[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6613342,"mediaKeyId","2871620-842495a12d122b72549508a9f74c73ae","parentId",2871620,"title","Committee fails to advance bill to allow access to expunged convictions for private security and private detective licensing","audioSeconds",1611,"startMs",296000,"endMs",1907000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2871620-842495a12d122b72549508a9f74c73ae&start=296&end=1907","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2871620-842495a12d122b72549508a9f74c73ae/thumbnail_296000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6613342/Minnesota/Committee-fails-to-advance-bill-to-allow-access-to-expunged-convictions-for-private-security-and-private-detective-licensing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6613342-ecc01f4c4c10690b1b5fed576e1fd5a0/orig.mp4?Expires=1773698757&Signature=SCNg26fWShv8j6wLmsvIhWHVIklDxcNDsylhEcEAvdLRNMznWfvQnNH6Q-c8lIFD4SvM5sD~A~EhJIJr5JKNYWCvI0ehSdClkdO5~cSaOgI7~V4WY8L2c6-ws-Q1f5nO0JBxwsU0mSKZyzfS4Ezc32F3-r3xnqLB8K-niKWfF3vMCzH58okusQB906H0lMisi9EiNUAdh~~L542jIKrJORtNi99uxpqMCol8dl7I0XeuhEixNFX3NDN2OtAgkSAn5r043Lw7m~7LR2GEA2Obwt1lFDZS26WuL-Q0GBtgF9BEthmx2pRvfP~FgKLF2P1~ObReimRx7P0M1Fr9jW-WTw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Minnesota Legislature","date","2025-04-04T00:54:20.883Z","article","House File 2825, a bill to allow the Board that licenses private detectives and private security officers to access certain expunged conviction records as part of background checks, failed to advance out of the House Judiciary, Finance and Civil Law Committee on a roll call vote April 1.

The bill’s sponsor, Representative Hudson, moved that House File 2825 be “passed and placed on the general register.” Richard Hodgson, identified in testimony as the board chair and a public member of the licensing board, told the committee the change would align vetting of private security and private detective applicants with current scrutiny applied to public safety officers.

\"We are not looking to expand, or reduce or restrict or any way, who is eligible to be licensed,\" Hodgson said, adding the board is seeking access only to convictions that the legislature already lists as disqualifying. He cited Minnesota Statute 326.3381, subdivision 3(a), as identifying offenses that can disqualify applicants.

Why it matters: supporters said private security officers and detectives have extensive access to people, facilities and sensitive materials and so warrant the same background scrutiny as peace officers. Opponents and some committee members said the bill risks undermining the purpose of expungement statutes, which they said are intended to help people move past convictions.

Testimony and debate

Hodgson told the committee the statutory expansion of expungement took effect Jan. 1, 2015, and again with automatic-expungement provisions effective Jan. 1, 2025. He said the board has already encountered at least two cases in which applicants applied for expungement and an application became sealed before the board had completed its check, creating a risk the board would inadvertently issue a license to someone statutorily disqualified. \"A sealing of the record, according to the Minnesota Supreme Court, doesn't undo the conviction,\" Hodgson said.

Committee members pressed on statutory intent and equity. Chair Liebling said the committee needed to weigh whether an expungement should remain sealed for these licensing decisions. Representative Frazier said his concern was that expungement and pardon have different legal effects; Hodgson agreed, saying a pardon can have a stronger \"set aside\" effect than sealing. Representative Ingham (recorded as Inghitt/Engin in the transcript) listed sample offenses that, in his view, would be serious enough to warrant exclusion from security work even if expunged.

Representative Hudson argued that the legislature had already decided some public-safety-sensitive professions should be treated differently and that private security increasingly fills gaps in public safety; he said a licensing standard similar to law enforcement was appropriate.

Vote and procedural outcome

A roll call recorded members as voting as follows: Chair Scott — Aye; Chair Liebling — No; Vice Chair Hudson — Aye; Vice Chair Fraser — No; Representative Bliss — Aye; Representative Corinne — No; Representative Duran — Aye; Representative Ingham — Yes; Representative Feist — No; Representative Finke — No; Representative Mohamud — No; Representative Mohler — (vote not spoken on record); Representative Rearick — Aye; Representative Steer — Aye; (Representative Mueller called but no recorded vote in transcript). The committee clerk announced, \"There being 7 ayes and 6 nays but it takes 8 votes to get a bill out of committee, the motion is not adopted.\" The bill therefore failed to pass the committee on that motion.

Following the failed motion, Representative Hudson moved that House File 2825 be \"laid over,\" a standard procedural step; the committee proceeded to the next item.

What the bill would have done

According to testimony, HF2825 would have allowed the Board that licenses private detectives and private security officers to access sealed or expunged conviction records in order to determine whether an applicant had convictions that Minnesota law lists as disqualifying for licensing. Supporters emphasized that the board is only seeking access to convictions that are already defined by statute as disqualifying offenses.

Legal references cited in committee testimony included Minnesota Statute 326.3381 (subd. 3(a)) and references to the state expungement framework and decisions of the Minnesota Supreme Court distinguishing sealing from pardon.

Next steps

The bill failed to move forward on the passage motion but was laid over for possible future consideration. Committee debate highlighted a continuing tension between the expansion of expungement laws and regulatory limits the legislature has set for safety-sensitive licenses.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee 4/3/25 - Part 2","oneSentenceSummary","House File 2825, a bill to allow the Board that licenses private detectives and private security officers to access certain expunged conviction records as part of background checks, failed to advance out of the House Judiciary, Finance and Civil Law Committee on a roll call vote April 1.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MN, Minnesota","taxId",77817,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6613328,"Committee hears Competency Attainment Board bill; board requests policy tweaks and funding to expand forensic navigator program",397,2929000,3326000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2871620-842495a12d122b72549508a9f74c73ae&start=2929&end=3326","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2871620-842495a12d122b72549508a9f74c73ae/thumbnail_2929000.jpg","/articles/6613328/Minnesota/Committee-hears-Competency-Attainment-Board-bill-board-requests-policy-tweaks-and-funding-to-expand-forensic-navigator-program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6613328-6aa90ee12bd3b53a166a5db0626d0439/orig.mp4?Expires=1773698757&Signature=H5Plp9yMqZX7YiIlrEquamFttTaW5aAB5qjq1nke0d~YNeXaQC0v3N2zpDSrBHWctxFYtNUMVHegOznIF~Ex9~45A6OEGVoAUj4QutsIMetUZJbeLQM06vgDwmxfYNcVKH5HrawTyEQxO86SgCvxOzI9EOP23T0K2XnM69TWTzab4ryAlY-SBWtUwRqGi6k-qpUpCAmOHNCFgmRsLLZKm1AxBrSi57TuRnbDYXIdi2RxFdfktcmJlIJtDdrDMvU2A0S4lcfQpR1s5aOy980IqL2V-OQy54wk2UQ6T0l0fC-8r1f9kbyYsZ7IR5avO5N7WbxE~DAgJM8D872WQrDf2w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House File 3070, carried by Representative Liebling on behalf of the Competency Attainment Board, was presented and laid over for further consideration after testimony from Kim Larson, the state program administrator for the board.

The bill seeks two categories of changes: (1) policy clarifications to more precisely state that forensic navigators \"monitor\" (rather than \"supervise\") defendants to avoid conflation with probation or pretrial supervision, and to eliminate a duplicative data-collection requirement by relying on court-collected data for reporting; and (2) an appropriation request to support statewide expansion and board operations.

Program description and testimony

Kim Larson told the committee the board was created in 2022 as an independent judicial-branch board and that forensic navigators are appointed by the court in criminal cases where competency to stand trial is at issue. Forensic navigators connect defendants with housing, mental health and substance-use treatment and other supports to help them achieve stability and competency so they can resolve their cases. Larson said many defendants served by navigators are living in the community rather than in locked hospital settings.

Larson also reported program growth: the office employed 24 forensic navigators at the time of testimony and expected to have 30 by the following week. The board marked its one-year anniversary April 1, 2025.

Policy changes requested

Larson said the requested substitution of the term \"monitor\" for \"supervision\" is intended to clarify that navigators do not exercise the supervisory authorities associated with probation or pretrial services; another requested change would reduce duplicate reporting by using data already collected by the State Court Administrator’s Office. The bill would also remove the statutory requirement that board membership include a former forensic navigator.

Procedure and next steps

Committee members praised the progress in onboarding staff and hearing the overview; the bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus package. Supporters said passage would allow the program to mature and meet statewide needs.

","House File 3070, presented by the Competency Attainment Board, requests policy clarifications and increased funding to support forensic navigators who help defendants attain competency for criminal proceedings. The committee laid the bill over after hearing that the program has grown to 24 navigators with plans to reach 30.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6613332,"Committee considers transition to State Board of Civil Legal Aid; adopts reporting amendment and lays related bills over",586,2184000,2770000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2871620-842495a12d122b72549508a9f74c73ae&start=2184&end=2770","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2871620-842495a12d122b72549508a9f74c73ae/thumbnail_2184000.jpg","/articles/6613332/Minnesota/Committee-considers-transition-to-State-Board-of-Civil-Legal-Aid-adopts-reporting-amendment-and-lays-related-bills-over","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6613332-c9ceb0e89cad1df282dbb38c7f430fb4/orig.mp4?Expires=1773698757&Signature=eAMuyqLAAzX6Xhv4LCSXy5sj4Az25oKZWMF9ujlD6RR0FhyhMEziM4yJyhFSn73kIPAqf4xJHw2hopohJ1dwjPkt97d73GYIEAdIKvkYzx-qyiNQT-nDdWwYZscrD47mXFGv~dAX0qnDPIiyaLjornFcfQbVJrLWj1cknaK-oxRTgnU3a9GVppZUNSNeP8Zs2bZrJS-WlsiSaLWBDFLrfifydZWwrLD3qLVtA9dKaIxhAH0Q-hJHy0U4Ko8~Crdf6eaER3xDwqC6RrONtGi5oEI9Dv9UPQp~26eVmoc~eOaQ5h1DpwCvxDexO4toKlhPvb9lcrQmZwq--Ok~dMWakg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Committee members reviewed multiple bills related to Minnesota’s civil legal services system and the transition of grant-making and oversight to the new State Board of Civil Legal Aid. The committee adopted an amendment to reporting deadlines and laid the bills over for possible omnibus inclusion.

Representative Curran and Chair Scott presented measures that continue prior investments in civil legal services and finalize the administrative transition from the Legal Services Advisory Committee to the State Board of Civil Legal Aid, effective July 1, 2025. Testimony from Legal Services staff and provider representatives described service shortfalls: Legal Services delivers an estimated $4 in societal benefit for every $1 invested, but roughly one in two eligible Minnesotans seeking help are turned away due to capacity limits.

Reporting amendment adopted

Chair Scott offered an A1 amendment to change the statutory hard deadline for the board’s annual report from Jan. 15 to July 15 so that reports include the most recent grant and case-closure data aligned with the state fiscal year, and to change the reporting cadence from biennial to annual. The committee adopted the A1 amendment by voice vote. Chair Scott then spoke to the amended bill, saying the change preserves transparency and accountability as the new board assumes grant-making duties previously handled by the courts.

Testimony and transition details

Representative Curran and Bridget Jernander, identified as staff attorney for the Legal Services Advisory Committee, described the transition from the committee (in place since 1982) to an independent judicial-branch agency called the State Board of Civil Legal Aid. Dori Rappaport, Executive Director of JusticeNorth (testifying remotely), gave provider perspective and a case example showing how civil legal representation can expedite child-protection actions and protect vulnerable clients. Jernander explained the board’s administrative responsibilities would include grant administration, statewide data collection and oversight of program effectiveness.

Procedure and next steps

Committee members voiced support for the transition and the reporting amendment. The bills — including House File 1373 (continuing investments) and House File 1039 (reporting/transition technicals with adopted A1) — were laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill.

","The committee laid over bills to finalize the transition of civil legal services management to the State Board of Civil Legal Aid, adopted an amendment to change reporting timing and frequency, and heard testimony on the board’s role and the statewide need for civil legal services.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6613336,"Committee lays over technical bill to allow Office of Appellate Counsel in Training to begin operations",270,1912000,2182000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2871620-842495a12d122b72549508a9f74c73ae&start=1912&end=2182","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2871620-842495a12d122b72549508a9f74c73ae/thumbnail_1912000.jpg","/articles/6613336/Minnesota/Committee-lays-over-technical-bill-to-allow-Office-of-Appellate-Counsel-in-Training-to-begin-operations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6613336-2e238fd5eec141c1f786758c70caddf9/orig.mp4?Expires=1773698757&Signature=jhejnwvHqqZiHuNZt7ennmfX9NcabvN3xABKHd5Ox4Dh8BvVJWd5mB8878PHAwvXd9bI4Utzioi-FCK3UPp6JqBslC0EyWlrLLLWiuuOS-thDOz483uq4jMLJJWkFC~foloiTgBxMhaxzpqpgh4gdiinDe0MwOaWvLC1bSWjOLdvrBcqAKgNpQUtZoG3c46b0pRhgJz1y88-dx5HWaGcjIPhhTMFdoxUnjxBCSeCPsvCif1VrEsfcYkh1IV3xCzK3aLV-GO6-J~Wu443TkEus1VQewwjy0hHmJCJu8kYiU5ObisK-7zMkH9CCGWGlen6GLhF3Fta2UCDgzcckx8yTw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House File 1862, a technical bill to clarify administrative authority for the recently created Office of Appellate Counsel in Training, was presented and laid over by the House Judiciary, Finance and Civil Law Committee on April 1.

Representative Badgett, the bill sponsor, told the committee that the office was created by last session’s House File 922 to provide appellate attorneys and training for parents appealing child-protection cases, including Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and tribal matters. After passage, the office has been unable to hire staff or start operations because the statute lacked clarity about which branch of government would administer the office and who appoints the initial chair.

A remote witness, identified as Ms. Wolman, testified the office has broad support from justice partners, the Guardian ad Litem office and county attorneys and is intended to address geographic inequities in parent representation on appeal. \"People who have a child removed in a more rural county have a really different set of resources and access to attorneys than those who live in the metro area,\" she said, adding that the office would also provide training to help implement recent laws including the African American Family Preservation Act.

What the bill does

According to the sponsor’s presentation, HF1862 clarifies that the office will be part of the executive branch, designates the governor to appoint the initial chair from the board members, allows hiring of an executive director and staff, and sets compensation levels. The sponsor said funding for the office was already allocated and the bill does not require new spending.

Procedure and next steps

Committee members had no substantive objections on the record; the bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus package.

","House File 1862, a technical bill clarifying administrative authority for the Office of Appellate Counsel in Training, was laid over after testimony from advocates who said the fix is needed so the office can hire staff and begin training attorneys for appeals in child protection cases.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee fails to advance bill to allow access to expunged convictions for private security and private detective licensing

Committee hears Competency Attainment Board bill; board requests policy tweaks and funding to expand forensic navigator program

Committee considers transition to State Board of Civil Legal Aid; adopts reporting amendment and lays related bills over

Committee lays over technical bill to allow Office of Appellate Counsel in Training to begin operations