Penalties for criminal vehicular homicide increased, driver education programs required to instruct on the penalties for criminal vehicular homicide, and money appropriated.

A bill for an act

relating to public safety; increasing penalties for criminal vehicular homicide;

requiring driver education programs to instruct on the penalties for criminal

vehicular homicide; appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024,

section 609.2112, subdivision 1, by adding a subdivision.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 609.2112, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Criminal vehicular homicide.

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b),

a person is guilty of criminal vehicular homicide and may be sentenced to imprisonment

for not more than
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ten
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25
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years or to payment of a fine of not more than $20,000, or both, if

the person causes the death of a human being not constituting murder or manslaughter as a

result of operating a motor vehicle:

(1) in a grossly negligent manner;

(2) in a negligent manner while under the influence of:

(i) alcohol;

(ii) a controlled substance;

(iii) cannabis flower, a cannabis product, a lower-potency hemp edible, a hemp-derived

consumer product, artificially derived cannabinoids, or tetrahydrocannabinols; or

(iv) any combination of those elements;

(3) while having an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more;

(4) while having an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more, as measured within two hours

of the time of driving;

(5) in a negligent manner while under the influence of an intoxicating substance and the

person knows or has reason to know that the substance has the capacity to cause impairment;

(6) in a negligent manner while any amount of a controlled substance listed in Schedule

I or II, or its metabolite, other than cannabis flower, a cannabis product, a lower-potency

hemp edible, a hemp-derived consumer product, artificially derived cannabinoids, or

tetrahydrocannabinols, is present in the person's body;

(7) where the driver who causes the collision leaves the scene of the collision in violation

of section
169.09, subdivision 1
or 6; or

(8) where the driver had actual knowledge that a peace officer had previously issued a

citation or warning that the motor vehicle was defectively maintained, the driver had actual

knowledge that remedial action was not taken, the driver had reason to know that the defect

created a present danger to others, and the death was caused by the defective maintenance.

(b) If a person is sentenced under paragraph (a) for a violation under paragraph (a),

clauses (2) to (6), occurring within ten years of a qualified prior driving offense, the
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statutory

maximum sentence of
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person may be sentenced to
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imprisonment
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is 15
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for not more than

30
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years
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or to the payment of a fine of not more than $30,000, or both
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.

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EFFECTIVE DATE.

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This section is effective August 1, 2026, and applies to violations

committed on or after that date.

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Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 609.2112, is amended by adding a subdivision

to read:

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Subd. 3.

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Driver training programs.

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The commissioner of public safety shall adopt

rules requiring thorough instruction concerning this section for persons enrolled in driver

training programs offered at public, private, and parochial schools and commercial driver

training schools. The instruction must encompass at least the penalties for violating this

section.

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Sec. 3.
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VEHICULAR HOMICIDE AWARENESS.
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$100,000 in fiscal year 2026 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner

of public safety for programs to raise public awareness of the dangers associated with driving

under the influence of alcohol, including but not limited to the penalties for violation of

section 609.2112 (criminal vehicular homicide).

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