Purpose of the Bill

The bill aims to regulate charitable bail organizations in Minnesota, ensuring that they follow specific guidelines and restrictions when posting bail for individuals. It seeks to create parity between cash bail and surety amounts and mandates reporting from these organizations to increase transparency in their operations.

Main Provisions

• Equity in Bail Amounts: Judges must ensure that cash bail amounts are not less than any surety bond amounts when securing pretrial releases.
• Regulating Charitable Bail Organizations: Charitable bail organizations, which raise public donations to pay bail for others, must be nonprofit, registered in Minnesota, and comply with state and court rules.
• Restrictions on Bail Posting: These organizations are prohibited from posting bail for individuals charged or previously convicted of violent offenses, or for those required to register as predatory offenders.
• Mandatory Reporting: Organizations must register with the state court administrator and provide annual reports on the defendants they assist, amounts of money bail posted, and money returned.
• Public Data Collection: Information about the organizations, including their structure and the amounts of money bail posted, are to be gathered and made public.
• Compliance and Sanctions: The state court administrator can impose sanctions for non-compliance and has a structured system for handling complaints against organizations.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Establishes a new framework for the registration, operation, and regulation of charitable bail organizations in Minnesota.
• Introduces stringent reporting requirements and public data access for transparency.
• Creates administrative oversight and enforcement mechanisms for organizations that do not comply with the rules.

Relevant Terms

• Cash Bail, Surety Bond, Charitable Bail Organization, Nonprofit, Violent Offense, Predatory Offender, Minnesota Statutes, State Court Administrator, Public Data, Compliance, Sanctions.