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Committee advances scholarship funding for forensic interview training; $500,000 proposal sent to Public Safety
Summary
House File 2136 would provide $500,000 over the biennium for scholarships to train professionals who conduct forensic interviews of children. The Children and Families committee re‑referred the bill to Public Safety after testimony from law enforcement, county child protection and advocacy groups.
Representative Michael Johnson presented House File 2136, which would appropriate $500,000 over the next biennium to fund scholarships for forensic interview training. The purpose, Johnson said, is to ensure that professionals in law enforcement, child protection, prosecution, health care and children's advocacy centers receive specialized, developmentally appropriate and legally sound forensic‑interview training.
Wade Rausch, division commander at the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office in Duluth, testified in support on behalf of law enforcement and said forensic interviews are the linchpin of child maltreatment investigations. "We don't want...multiple cops, multiple social workers going and talking to the kid trying to determine what they mean," Rausch said. He described the multidisciplinary team (MDT) process and said standardized, research‑based interviews prevent repeated, potentially retraumatizing interviews and improve investigative outcomes. Carrie Hone, a child protection program manager in Olmsted County, described how trained interviewers follow protocols designed to be developmentally appropriate and to minimize further harm; she said counties risk losing trained interviewers if scholarship funding is not available. Marcia Milliken, executive director of the Minnesota Children's Alliance, called forensic interviews "life saving" and said scholarships historically relied on federal Children's Justice Act funds that are becoming harder to secure.
Committee discussion clarified that most basic forensic interview trainings are 32 hours, typically delivered over four to five days, with advanced modules and specialized topics available. Members heard that there are 11 nationally recognized protocols and two lead training providers in Minnesota (First Witness and CornerHouse). Representative Nadeau asked whether the scholarships would support basic, advanced and specialized modules; proponents said the funding is intended to help cover basic and advanced training and specialty topics. Representative Johnson said the typical class cost is about $1,300, and the $500,000 appropriation was described as intended to increase access so more members of the MDT statewide can be trained.
The committee re‑referred House File 2136 to the Committee on Public Safety; the motion carried by voice vote.
