Commitment modifications on hold (vetoed)

Under current statute, anyone subject to a petition for civil commitment as a Sexually Dangerous Person or as a Sexually Psychopathic Personality can request to have a hearing on the petition within 15 days. If they are not given a hearing within that time, the petition would be discharged, and they would be released.

A new proposal, sponsored by Rep. Steve Simon (DFL-St. Louis Park) and Sen. Don Betzold (DFL-Fridley), would have exempted petitions from the 15-day provision, while keeping a provision to provide a hearing within 90 to 120 days from the filing date.

Yet, as it was drafted, the bill went a step too far.

In his veto letter, Gov. Tim Pawlenty wrote, “Unfortunately, the bill mistakenly exempts SDP and SPP petitioners from all of the trial timeframes in statute, rather the just the 15 day trial by demand provision.”

Pawlenty said the bill’s sponsors asked him to veto the bill, and that the corrected language would be included in the omnibus public safety bill, HF2996, sponsored by Rep. Michael Paymar (DFL-St. Paul) and Sen. Linda Higgins (DFL-Mpls).

With the corrected language in place, the bill was approved by a conference committee May 5 and passed by the full House and Senate May 7.

HF3396/SF2919*/CH255