1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to crime; increasing penalties for 
  1.3             felony-level offenders who fail to appear in court; 
  1.4             amending Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 609.49, 
  1.5             subdivision 1. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 609.49, 
  1.8   subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subdivision 1.  [FELONY OFFENDERS.] A person charged with 
  1.10  or convicted of a felony and released from custody, with or 
  1.11  without bail or recognizance, on condition that the releasee 
  1.12  personally appear when required with respect to the charge or 
  1.13  conviction, who intentionally fails to appear when required 
  1.14  after having been notified that a failure to appear for a court 
  1.15  appearance is a criminal offense, is guilty of a crime felony 
  1.16  for failure to appear and may be sentenced to imprisonment for 
  1.17  not more than one year and one day or to payment of a fine of 
  1.18  not more than $3,000, or both.  
  1.19     Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  1.20     Section 1 is effective August 1, 1998, and applies to 
  1.21  crimes committed on or after that date.