This bill expands the legal definition of domestic abuse in Minnesota to include behaviors like stalking, harassment, and controlling actions, while also clarifying who qualifies as a family or household member. It requires law enforcement to report specific domestic abuse case data annually and authorizes arrests for suspected nonfelony domestic abuse, with arrested individuals held in custody until their first court appearance. The legislation also establishes a task force to improve responses to domestic violence crimes and mandates annual reports on officer-involved death investigations related to domestic abuse. These changes directly affect law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, courts, and individuals involved in domestic abuse situations across the state.
This bill requires Minnesota law enforcement agencies to report detailed information about domestic abuse incidents to the commissioner of public safety by January 15 each year, including data on arrests, victim and suspect demographics, and case outcomes. It authorizes arrests for suspected nonfelony domestic abuse and mandates that individuals arrested for suspected domestic abuse be held in custody until their first court appearance. The legislation also establishes a Task Force on Improving Responses to Domestic Violence Crimes to study and recommend improvements, with the requirement to submit annual reports. Additionally, the bill expands the legal definition of domestic abuse to include violations of various restraining and no contact orders, and appropriates funding to support these changes.
This bill creates a legal process in Minnesota that allows victims of domestic abuse or sexual assault to remove a perpetrator's ownership interest from a contract for deed on residential property. The law enables unmarried victims who share an interest in such contracts to petition a court to extinguish the perpetrator's claim, provided they submit proof of abuse such as a protection order, law enforcement documentation, or a verified statement from a qualified professional like a healthcare provider or domestic abuse advocate. Once the petition is filed, the perpetrator and property seller have 90 days to contest the request, after which a court may issue an order removing the perpetrator's interest from the property agreement. The legislation directly affects victims of abuse who hold shared ownership in contracts for deed and their abusive partners, offering a streamlined path to secure housing without the perpetrator's involvement.
This bill modifies Minnesota's human services background study and licensing procedures to strengthen program integrity and fraud prevention. It clarifies definitions for terms like "convicted" and "credible allegation of fraud," which now includes verified complaints, data mining results, audit patterns, and court documents. The legislation allows law enforcement to delay background check notifications for up to 90 days when an investigation could be compromised, and it expands the commissioner's authority to withhold payments from providers or associated entities involved in fraud or criminal convictions. These changes apply to individuals and organizations receiving payments from state or federal human services programs.
This bill introduces a new 50 percent tax on the gross revenues of private detention facilities operating in Minnesota that are contracted by government entities. The tax applies to all money received by these facilities for providing incarceration or detention services and begins taking effect after December 31, 2026. The legislation defines private detention facilities as for-profit entities that hold people awaiting trial or serving court-imposed sentences, while excluding residential facilities like halfway houses and work release centers. Facilities that have already paid similar taxes to other states can claim a credit for those payments to avoid double taxation. All tax revenues collected will be deposited into Minnesota's general fund.
This bill allows victims of domestic violence in Minnesota to ask a court for a specific order that removes them from a shared wireless phone plan with their abuser. The legislation amends existing state laws to add this relief option to the list of protections available in domestic violence restraining orders. By including this provision, the bill aims to help victims reduce contact with their abusers and improve their safety without needing to terminate the entire phone service. The court would issue this order upon request and after a hearing, making it part of the broader set of protections already available to domestic violence victims.
This bill restricts how parents and guardians in Minnesota can delegate their legal authority over a child's care, custody, or property to another person. It requires that anyone receiving delegated powers must be a U.S. citizen and have no criminal convictions for crimes against minors. The law also mandates that parents notify other parents about power delegations unless specific exceptions apply, such as limited parenting time or existing protection orders. Professional guardians face stricter rules, including a 30-day limit on delegation and a requirement to submit the delegation to the court.
This bill authorizes the Minnesota State Patrol to provide security and protective services to the governor, governor-elect, supreme court justices, legislators, and other constitutional officers when credible threats to their safety are identified. It requires the commissioner of public safety to consult with the governor before deploying State Patrol members for protection duties and allows for overtime compensation for those providing security services. The legislation also creates a new Capitol Complex Security Division within the Department of Public Safety, placing it under the supervision of a director who must be a State Patrol member. Additionally, the bill mandates that the State Patrol provide security to state buildings and property as needed after consultation with the governor.
This bill strengthens regulations on automated license plate readers in Minnesota by centralizing all collected data within the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and restricting how law enforcement agencies can access and use it. It defines automated license plate readers to include devices used by private entities that share data with law enforcement, while excluding traffic safety cameras. The law requires that collected data be limited to license plate numbers, vehicle information, and images, and mandates that data not tied to active criminal investigations be destroyed within 48 hours unless preserved by request. Additionally, the bill establishes strict access controls requiring written authorization, role-based permissions, and audit trails for all data queries, while prohibiting sharing data outside Minnesota without a court order or warrant.
This bill allows the Office of the Legislative Auditor and the state auditor to review expunged criminal records when evaluating job candidates for employment with these offices. Under the new provisions, these auditors can access sealed criminal history information without needing a court order and may use the records to disqualify applicants based on prior convictions. The change applies specifically to hiring decisions for final candidates and does not affect other state agencies or the general public's access to expunged records. This policy update modifies existing Minnesota statutes to create an exception to expungement rules for these two specific state auditing entities.
