House committee adopts amendment to House File 340, sends bill to transportation panel

A House committee on Feb. 19 approved Amendment A2 to House File 340 and referred the bill to the House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee after testimony and questions about scope and enforcement.

House File 340, introduced by Representative Steuer, would amend Minnesota’s fleeing statutes to add two new offenses, raise prison terms for some fleeing offenses and impose a four-year driver’s-license revocation in certain cases. The committee adopted A2, which also removes a separate section of the bill dealing with tracking devices; committee members said the tracking-device language will be considered later as its own item.

The measure’s sponsor, Representative Steuer, told the committee the bill aims to reduce a recent rise in vehicle pursuits and related harms. “Over the last several years, the number of instances for fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle has dramatically increased,” Steuer said in committee testimony, citing law enforcement counts and a Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) crime report he attributed to August 2024. Steuer said the bill would amend Minn. Stat. §609.487 to add two offenses and raise the maximum sentence for fleeing while exercising culpable negligence to four years from three. He said a separate new offense addressing failures to obey traffic signs or keep on the proper side of the road could carry a sentence of up to five years. Steuer also said the amendment includes a four-year license revocation for certain fleeing conduct.

Representatives of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association testified in support. “Fleeing suspects have created a public-safety crisis on our roadways,” Shane Myrie, president of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, said, recounting recent high-profile pursuits and citing media reports of a multi-agency chase that endangered rush-hour drivers. Myrie said the association supports the bill’s expanded criminal language and suggested a statewide public-safety messaging campaign, modeled on past efforts such as “Click It or Ticket,” to change driver behavior.

Imran Ali, general counsel for the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association and a former prosecutor, urged lawmakers to give prosecutors and courts “the tools to utilize different levels of fleeing depending on what happens.” Ali warned that, in his experience, some people see little consequence from existing penalties and that stiffer penalties could deter hazardous fleeing.

Lawmakers asked detailed questions about statutory scope, penalties and fiscal effects. Representative Muller asked whether language in Section 3, subdivision 3(b), referencing Minn. Stat. §169.18 might unintentionally sweep in routine driving rules (for example, passing or following-distance provisions) the sponsor did not intend to criminalize. “I took a look at §169.18 and it covers things like following a vehicle too closely...so I for sure understand you would want to stop that particular behavior but I'm not sure you intend to cover all of §169.18,” Muller said. Representative Steuer agreed to review and refine the language.

Representative Hollins said she supported measures to reduce dangerous driving but urged lawmakers to recognize why some people flee police, including documented fears of lethal force in traffic stops. “We also need to recognize that there is a problem when an officer of peace can kill an innocent person in their car,” Hollins said, referencing community concerns following past police killings in Minnesota. Hollins and other members suggested pairing any penalty changes with public education and other interventions.

Committee members and staff also discussed the fiscal note. Representative Moeller said an amended fiscal note had been requested; a staff member (Walz) said the fiscal note was being pulled to include rule-making costs but that the new note would show the same dollar amounts as the original and would be two pages longer. The committee record indicates the final fiscal note text was not yet available in committee.

With no roll-call tally recorded in the transcript, the committee adopted Amendment A2 by voice vote. Representative Steuer renewed his motion that House File 340, as amended, be referred to the Transportation Finance and Policy Committee; the committee approved the referral by voice vote.

The bill will return to the referral committee with the updated fiscal note and with sponsor work to refine statutory citations and definitions.