Changes passed to criminal and juvenile justice advisory group

The Criminal and Juvenile Justice Information Policy Group is charged with providing strategic and policy direction to statewide criminal justice information integration.

Sponsored by Rep. Brian Johnson (R-Cambridge), HF3423 would combine its advisory group and task force into one advisory unit in an effort to reduce redundancy and better complete work.

Rep. Brian Johnson

Passed 132-0 by the House Wednesday, the bill heads to the Senate where it is sponsored by Sen. Barb Goodwin (DFL-Columbia Heights).

Under current statute, a task force is to assist the group in its duties. It would be eliminated, under the bill, and its members would be appointed as full advisory group members. The addition would increase membership from nine to 36 members.

The group’s mission would be redefined to “study and make recommendations to the governor, the Supreme Court, and the legislature on criminal justice information funding and policy issues such as related data practices, individual privacy rights, and data on race and ethnicity; information-sharing at the local, state, and federal levels; technology education and innovation; the impact of proposed legislation on the criminal justice system related to information systems and business processes; and 
data and identification standards.” A biennial report would still be due to the Legislature.

The bill would also add the word “Advisory” to the group’s title, remove references to CriMNet and statutorily simplify how funds allocated to the group are to be allocated.