HF3870

Purpose

• Strengthen protections around government data held by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
• Add dedicated offices to address missing and murdered Indigenous relatives and missing and murdered Black women and girls.
• Update procedures and terminology for domestic abuse programs and victims.
• Expand and adjust access to services and housing programs, residency rules, and voting procedures to better support people in shelters, DV programs, and residential facilities.
• Improve school violence prevention and parenting/child support services.
• Create new funding and grant programs for targeted youth and community facilities.

Key Provisions and Objectives

• Data privacy and research protections (public safety data)

  • Some DPS data remain private or confidential, with limited releases allowed to law enforcement or for enforcement purposes.
  • Social Security numbers have restricted uses and cannot be sold; last four digits may be shared with certain agencies for specific purposes.
  • Defines research data, and allows data collection through surveys or interviews to advance knowledge.
  • Adds rules about which DPS data are confidential (including certain personal data) and when they can be released.

• New offices for victims and missing persons

  • Office for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives: data related to victim and family support handled under existing victim-service rules.
  • Office for Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls: same type of data governance for victim support.

• Improved victim and domestic abuse data handling

  • Updates and clarifies how data about crime victims, battered women, and domestic abuse victims are stored and shared.
  • Keeps certain victim-related data confidential, with clear references to existing statutes governing those data.

• Grants and services for at-risk youth and facilities (116L.362)

  • Commissioner will grant funds to organizations to provide education and training to targeted youth who aren’t being served well by the current system.
  • Programs must include work experiences tied to housing or community projects (like homeless housing, energy/green projects, or community facilities).
  • Eligible facilities include shelters, youth/ senior centers, health centers, and community gardens; two or more organizations can apply together.
  • The grant program is administered by the commissioner.

• Services at parenting time centers

  • Centers can offer parenting and child development classes and support groups for custodial parents, including classes to assist children who have experienced domestic violence.
  • Centers must have access to staff with knowledge about battered women and domestic abuse.

• Violence prevention in schools

  • State education officials will help districts implement violence prevention programs for students in K-12.
  • Programs should cover nonviolent conflict resolution, harassment prevention (sexual, racial, cultural), self-protection, hazing prevention, and inclusive, respectful behavior.
  • Emphasizes parent, clergy, law enforcement, and community involvement; supports cross-district collaboration and staff training.

• Residency and housing-related changes for benefits

  • Adds a 30-day residency requirement for eligibility for general assistance; time spent in shelters for battered women or domestic abuse victims counts toward meeting this requirement.
  • Allows waivers for unusual hardship (e.g., if the person is without shelter or food resources) and outlines verification methods.
  • Defines “shelter” and “residency” to include shelters for DV victims and certain housing facilities in the residency calculation.
  • Expands exceptions and rules for migrant workers and interstate migrants; some residents may gain residency while in shelter if they meet requirements and provide verification.

• Excluded time for residency calculations

  • Defines periods when a person is not considered a resident (e.g., time in hospitals, nursing homes, shelters other than emergency shelters, certain care facilities, and some training programs).
  • Lists specific facilities and programs that count as excluded time.
  • Ensures no durational test is required to gain county or state residence, with some exceptions for specific programs.

• Family violence waiver criteria

  • Establishes criteria for documenting family violence to qualify for certain employment-related activities waivers.
  • Acceptable documentation includes police records, shelter staff statements, advocacy professional statements, or sworn statements with supporting credible evidence.

• Elections and absentee voting protections for people in facilities

  • Absentee ballots: rules for mailing or delivering ballots to voters on the permanent absentee list; corrections facilities must follow specific procedures.
  • Ballots for voters in health care facilities, shelters for DV victims, veterans homes, and certain residential facilities may be delivered by two election judges from different major parties.
  • Judges must be present when voters mark ballots, and ballots must be returned in sealed containers the same day.
  • Shelter residents and residents of DV shelters, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and similar housing may receive ballot delivery at the discretion of local clerks.
  • Election officials must track and record proof of residence and can require vouched paternity or residency information under secure procedures.
  • Secretary of State will publish guidance for residential facilities and employees about the vouching process.

• Voter registration on Election Day

  • Allows eligible voters to register or update registration on Election Day by presenting proof of residence and completing a form at the polling place.
  • Acceptable forms include driver’s license, state ID, voter registration card, current student fee statement with address, or vouching by a resident or facility employee (subject to oath and limits).
  • Rules limit the number of proofof residence oaths a voter can sign in one day, with higher limits for residents of certain facilities.

• Paternity education

  • The commissioners will prepare educational materials for new and prospective parents.

• Additional statutory cleanups and references

  • Various cross-references and updates to reflect the above changes and to align with other sections of Minnesota law.

Notable Changes to Existing Law

• Creation of two new offices focused on missing and murdered women and relatives (Indigenous and Black women/girls) to coordinate victim support and data handling.
• Expanded data privacy and restricted sharing for sensitive victim and law enforcement information.
• New grant program supporting homeless and at-risk youth through housing-related work projects and community facilities.
• Expanded on-site services at DV shelters and parenting centers, including staff expertise in battering and domestic abuse.
• System-wide updates to violence prevention education in schools and community collaboration.
• Expanded and clarified residency rules for general assistance, including shelter time counting toward residency and explicit excluded time definitions.
• Expanded election access for voters in facilities (DV shelters, nursing homes, shelters, etc.) with specialized ballot delivery procedures and guidance for facilities.

Potential Impacts

• Victims of domestic violence may gain clearer protections for their data and access to targeted services and programs.
• Victims and families may receive more coordinated support through new offices and improved data sharing rules.
• People living in shelters or DV-related housing could have easier access to voter registration and absentee ballots, while still maintaining safeguards against misuse.
• Schools and communities will have stronger, more consistent violence prevention education.
• Residency rules for benefits may become more predictable for shelter residents, with specific waivers where needed.

Relevant Terms - private data, confidential data, data release, Social Security numbers, research data - Department of Public Safety (DPS), Office for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives, Office for Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls - battered women, domestic abuse, family violence, DV shelters, emergency shelter - per diem payments, emergency general assistance - residency, 30-day residency requirement, excluded time, unusual hardship - shelter, transitional housing, residential facility, housing facilities - migrant workers, interstate migrants - proof of residence oath, vouched for, Election Day registration - absentee ballots, two election judges, different major political parties - residential facility employees, DV victims in facilities, health care facilities, veterans homes - violence prevention curriculum, nonviolent conflict resolution, harassment prevention, hazing - paternity educational materials