Dear Neighbors,
Last week, Representative Kelly Moller (D-Shoreview) and I began working on HF 327 and Hannah’s Law.
The Minnesota Board of Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) approved a model sexual assault investigation policy last Thursday. HF 327 would require all law enforcement agencies to adopt that policy or one substantially similar, and would give POST the authority to inspect the agencies and impose sanctions if they are not compliant. If passed, this legislation will ensure that sexual assault investigations are standardized across the state.
The second bill, Hannah’s Law, is HF 480. This bill would amend the criminal sexual conduct code in five important ways: it updates the definition of consent, removes ignorance of a victim’s age as a defense for statutory rape when the child is between 13-16 years old, removes the requirement to prove that a victim has been mentally incapacitated by drugs or alcohol administered without their knowledge, extends the time period a person is considered as having authority over a child to six months after an activity has ended, and removes the statute of limitations for rape cases. This bill is named for a thirteen year old girl who was raped by two men in their twenties. The men have not been prosecuted for this crime. This bill would remove barriers that prevent victims/survivors like Hannah from getting the justice they deserve.
Representative Moller and I discussed these bills on Almanac on Friday night. Episodes of Almanac can be found online here. Our segment begins ten minutes into the show.
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As always, if you need assistance on an issue pertaining to state government or have concerns or ideas about legislation, my office is available to you. You can e-mail at Rep.Marion.ONeill@House.MN or call my office at 651-296-5063. You can also write a letter to me. My office address at the Capitol is 357 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55155.
Sincerely,
Marion