Purpose

This bill aims to strengthen Minnesota’s response to domestic violence by expanding how domestic abuse is defined, improving data collection and reporting, tightening arrest and detention rules, creating a Task Force on Improving Responses to Domestic Violence Crimes, and funding those efforts. It also includes related updates to officer-involved death data reporting and a repeal of an existing provision.

What the bill would do

• Clarify and broaden the definition of domestic abuse to cover a wide range of harmful acts against a family or household member.
• Mandate statewide reporting of domestic abuse incidents by law enforcement to a central public safety agency, with specified data elements and a formal annual reporting process.
• Create requirements for arrest, detention, and release procedures in domestic abuse cases to improve victim protection and public safety.
• Establish a dedicated Task Force to review and improve how domestic violence cases are handled by police, prosecutors, and courts, and to develop training, policies, and funding recommendations.
• Repeal a prior provision related to release rules for certain domestic abuse suspects and replace it with updated procedures.

Main provisions and how they work

• Expanded definition of domestic abuse

  • Adds specific acts that count as domestic abuse when committed against a family or household member, including physical harm, fear of harm, and a broad list of abusive behaviors.
  • Defines who counts as a family or household member (spouses, parents/children, related persons, people who live together or have lived together, and others with a significant romantic or sexual relationship, among other categories).
  • Includes conduct such as following, monitoring, harassment through repeated calls or messages, using personal information to invite sexual acts, controlling behavior, threats, and illegal sexual conduct as part of domestic abuse.

• Domestic abuse reporting and data collection (new statute 626.5537)

  • Local law enforcement must report every incident they reasonably believe or victims allege involves domestic abuse to the Commissioner of Public Safety by January 15 each year.
  • The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension will create a standardized reporting form with data fields such as date, location, suspected crime, whether a suspect was arrested, time to arrest, firearm involvement, referrals for prosecution, basis for the domestic abuse determination, and other relevant data.
  • The Commissioner will summarize and analyze the collected data in an annual report to legislative committees. Some data may be private and access-controlled under existing law.

• Reporting and case definitions (amendments to 611A.0311 and related sections)

  • Clarifies what constitutes a domestic abuse case for enforcement and prosecutorial purposes, aligning definitions with the expanded domestic abuse terms.

• Arrests and detention (new authority and procedures)

  • Peace officers may arrest a person without a warrant for suspected nonfelony domestic abuse if there is probable cause that within the previous 72 hours such abuse occurred, even if the incident was not in the officer’s presence.
  • In certain domestic abuse offenses (harassment/stalking, violation of protection orders or no-contact orders), an arrest can lead to detention in custody rather than release with a citation.
  • Arrested individuals must be detained until their first court appearance unless a citation is issued because release would pose a threat to the victim or public safety, or there is a high likelihood the person will not appear for proceedings.

• Notice and information to victims (detention and release process)

  • After a citation is issued or a release is ordered, the agency in custody must inform the alleged victim about release conditions, the time of release, the next court appearance, and the victim’s rights and resources.
  • If release is granted on conditional terms, victim-facing notices must be delivered or mailed, with sensitive victim data kept private.

• Task Force on Improving Responses to Domestic Violence Crimes

  • Establishes a statewide Task Force to review law enforcement, prosecutorial, and community responses to domestic violence and to propose policy, training, statutory changes, and funding.
  • Task force members must include representatives from prosecutors, victim advocacy groups, the judiciary, public defense, public safety offices, tribal governments, law enforcement, and other stakeholders, with attention to balanced, diverse, and victim-centered perspectives.
  • Duties include developing a model policy on lethality assessments for peace officers, improving victim interviewing practices, identifying barriers for victims, evaluating the use of specialty courts, and recommending data collection standards.
  • The task force must deliver a preliminary report by Jan 15, 2027, and a final report by Jan 15, 2028, with potential legislation or funding recommendations. It expires the day after the final report is submitted.

• Funding

  • Provides general fund appropriations in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to support the Task Force on Improving Responses to Domestic Violence Crimes, with no ongoing base funding after 2027 unless new legislation provides it.

• Repeal of prior provision

  • Repeals a prior provision related to release rules in certain domestic violence-related arrest scenarios (the “629.72 subdivision 3” provision).

Notable changes to existing law

• Significantly broadens what counts as domestic abuse and who is protected (extending to more behaviors and relations).
• Introduces mandatory reporting of domestic abuse incidents by local law enforcement and a standardized data collection framework, plus annual public-facing reporting.
• Tightens detention and release procedures for certain domestic abuse offenses to ensure victims’ safety and court accountability.
• Creates a formal, funded process to review and improve domestic violence responses across the criminal justice system, including recommended training and policy changes.
• Repeals an existing release provision to replace it with updated detention and release rules.

Potential impacts

• Victims: stronger protection, clearer notification about releases, and access to information and services guided by standardized data and model policies.
• Law enforcement and prosecutors: clearer definitions, mandatory reporting data, and structured training and policy development.
• Public safety: aimed at reducing recidivism through improved lethality assessments, victim support, and system-wide coordination.
• Data transparency: more comprehensive data about domestic abuse incidents and outcomes (with privacy protections where required).

Relevant data and privacy notes

• Some data collected under the new reporting requirement may be treated as private or restricted data and accessed only under applicable laws.
• The bill emphasizes making data accessible for analysis while protecting victim privacy.

Relevant Terms - domestic abuse - order for protection - harassment restraining order - no contact order - family or household member - lethality assessment - peace officer - nonfelony domestic abuse - arrest without warrant - detention in lieu of citation - first court appearance - victim notification - data reporting - Bureau of Criminal Apprehension - Commissioner of Public Safety - Task Force on Improving Responses to Domestic Violence Crimes - data privacy / private data - annual report - funding appropriation - trafficking and stalking (as part of domestic abuse definitions) - officer-involved death data (public release and reporting)

Relevant Terms domestic abuse; order for protection; harassment restraining order; no contact order; family or household member; lethality assessments; arrest without warrant; detention; first court appearance; victim notification; data reporting; Bureau of Criminal Apprehension; Commissioner of Public Safety; Task Force on Improving Responses to Domestic Violence Crimes; privacy; annual report; funding.