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A bill for an act
relating to public safety; increasing penalties for unlawful possession of firearms;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 609.165, subdivision 1b; 624.713,
subdivision 2; 624.7141, subdivisions 1, 2.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Section 1.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 609.165, subdivision 1b, is amended to read:
Subd. 1b.
Violation and penalty.
(a) Any person who has been convicted of a crime of
violence, as defined in section
624.712, subdivision 5
, and who ships, transports, possesses,
or receives a firearm or ammunition, commits a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment
for not more than
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15
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20
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years or to payment of a fine of not more than $30,000, or both.
(b) A conviction and sentencing under this section shall be construed to bar a conviction
and sentencing for a violation of section
624.713, subdivision 2
.
(c) The criminal penalty in paragraph (a) does not apply to any person who has received
a relief of disability under United States Code, title 18, section 925, or whose ability to
possess firearms and ammunition has been restored under subdivision 1d.
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EFFECTIVE DATE.
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This section is effective August 1, 2026, and applies to offenses
committed on or after that date.
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Sec. 2.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 624.713, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
Subd. 2.
Penalties.
(a) A person named in subdivision 1, clause (1), who possesses
ammunition or a pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon in violation of that
clause is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five
years or to payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both.
(b) A person named in subdivision 1, clause (2), who possesses any type of firearm or
ammunition is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than
15 years or to payment of a fine of not more than $30,000, or both. This paragraph does not
apply to any person who has received a relief of disability under United States Code, title
18, section 925, or whose ability to possess firearms and ammunition has been restored
under section
609.165, subdivision 1d
.
(c) A person named in any other clause of subdivision 1 who possesses any type of
firearm or ammunition is guilty of a
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gross misdemeanor
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felony and may be sentenced to
imprisonment for not more than two years or to payment of a fine of not more than $5,000,
or both
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.
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(d) The statutory maximum sentence for a violation of paragraphs (a) to (c) is 25 percent
longer than for the underlying violation, if the violation is committed by a person in a school
zone, park zone, or public housing zone as defined under section 152.01.
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EFFECTIVE DATE.
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This section is effective August 1, 2026, and applies to offenses
committed on or after that date.
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Sec. 3.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 624.7141, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
Subdivision 1.
Transfer prohibited.
(a) A person is guilty of a felony and may be
sentenced to imprisonment for up to
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two
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four
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years and to payment of a fine of not more
than $10,000 if the person intentionally transfers a firearm to another and the person knows
or reasonably should know that the transferee:
(1) has been denied a permit to carry under section
624.714
because the transferee is
not eligible under section
624.713
to possess a pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault
weapon or any other firearm;
(2) has been found ineligible to possess a pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault
weapon by a chief of police or sheriff as a result of an application for a transferee permit
or a transfer report; or
(3) is disqualified under section
624.713
from possessing a pistol or semiautomatic
military-style assault weapon or any other firearm.
(b) Paragraph (a) does not apply to the transfer of a firearm other than a pistol or
semiautomatic military-style assault weapon to a person under the age of 18 who is not
disqualified from possessing any other firearm.
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EFFECTIVE DATE.
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This section is effective August 1, 2026, and applies to offenses
committed on or after that date.
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Sec. 4.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 624.7141, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
Subd. 2.
Aggravated
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offense
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offenses
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.
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(a) A federally licensed firearms dealer who
violates this section may be sentenced to imprisonment for up to five years and to payment
of a fine of not more than $20,000.
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(b)
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A person who violates this section may be sentenced to imprisonment for up to
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five
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eight
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years and to payment of a fine of not more than $20,000 if the transferee possesses or
uses the weapon within one year after the transfer in furtherance of a felony crime of violence.
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EFFECTIVE DATE.
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This section is effective August 1, 2026, and applies to offenses
committed on or after that date.
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