Today, the Minnesota House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee approved House File 1094, a bill that would expand and clarify eligibility for expungement and resentencing for individuals with prior marijuana-related convictions.
This legislation, introduced in February by State Representatives Athena Hollins (D) and Zack Stephenson (D), is designed to address the legal consequences faced by individuals with prior marijuana convictions in light of recent changes to state cannabis laws.
The bill specifies criteria under which individuals convicted of certain marijuana-related offenses may seek expungement or resentencing. To be eligible, the offense must not have involved a dangerous weapon, intentional infliction of bodily harm, or acts intended to cause fear of immediate bodily harm or death. Additionally, the act in question must either be a lesser offense or no longer considered a crime as of August 1, 2023, the date in which the state’s adult-use marijuana law took effect.
The bill defines a “lesser offense” as a non-felony offense if the original charge was a felony. Furthermore, individuals who did not appeal their conviction, whose appeal was denied, or whose deadline to file an appeal has expired are eligible to apply.
Following the committee’s approval, HF 1094 has been read a second time in the House and is now set to be considered by the full Minnesota House of Representatives in its third and final reading.
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