Law enforcement use of unmanned aerial vehicles to find missing persons, persons fleeing arrest, and incarcerated persons authorized.

HF 561 amends Minnesota law to authorize law enforcement agencies to use drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) for specific safety purposes. It directly affects law enforcement agencies across Minnesota by expanding permitted drone use to locate missing persons (including children and vulnerable adults), track individuals fleeing arrest, and find incarcerated persons who have escaped from correctional facilities. The bill specifies these uses must occur during emergencies, natural disasters, or when there's reasonable suspicion of criminal activity. It updates Minnesota Statutes § 626.19, subdivision 3, to explicitly include these scenarios as authorized drone applications. The law does not permit general surveillance but restricts drone use to the listed safety-related circumstances.