SF447

SF447 (Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026))

Consumer protection restitution account establishment provision, public compensation payments exclusion from certain calculations of income provision, certain data classified as public provision, and appropriation

Related bill: HF1392

AI Generated Summary

Senate Bill SF No 447 is a proposed act to establish a consumer protection restitution account within the state of Minnesota. The main goal is to provide a mechanism for managing and distributing funds that cannot be reasonably returned directly to consumers who have been affected by actions deemed unlawful under consumer protection laws.

Key points of the bill include:

Creation of the Consumer Protection Restitution Account: The account is designed to collect and manage funds awarded in consumer enforcement actions that cannot be distributed directly to affected consumers because they cannot be located or because the administration costs to do so would be too high.
Use of the Account: Money in the account is to be used to compensate eligible consumers who are directly impacted by the unlawful acts addressed in consumer enforcement actions. A small portion (not exceeding three percent) can also be used to cover administrative costs.
Management and Oversight: The Attorney General's Office is responsible for administering the account, including appointing administrators for funds and managing the distribution of compensations.
Reporting Requirements: The Attorney General must report annually on the account’s activity, documenting the actions taken, funds collected and distributed, and administrative costs incurred.
Practical Redistribution Rules: The Attorney General can deem it impractical to distribute funds to eligible consumers under certain circumstances, such as low compensation amounts or high costs of distribution relative to the benefit to the consumers, and can decide to retain these funds within the account.
Legislative Review and Consumer Information: The bill requires ongoing updates and transparency through annual reports to the legislature and making these reports available on the Attorney General's website.

This bill primarily seeks to ensure that funds obtained through consumer protection legal actions are managed responsibly and used to benefit consumers who have suffered due to unlawful practices, even when direct distribution is not feasible.

Bill text versions

Introduction PDF file
1st Engrossment PDF file
2nd Engrossment PDF file
3rd Engrossment PDF file
4th Engrossment PDF file

Actions

Date	Chamber	Where	Type	Name	Committee Name
January 20, 2025	Senate	Floor	Action	Introduction and first reading
January 20, 2025	Senate	Floor	Action	Referred to	Commerce and Consumer Protection
January 26, 2025	Senate	Floor	Action	Author added
March 02, 2025	Senate	Floor	Action	Comm report: To pass as amended and re-refer to	State and Local Government
March 12, 2025	Senate	Floor	Action	Comm report: To pass as amended and re-refer to	Judiciary and Public Safety
March 19, 2025	Senate	Floor	Action	Comm report: To pass as amended and re-refer to	Finance
April 02, 2025	Senate	Floor	Action	Comm report: To pass as amended and re-refer to	Taxes
April 02, 2025	Senate	Floor	Action	Comm report: To pass as amended and re-refer to	Taxes

Citations

[
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "This bill references amendments to section 8.31 regarding circumstances under which recovered sums cannot be distributed and need to be redirected.",
      "modified": [
        "Clarifies the conditions for redirecting recovered sums to the consumer protection restitution account."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "8.31"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "This bill modifies section 16A.151 related to the handling of state litigation recoveries.",
      "modified": [
        "Specifies exceptions for distribution of recovered funds on behalf of injured persons or entities."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "16A.151"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "Modified to reflect the handling of settlement funds related to opioid litigation.",
      "modified": [
        "Identifies funds that must be deposited in the opiate epidemic response fund."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "256.043"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "Modified to reflect the handling of settlement funds against consulting firms related to opioids.",
      "modified": [
        "Establishes requirements for depositing funds into the settlement account."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "256.042"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "Referenced to define community health boards receiving funds from Pollution Control Agency recoveries.",
      "modified": [
        "Community health board definition used for fund allocation."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "145A.02"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "Handling of funds from litigation related to electronic nicotine delivery systems directed to the tobacco use prevention account",
      "modified": [
        "Conditions for depositing funds from tobacco-related litigation."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "144.398"
  }
]