SF3872 (Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026))
Research data protection provision for data on individuals
Related bill: HF3870
AI Generated Summary
Purpose
This bill aims to strengthen public safety data protections, update terminology and practices for domestic abuse and battered women programs, and create new offices to address missing and murdered Indigenous people and Black women and girls. It also updates residency rules for public assistance and voting-related processes to improve access for people in shelters or other living facilities.
Main Provisions
Data privacy and research
- Reclassifies certain Department of Public Safety data as private or confidential, limiting access.
- Allows limited release to law enforcement or for enforcement of specific laws, and restricts the sale of Social Security numbers.
- Creates a framework for using DPS data for research, research data, and reporting, while protecting individuals’ identities.
- Includes special handling rules for victim-related data and for data about victims of certain crimes, including sex offender HIV test results and battered women/domestic abuse victim data.
Offices to aid missing persons
- Establishes Office for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (OMIR) and Office for Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls (OMMBWG).
- Data related to victim support collected or maintained in these offices follows existing state data protection rules.
Victim and crime data protections
- Defines how crime victim data (including notices of offender release, victim identity data, and related claims) are handled and protected.
- Sets rules around data from victims of domestic abuse and battered women supported by grantees.
Education, prevention, and services for victims
- Expands violence prevention initiatives in schools, including curricula on nonviolent conflict resolution, harassment prevention, and safety for students.
- Requires parenting time centers to offer services and staff with expertise on battered women and domestic abuse victims.
Residency and public assistance
- Expands how residency is determined for general assistance programs to count time spent in shelters for battered women and other domestic abuse victims toward the required residency period.
- Allows waivers if unusual hardship would result from denying assistance (with safeguards and reporting requirements).
- Defines “excluded time” for residency purposes to include time in shelters, hospitals, and other specified facilities, while excluding certain other periods.
- Applies similar residency rules to migrant workers and specifies when waivers are or are not allowed.
Voting accessibility for people in shelters and facilities
- Allows election day registration and proof of residence for people living in residential facilities (e.g., shelters, health care facilities) and requires appropriate identification.
- Permits (and details) the delivery of absentee ballots to voters in shelters or certain facilities when eligible, with procedures to ensure security and proper handling.
- Requires two election judges from different major parties to accompany ballot delivery to eligible voters in specified facilities and mandates secure return of ballots.
Additional related provisions
- Adjusts specific statutes related to family violence waivers for employment activities, including acceptable forms of documentation and sworn statements.
- Addresses related infrastructure and administration issues tied to domestic violence and victim support services, including references to paternity education materials.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
Data governance and privacy
- Expanded private/confidential data classifications for DPS data and introduced explicit research data provisions.
- Clarified and broadened protections for victim- and family-related information under multiple statutes.
New victim-support offices
- Creates formal offices dedicated to missing Indigenous relatives and missing Black women and girls, with data handling aligned to existing privacy laws.
Residency for public benefits
- Explicitly counts shelter residency (especially for domestic abuse survivors) toward the 30-day residency requirement for general assistance programs.
- Provides waivers for unusual hardship and clarifies exclusions and reporting for residency determinations.
Election access for shelter residents
- Modernizes election day registration and absentee ballot procedures to accommodate voters in shelters and similar facilities.
- Allows designated staff at residential facilities to assist with voting processes under defined rules, including the use of two election judges for ballot delivery.
Violence prevention and community programs
- Elevates the role of violence prevention in K-12 education and strengthens collaboration with domestic violence programs and shelters.
Targeted services for domestic abuse survivors
- Requires service centers and parenting time centers to incorporate staff knowledgeable about battered women and domestic abuse victims and to provide relevant educational offerings.
Who is Affected
- Victims of domestic violence and battered women
- Survivors living in shelters or residential facilities
- Shelter staff, providers, and program administrators
- Students and school districts
- Public benefit applicants and recipients (general assistance)
- Residents who rely on absentee voting or on residency-based requirements
- Law enforcement and government agencies handling victim data
Relevant Terms - public safety data - private data - confidential data - Social Security numbers - data for research - Office for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (OMIR) - Office for Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls (OMMBWG) - victims of domestic abuse - battered women - family violence waiver - notice of release (crime victims) - 30-day residency requirement - shelter for battered women - domestic abuse victims - excluded time - unusual hardship - migrant workers - residency verification - election day registration - proof of residence - residential facility - two election judges - absentee ballots - health care facility - shelters - vouching for residency - delivery of absentee ballots - gaming of absentee ballots safeguards (as described) - paternity educational materials
Bill text versions
- Introduction PDF PDF file
Past committee meetings
- Judiciary and Public Safety on: March 18, 2026 12:30
- Judiciary and Public Safety on: March 11, 2026 00:00
Actions
| Date | Chamber | Where | Type | Name | Committee Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 26, 2026 | Senate | Action | Introduction and first reading | ||
| February 26, 2026 | Senate | Action | Referred to | Judiciary and Public Safety |
Citations
[
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Adds private data classifications for DPS data (including defined categories such as medical data, SSNs with limited disclosure, and specific data-sharing allowances).",
"Clarifies that certain data may be released to law enforcement and for enforcement purposes or research per defined rules."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 13.69 subdivision 1 to designate certain Department of Public Safety government data as private data and to specify data release rules and purposes for research.",
"modified": [
"Expands and clarifies privacy classifications for DPS data, including how Social Security numbers and related data may be used or released."
]
},
"citation": "13.69",
"subdivision": "Subd.1"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Creates the Office for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Adds Subdivision 39 establishing the Office for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives with data governance related to victim and family support.",
"modified": [
"Provides data governance references connecting victim/family support data to applicable sections (e.g., 299A.85(4)(a) clause 14)."
]
},
"citation": "13.6905",
"subdivision": "Subd.39"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Creates the Office for Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Adds Subdivision 40 establishing the Office for Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls with related data governance.",
"modified": [
"Provides data governance references connecting victim/family support data to applicable sections (e.g., 299A.90 subdivision 3, paragraph 3a)."
]
},
"citation": "13.6905",
"subdivision": "Subd.40"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Explicitly addresses data classifications for crime victims, including data on crime victims, battered women, and victims of domestic abuse.",
"Cross-references with related victim services provisions (e.g., Crime Victim Oversight Act and related sections)."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 13.871 subdivision 5 related to crime victims, including classifications and handling of data for various victim-related categories.",
"modified": [
"Expands and clarifies classification of victim-related data under multiple subsections (crime victims, battered women, domestic abuse victims)."
]
},
"citation": "13.871",
"subdivision": "Subd.5"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Creates or expands grant program for education/training services for targeted youth, including homelessness and green projects.",
"Specifies types of facilities that may receive grants (Head Start, shelters, transitional housing, community centers, etc.)."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 116L.362 subdivision 1 to outline grant program provisions for organizations serving targeted youth, including homeless-related and green/energy projects.",
"modified": [
"Expands scope and eligibility of grant programs under 116L.362 Subd.1."
]
},
"citation": "116L.362",
"subdivision": "Subd.1"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Authorizes parenting time centers to provide additional classes and support services, including child development and domestic violence/battered women expertise.",
"Requires availability of staff knowledgeable about battered women/domestic abuse victims for consultation."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 119A.37 subdivision 4 to address additional services at parenting time centers.",
"modified": [
"Expands service offerings and expertise requirements at parenting time centers."
]
},
"citation": "119A.37",
"subdivision": "Subd.4"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Revises violence prevention curriculum requirements to be developed in consultation with health, human services, and domestic violence programs and representatives."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement section 120B.22 subdivision 1 to require violence prevention curricula.",
"modified": [
"Broadens and codifies the content and collaborative development of district violence prevention programs."
]
},
"citation": "120B.22",
"subdivision": "Subd.1"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Specifies acceptable proofs of residence for election-day registration (driver’s license, state ID, student statements, residential facility staff, etc.).",
"Details procedures for oath and residency verification and the role of election judges."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement section 201.061 subdivision 3 on election day registration.",
"modified": [
"Clarifies documentation and process for election-day registration, including vouching provisions in certain situations."
]
},
"citation": "201.061",
"subdivision": "Subd.3"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"No waiting period or durational test before securing county/state residence in most cases."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement section 256G.03 subdivision 2 to address residency rules and no-durational-test protections.",
"modified": [
"Excludes certain time for residency determination and provides inter-state migration considerations; references other sections for exceptions."
]
},
"citation": "256G.03",
"subdivision": "Subd.2"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement section 609.101 subdivision 2 (criminal code definitions).",
"modified": [
"Updates definitions or related language within 609.101 Subd.2 as part of broader public safety amendments."
]
},
"citation": "609.101",
"subdivision": "Subd.2"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [
"Repeal of specified subdivisions of 611A.201 ( Crime Victim Rights Act related provisions)."
],
"summary": "Repeals Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 611A.201 subdivisions 1, 2, 4, and 5.",
"modified": [
"Removes certain victim-rights provisions previously enacted in 611A.201."
]
},
"citation": "611A.201",
"subdivision": "Subd.1; Subd.2; Subd.4; Subd.5"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [
"Repeal of listed subdivisions of 611A.37."
],
"summary": "Repeals Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 611A.37 subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8.",
"modified": [
"Eliminates certain provisions of the Crime Victim Rights Act related to those subdivisions."
]
},
"citation": "611A.37",
"subdivision": "Subd.1; Subd.2; Subd.3; Subd.4; Subd.5; Subd.8"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [
"Repeal of 611A.371."
],
"summary": "Repeals Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 611A.371.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "611A.371",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [
"Repeal of 611A.372."
],
"summary": "Repeals Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 611A.372.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "611A.372",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [
"Repeal of 611A.373."
],
"summary": "Repeals Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 611A.373.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "611A.373",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Clarifies residency requirements related to 30-day residency and time spent in shelters for battered women and domestic abuse victims."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 142G.12 subdivision 2 regarding residency for assistance units.",
"modified": [
"Incorporates shelter-time counting toward the 30-day residency requirement; codifies shelter-related provisions."
]
},
"citation": "142G.12",
"subdivision": "Subd.2"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 142G.53 (Family Violence Waiver Criteria).",
"modified": [
"Updates documentation and verification standards for family violence waivers, including police, government, court records, and shelter staff statements."
]
},
"citation": "142G.53",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Specifies timelines for mailing absentee ballots to voters on permanent absentee ballot lists; clarifies delivery responsibilities."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 203B.06 subdivision 3 on delivery of absentee ballots.",
"modified": [
"Adjusts procedures and timelines for absentee ballot delivery."
]
},
"citation": "203B.06",
"subdivision": "Subd.3"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Requires ballots to be delivered by two election judges affiliated with different major political parties; details on delivery to facilities."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 203B.11 subdivision 1 on absentee ballots delivery.",
"modified": [
"Specifies two-judge delivery requirement and related procedures for absentee ballots."
]
},
"citation": "203B.11",
"subdivision": "Subd.1"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Defines residency requirements for general assistance including shelter-based provisions for battered women and domestic abuse victims."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 256D.02 subdivision 12a regarding residency for general assistance.",
"modified": [
"Counts shelter residency and related verification toward residency for general assistance."
]
},
"citation": "256D.02",
"subdivision": "Subd.12a"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 256G.02 subdivision 6 on excluded time for residency.",
"modified": [
"Expands the list of times considered excluded, including hospital, nursing facility, shelter, maternity home, and related settings."
]
},
"citation": "256G.02",
"subdivision": "Subd.6"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Updates program scope and eligibility related to housing, shelter, and related services for targeted populations."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 260E.02 subdivision 1 (services related to homeless and domestic violence victims).",
"modified": [
"Broadens or clarifies eligibility and service provisions linked to housing and shelter programs."
]
},
"citation": "260E.02",
"subdivision": "Subd.1"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Specifies data governance linkage for victim support data to the IndigenousRelatives office."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Connects data governance for victim and family support to the Office for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives via 299A.85 Subd.4(a) clause 14.",
"modified": [
"Integrates cross-reference to victim support data governance within new offices."
]
},
"citation": "299A.85",
"subdivision": "Subd.4"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Specifies data governance linkage for victim support data to the Black Women and Girls office."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Connects data governance for victim and family support to the Office for Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls via 299A.90 Subd.3(a).",
"modified": [
"Integrates cross-reference to victim support data governance within new offices."
]
},
"citation": "299A.90",
"subdivision": "Subd.3"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 518B.02 subdivision 2 on housing or shelter programs (context in this bill).",
"modified": [
"Updates housing/shelter program provisions within the statute."
]
},
"citation": "518B.02",
"subdivision": "Subd.2"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 609.605 subdivision 2 (criminal code provisions related to criminal sexual conduct or related offenses).",
"modified": [
"Modifies terms or application of offenses within 609.605 Subd.2 as part of public safety amendments."
]
},
"citation": "609.605",
"subdivision": "Subd.2"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement section 609.7495 subdivision 1 (related to certain reporting or data provisions under the criminal code).",
"modified": [
"Adjusts provisions within 609.7495 Subd.1 consistent with broader safety/data updates."
]
},
"citation": "609.7495",
"subdivision": "Subd.1"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 611A.31 subdivision 5 on victim notification or related crime-victim data provisions.",
"modified": [
"Updates data handling/notification provisions under 611A.31 Subd.5."
]
},
"citation": "611A.31",
"subdivision": "Subd.5"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 629.72 subdivision 2a on victim notification and related data classifications.",
"modified": [
"Adjusts how victim notification data is treated under the statute."
]
},
"citation": "629.72",
"subdivision": "Subd.2a"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement section 256B.056 subdivision 1 in the context of residency and welfare.",
"modified": [
"References to residency or welfare provisions within 256B.056 Subd.1 as linked to broader residency discussions in the bill."
]
},
"citation": "256B.056",
"subdivision": "Subd.1"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "References to Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement section 142G.78 in the bill's residencystatus framework.",
"modified": [
"Inclusion of an additional cross-reference to 142G.78 in related residency provisions."
]
},
"citation": "142G.78",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "See above entry for 256G.03 Subd.2; included again to reflect cross-references in Sec.15.",
"modified": [
"Reiterates no-durational-test provisions with cross-references to 142G.12, 142G.78, 256B.056, and 256D.02 Subd.12a."
]
},
"citation": "256G.03",
"subdivision": "Subd.2"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Repeat of excluded time definitions in 256G.02 Subd.6 related to residency for public assistance programs.",
"modified": [
"Reiterates or clarifies excluded time categories as part of residency determinations."
]
},
"citation": "256G.02",
"subdivision": "Subd.6"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "See duplicate entry above for 256G.03 Subd.2 (No durational test)—as referenced in Sec.15.",
"modified": [
"Incorporates cross-references to additional sections (142G.12, 142G.78, 256B.056, 256D.02 Subd.12a) as part of residency provisions."
]
},
"citation": "256G.03",
"subdivision": "Subd.2"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 257.75 subdivision 6 to address paternity educational materials.",
"modified": [
"Updates and expands provisions related to paternity education materials."
]
},
"citation": "257.75",
"subdivision": "Subd.6"
}
]Progress through the legislative process
In Committee