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Senate unanimously approves bill letting local governments accept gifts for line-of-duty memorials and family support
Summary
House File 124 passed the Minnesota Senate 63–0 on April 10, allowing cities, counties and other local governments to accept monetary gifts related to the death of a public safety officer and use them for memorials or to support families. The bill includes transparency and accountability measures.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Senate on April 10 unanimously approved House File 124, a measure that allows cities, counties and other local government entities to accept monetary gifts tied to the line-of-duty death of a public safety officer and to use those gifts for family support, memorial funds or to send personnel to memorial services.
Senator Duckworth, who presented the bill on the floor, said it was inspired in part by last year’s shooting in Burnsville that claimed the lives of officers and a firefighter. "When tragedies like this happen in communities, being able to show up for your community in the way that your community is able to is really important," Duckworth said on the floor.
Senators said the bill includes transparency and accountability provisions recommended in floor discussion; Senator Latz and others were thanked for language changes that improved reporting and oversight aspects during committee and floor work. The bill’s supporters said the measure helps local communities respond to tragedy by allowing gifts to be used for family assistance, memorial construction and related expenses within a defined timeframe.
Senate clerks recorded a final roll call of 63 ayes and 0 nays. The bill passed its third reading on the floor and will proceed to the next steps for enactment, subject to the usual concurrence or enrollment process.
