Bill > HF658

This bill clarifies and expands Minnesota's laws on the use of force in self-defense and defense of one's home. It defines key terms like "deadly force" and "forcible felony," codifies and extends the state's self-defense and defense of home laws, eliminates the common law duty to retreat outside the home, expands the boundaries of what constitutes a "dwelling" for the purposes of self-defense, creates a presumption of reasonable belief of an imminent threat in certain situations, and grants immunity from criminal prosecution for individuals who use justified force. The bill also places the burden of proof on the state to show that a defendant's use of force was not justifiable. The provisions are effective August 1, 2023 and apply to uses of deadly force occurring on or after that date.