Rep. Wiens’ Veterans Bill Passes House with Bipartisan Support
St. Paul, MN - The Minnesota House has passed a bill that will require reporting on the sentencing of certain military veterans. The bill, HF 3304 introduced by Representative Mark Wiens (R-Lake Elmo), aims to address concerns regarding the sentencing and probation of veterans involved in the criminal justice system.
"This legislation is a bi-partisan step forward as a companion bill to Representative Sandra Feist’s Veterans Reportative Justice Act ensuring that our justice system appropriately considers the unique circumstances of military veterans. With these success metrics and reporting, we can better understand the challenges veterans face and work towards more effective and equitable outcomes while maintaining public safety," Rep. Wiens said.
Under the new legislation, if the court imposes a deferred sentence for a veteran, it must prepare a report containing specific information, including the defendant's name, case number, underlying charges, the length and conditions of probation, and a copy of the sentencing worksheet. Additionally, if a veteran violates probation and an adjudication of guilt is entered, a violation report must be prepared.
These reports will be forwarded to the Sentencing Guidelines Commission, which will provide an annual report to relevant committees. This report will include data on the number of individuals who received deferred sentences, the number who received an adjudication of guilt, the types of violations committed, and the number of proceedings dismissed.
The bill is set to take effect on August 1, 2024, and will apply to deferred sentences announced on or after that date.
"While this was a small win for our veterans struggling with non-violent legal issues related to service-connected mental health and substance abuse, the Commanders Task Force and our military veterans are still working to pass more legislation this session. I will continue to work to pass HF 3505, which modernizes the Homestead Market Exclusion, and HF 4028, which provides tax relief for veteran organizations. We must take care of our men and women who served. This is just one step in the right direction,” said Rep. Wiens.
The bill received unanimous bipartisan support in the House in its passage.
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