HF104

HF104 (Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026))

Confidentiality established for restorative justice practices participants, status report modified for restorative practices, and data classified.

Related bill: SF2200

AI Generated Summary

This bill aims to create confidentiality protections for participants in restorative justice practices in Minnesota. Restorative justice practices are defined as voluntary meetings where individuals involved in causing harm, those harmed, and community members discuss the incident and agree on steps to repair the harm and prevent future incidents.

The bill specifies:

Data Confidentiality: Information about individuals participating in restorative justice, such as their names or details of the incident, is confidential and cannot be used in legal or administrative hearings.
Confidential Communication: Statements made or actions taken during the restorative justice process, including preparations or follow-up activities, are also protected from being disclosed in legal or administrative contexts.
Exceptions: There are some exceptions to these protections:
- Organizers can provide summary data for reporting purposes
- Required compliance with certain laws (e.g., child protection)
- Participants can disclose their own information if they choose.
- Courts can require disclosure to verify ordered participation.
- Information can still be disclosed if necessary to prevent serious crimes or violations.
Data Classification: Data collected about participants during these processes are classified as private.

In summary, the bill seeks to ensure the privacy of individuals involved in restorative justice processes, with specific exceptions for safety, legal compliance, or court orders. This is intended to promote the use of restorative justice by providing confidentiality to those who participate.

Bill text versions

Introduction PDF file
1st Engrossment PDF file
2nd Engrossment PDF file

Actions

Date	Chamber	Where	Type	Name	Committee Name
February 09, 2025	House	Floor	Action	Introduction and first reading, referred to	Judiciary Finance and Civil Law
February 12, 2025	House	Floor	Action	Author added
March 16, 2025	House	Floor	Action	Author added
March 23, 2025	House	Floor	Action	Committee report, to adopt as amended and re-refer to	Public Safety Finance and Policy
March 23, 2025	House	Floor	Action	Committee report, to adopt as amended and re-refer to	Public Safety Finance and Policy
April 02, 2025	House	Floor	Action	Committee report, to adopt as amended
April 02, 2025	House	Floor	Action	Committee report, to adopt as amended
April 02, 2025	House	Floor	Action	Second reading
April 02, 2025	House	Floor	Action	Second reading
April 02, 2025	House	Floor	Action	Authors added
April 02, 2025	House	Floor	Action	Authors added

Citations

[
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Provides confidentiality for data related to restorative justice participants."
      ],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "This bill makes amendments to section 13.6905 by adding a new subdivision addressing data related to restorative justice programs.",
      "modified": []
    },
    "citation": "13.6905"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "The bill references section 13.02 within the context of defining summary and private data related to restorative justice practices.",
      "modified": [
        "Clarifies definitions relevant to data privacy in restorative justice contexts."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "13.02"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "Section 626.557 pertains to the compliance obligations of restorative justice practice participants regarding reporting maltreatment of vulnerable adults.",
      "modified": [
        "Emphasizes continued obligation to comply with maltreatment reporting laws."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "626.557"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "Chapter 260E relates to child protection and mandatory reporting, relevant here for restorative justice practice participants.",
      "modified": [
        "Affirms child protection compliance in the context of restorative justice."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "260E"
  }
]