Judiciary committee adopts package of amendments on guardianship, evidence access, corrections and AI; lays SF1098 over to be incorporated into SF1417

Members of the Minnesota Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee adopted a series of amendments to an omnibus judiciary bill and agreed to lay Senate File 1098, as amended, over to be incorporated into Senate File 1417 on Friday.

The package included changes addressing guardianship visitation and emergency guardianship notice (A9), access for auto‑accident claimants to investigative recordings (A7), technical corrections to Department of Corrections funding and probation formulas (A23), a provision authorizing use of mobile tracking devices on fleeing vehicles (A16), language on AI notification and related immunity (A21), and an amendment addressing childlike dolls and AI child sexual abuse material (A18). Several other technical and housekeeping amendments were also adopted.

Why it matters: the amendments touch on civil‑justice procedures (guardianship and evidence access), criminal‑justice tools (tracking devices), corrections funding and administration, and emerging technology issues (AI notification and immunity). Committee members described many items as technical fixes or stakeholder compromises; a handful prompted substantive explanation from witnesses and agency officials.

Suzanne Scheller, who introduced the guardianship amendment to the committee, said the A9 changes "expand[] the notice requirements to the court and the affected persons" when a guardian restricts visitation and add language to require consideration of "less restrictive alternatives" to visitation limits. She told the committee the amendment grew from stakeholder conversations and "strengthening language around these concepts but stopping short of possible additional court involvement."

On investig…