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Committee moves bill to expand endangered missing-persons definition to General Register
Summary
House File 1401 would broaden Minnesota's missing and endangered persons program to include people with Alzheimer's, dementia and traumatic brain injury. The bill drew bipartisan support and endorsements from law-enforcement organizations; the committee re-referred the bill to the General Register by voice vote.
Vice Chair Witte presented House File 1401 to the House Public Safety Committee on March 5, 2025. The bill would expand the definition of "endangered" within Minnesota’s missing and endangered persons program to explicitly include people with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and traumatic brain injury.
Representative Zelensky (Zalem in testimony) and other supporters said the change clarifies when law enforcement and the public-alert system should be used. "We all have heard the stories of a loved one being missing due to one of these conditions," Representative Zalem said, adding that Minnesota’s aging population makes timely alerts important.
Superintendent Evans and representatives of law enforcement associations provided background and technical support in committee testimony; the sheriff’s association and the NPPOA offered letters of support, committee staff said. The BCA superintendent (testifying later on a different bill) and law-enforcement supporters said that faster, clearer access to alerts helps first responders locate missing people with cognitive impairment.
Vice Chair Witte renewed his motion to re-refer House File 1401 to the General Register. The committee approved the motion by voice vote; the record shows bipartisan support and no roll-call tally.
