Policy committee; movement through the House toward floor action. A companion bill exists in the Senate (SF 324), indicating cross-chamber consideration.

Relationship to Companion Legislation

  • SF 324 is identified as the Senate companion to HF 1728, suggesting parallel language and objectives in the upper chamber.

Notes

  • The available information does not include the bill’s exact data specifications, funding amounts, or implementation details. Full analysis should await the authored bill text and fiscal note to confirm data scope, privacy protections, cost, and implementation timelines.

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

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