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Bill to let Minnesota agencies investigate maltreatment of resident children that occurred out of state is re-referred
Summary
The committee re-referred House File 1367 to the Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee after testimony that the bill would close a jurisdictional gap, allowing county social services to investigate alleged maltreatment of Minnesota-resident children that occurred outside the state.
The Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee voted to re-refer House File 1367 to the Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee after hearing testimony that the bill would close a statutory gap preventing counties from pursuing child-protection findings when alleged maltreatment occurred outside Minnesota.
Representative Pinto said the Minnesota County Attorneys Association brought the bill to address what it described as a jurisdictional omission that left some Minnesota children unprotected if alleged maltreatment occurred while the child was traveling or residing temporarily outside the state. Jennifer Jackson, assistant Dakota County attorney and a member of the Minnesota County Attorneys Association juvenile law committee, explained the bill’s origin: Dakota County investigated an allegation of sexual abuse that allegedly occurred in Florida; Florida authorities declined to prosecute, Dakota County social services found maltreatment and the determination was later reversed by a human services judge for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction. The county could not appeal to district court because the statute limited appeals to the district where the maltreatment occurred, the witness said.
Jackson and Representative Pinto said the intent is to permit local responsible social services agencies to investigate and make maltreatment determinations for Minnesota residents even when the alleged conduct happened out of state, and to preserve appeal rights in Minnesota. Members asked questions about cost, evidence collection, and overlap with criminal investigations; witnesses said counties routinely conduct interviews and can coordinate courtesy interviews and investigations with out-of-state authorities, and noted the bill did not include a funding appropriation.
Representative Pinto said the bill would be sent to Children and Families Finance and Policy for further work.
Votes at a glance: Committee adopted the A1 amendment and re-referred House File 1367 to Children and Families Finance and Policy by voice vote.
