Committee advances bill to align domestic violence advocate privilege with sexual-assault counselor protections

The House Judiciary Finance & Civil Law Committee on Monday recommended re-referral of House File 1083 to the Committee on Public Safety after extended discussion about confidentiality for domestic violence victims and balancing that confidentiality against due-process concerns. The bill's sponsor moved to advance the bill; committee members approved the motion by voice vote.

House File 1083 would amend Minnesota statute to provide stronger privilege protections for communications between domestic violence victim-survivors and community-based domestic violence advocates, bringing those protections into closer alignment with the statutory privilege afforded to sexual-assault counselors. "Domestic violence victims deserve to have the same protected conversations with domestic abuse advocates that they can have with a…