Committee forwards bill to fund forensic interview scholarships to Public Safety

House File 2136, introduced by Representative Johnson, would appropriate $500,000 over the next biennium to fund scholarships for forensic interview training for multidisciplinary team members — including law enforcement, child protection social workers, prosecutors, health care professionals and children's advocacy center staff. The committee voted to re-refer the bill to the Committee on Public Safety.

Representative Johnson said the scholarships would expand access to basic, advanced and specialized forensic interview training, strengthening interviews that gather information in child maltreatment investigations. "Forensic interviews are critical for child maltreatment investigations," she said, adding that well-conducted interviews reduce retraumatization and limit duplicate questioning of children.

Wade Rausch, division commander, St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, described how a single, research-based forensic interview produces a consistent, legally sound account for a multidisciplinary team (MDT). Rausch said forensic interviewing protocols help investigators interpret disclosures in developmentally appropriate, nonleading ways and prevent multiple professionals from separately re-interviewing a child.

Marcia Milliken, executive director of the Minnesota Children's Alliance, called forensic interviews "life saving," and said the state relies on nationally recognized protocols and regional trainers such as First Witness and CornerHouse. Milliken told the committee that prior federal Children's Justice Act Task Force scholarships have supported training but that federal funds are increasingly constrained; she urged state support to preserve access to training.

Olmsted County child protection program manager Carrie Hone (participating remotely) described county reliance on scholarships to pay for basic and advanced trainings for staff who conduct forensic interviews. Hone said the trainings use a protocol-based approach and are developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive and legally sound.

Committee members asked operational questions: Representative Nadeau asked whether the scholarships would support "train-the-trainer" programs, and Milliken and witnesses described three tiers of training: a minimum basic forensic interview (about 32 hours, typically four to five days), advanced training for experienced interviewers, and specialized modules (for example, interviewing nonverbal children). Representative Johnson said classes cost about $1,300 each and that the $500,000 appropriation would be used to maximize scholarship availability.

Action: The committee voted to re-refer House File 2136 to the Committee on Public Safety.

Why it matters: Witnesses said better-trained interviewers strengthen child-protection and criminal investigations, reduce needless retraumatization from multiple interviews and improve service planning for children. Supporters described the funding as preventive and cost-effective compared with repeated investigative interviews and the downstream costs for children who do not receive appropriate interventions.

Provenance: Discussion began when Representative Johnson introduced HF 2136 and concluded with the committee's referral vote sending the bill to public safety.