Purpose

• Expand and adjust how juvenile offenses are handled by shifting some decision-making from county to city attorneys, and clarify what counts as a juvenile petty offense and who is considered a juvenile petty offender. The bill also adds authority to issue administrative subpoenas in certain juvenile cases and makes conforming updates to several Minnesota statutes.

Main Provisions

• City attorneys and county attorneys roles
  • When a county attorney declines to file a delinquency petition for a juvenile, the bill authorizes a city attorney to file the petition.
  • When a county attorney declines to prosecute certain offenses, the bill authorizes a city attorney to prosecute felony offenses and specific gross misdemeanor offenses.
  • The bill also creates or clarifies the ability to issue administrative subpoenas in certain juvenile cases.
• Conforming and clarifying changes
  • The bill makes changes that align or update various Minnesota statutes to reflect the new roles for city attorneys and the updated definitions of juvenile offenses.
• Juvenile offense definitions and eligibility
  • Establishes a defined category of offenses called “juvenile petty offenses” and who can be labeled as a “juvenile petty offender.”
  • Sets out what counts as a juvenile petty offense, what counts as a misdemeanor-level offense for juveniles, and which offenses are not included in juvenile petty offenses.

Key Definitions and Changes to Juvenile Law

• Juvenile petty offense and juvenile petty offender
  • A juvenile petty offense includes:
  • A juvenile alcohol offense
  • A juvenile controlled substance offense
  • A violation of section 609.685
  • A violation of a local ordinance that, by its terms, prohibits conduct by a child under 18 that would be lawful if done by an adult
  • It may also include an offense that would be a misdemeanor if committed by an adult, unless otherwise provided.
• Exclusions from juvenile petty offense
  • The following are not included as juvenile petty offenses:
  • Certain misdemeanor-level violations listed by statute (for example, specific sections such as 518B.01, 588.20, 609.224, 609.2242, 609.324, 609.5632, 609.576, 609.66, 609.746, 609.748, 609.79, and 617.23)
  • Major traffic offenses or adult court traffic offenses
  • A misdemeanor-level offense committed by a child who has previously been found by juvenile court to have committed a misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, or felony
  • A misdemeanor-level offense committed by a child who has previously been found to commit a misdemeanor-level juvenile petty offense on two or more prior occasions (unless the county prosecuting authority designates the child as a juvenile petty offender on the petition despite prior records)
• Definitions and terminology
  • A child who commits a juvenile petty offense is a “juvenile petty offender.”
  • The term does not include a child alleged to have violated laws related to being hired or offering to be hired to engage in sexual penetration or sexual conduct (which, if committed by an adult, would be a misdemeanor).
• Age-related change
  • Effective August 1, 2026, for acts committed on or after that date, a juvenile petty offender does not include a child who is alleged to have committed a juvenile petty offense before reaching age 13.
  • This means younger children (under 13) could be treated differently under the juvenile petty offense framework starting in 2026.
• Practical effect on cases
  • The bill creates a framework where certain juvenile offenses can be handled by city prosecutors and clarified categories for what offenses are eligible for juvenile petty offender status, while explicitly excluding some serious or high-risk offenses from that status.

Significance and Potential Impacts

• Shifts in prosecutorial pathways
  • City attorneys could take a larger role in handling juvenile petitions and prosecutions in cases where the county declines, potentially changing who prosecutes certain juvenile cases.
• Scope and limits of juvenile petty offender status
  • The definition and exclusions for juvenile petty offenses affect which juvenile cases can be treated as lower-stakes offenses and which must go through more formal juvenile court processes.
• Age-based policy detail
  • The 2026 age threshold adds a future change that could alter how very young juveniles are processed within the juvenile system, potentially reducing or altering penalties for children under 13 who commit petty offenses after that date.
• Administrative tools
  • Authorization for administrative subpoenas could widen investigation capabilities in juvenile matters, depending on how and when the subpoenas are issued.

Timeline / Effective Date

• The age-related change to the juvenile petty offender definition takes effect on August 1, 2026 and applies to acts committed on or after that date.
• Other provisions regarding city attorney authority and administrative subpoenas take effect as defined in the bill (noted in the text as part of changes to Minnesota statutes).

Relevant Terms - juvenile petty offense - juvenile petty offender - juvenile alcohol offense - juvenile controlled substance offense - violation of section 609.685 - local ordinance prohibiting conduct by a child under 18 - misdemeanor-level offense - felony offenses - gross misdemeanor offenses - county attorney - city attorney - delinquency petitions - administrative subpoenas - Minnesota Statutes 2024 sections (260B.007, 260B.141, 260B.163, 260B.171, 260B.335, 260B.425, 388.051, 388.23, 390.251, 484.87) - major traffic offense - adult court traffic offense - age 13 (threshold for juvenile petty offender definition) - acts committed on or after August 1, 2026