Criminal Justice (Sentencing)

HF 176 sets mandatory minimum prison sentences for individuals convicted of felonies who possess, receive, or transport firearms or weapons. It affects felons (including those adjudicated delinquent for adult-level felonies) found with such items, imposing escalating penalties: a 2-year minimum for a first offense (class D felony), 4 years for a second, 7 years for a third (class C felony), and 10 years for a fourth or subsequent offense. The bill requires courts to enforce these minimums without deferring sentences or allowing earned time to reduce them, though earned time still applies to the total sentence length. This directly changes sentencing for repeat firearm-related offenses by removing judicial discretion on minimum confinement periods.