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Bill would let cities accept and spend donations for families and memorials after line-of-duty deaths
Summary
House File 124 would authorize political subdivisions to accept and expend donated funds for victims, families and memorials following a public safety line-of-duty death, and to fund funeral and travel expenses for memorials for a limited time; committee members asked for tighter guardrails and transparency provisions before advancing the bill.
House File 124, carried in the Senate committee by Senator Duckworth on March 10, would permit political subdivisions — including cities — to accept gifts and to expend donated funds for families and memorial or funeral expenses following a line-of-duty death of a public safety officer. The bill's language would allow a political subdivision to accept donations and establish local gift policies and would authorize use of donated funds for funeral or memorial services and travel to national memorial events within a specified time frame (testimony described a 24-month window).
Senator Duckworth said the bill was drafted after a 2024 event in Burnsville that left three public safety personnel dead; Chief BJ Jungman of the Burnsville Fire Department described an “outpouring of support” and said current gift laws made it difficult for the city to accept and distribute donations intended to help families and staff. Duckworth said the bill aims to provide clarity and flexibility in narrow circumstances following a line-of-duty death.
Several senators supported the bill in principle but asked the author to tighten the language. Senator Lats urged stronger guardrails to prevent gifts from being directed to individuals without caps, reporting or oversight, and suggested requiring that gifts be processed by an agency and subject to public reporting. Senator Howe and Senator Crewein noted there are recent bills and precedents concerning gifts to the Department of Public Safety and said the committee should consider consistent safeguards across statutes. Senator Duckworth committed to drafting stricter transparency and accounting provisions and to returning the bill to the committee promptly so affected departments could use funds for an upcoming national memorial in May.
The measure was laid over for possible inclusion; no formal vote was taken in committee.
