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Minnesota lawmakers outline bipartisan domestic-violence reforms taking effect Aug. 1
Summary
Lawmakers from both parties presented a package of reforms — expanding arrest windows, strengthening firearm-surrender rules, funding victim services and creating a task force — intended to standardize responses and improve survivor safety across Minnesota.
Representative Kelly Mueller, co-chair of the Legislature’s public safety committee, said state lawmakers passed a bipartisan package of domestic-violence reforms that take effect Aug. 1 and urged Minnesotans to learn about them to ensure the laws work as intended.
“These bills have not received much attention and in order for them to be impact We need more Minnesotans to know about them,” Mueller said. She listed measures included in the package: extending the time window for certain warrantless arrests, requiring courts and law enforcement to document and verify firearm surrender, funding crime-victim services, creating a domestic-violence task force, and permitting survivors to sever an abuser’s interest in certain contracts for deed.
The package aims to make responses more consistent statewide, advocates said. The task force created by the legislation will develop 16 specific objectives, including a model policy on lethality assessments, review of training across system partners, and recommendations to remove barriers survivors face when reporting incidents.
Mueller closed the briefing by noting resources for survivors: the statewide 24-hour crisis line at (866) 223-1111 and urging advocates and the public to help spread information about the new protections.
