Minnesota2026Passed Legislature
HF3990
Public Safety Law Changes
Last scannedAug 22, 2026, 3:39 AM
In one sentence
This bill updates rules on public safety investigations, creates a fund to help pay for disaster assistance costs with federal programs, marks certain driver's license data as private, and adjusts laws about crimes like theft and fraud.
What it does
- Gives the attorney general power to ask specific businesses for records during law enforcement investigations involving financial crime or fraud.
- Creates a special account in state funds to pay for disaster assistance costs shared with federal programs.
- Marks certain driver's license data, such as medical information and Social Security numbers, as private government data that cannot be shared publicly without permission.
- Updates laws about retail theft, identity theft, fraud, domestic abuse-related crimes, the use of chemical irritants, and replaces the term 'battered women' in statutes.
Who it affects
- The attorney general and law enforcement agencies conducting investigations
- Businesses such as phone companies, utilities, hotels, pawn shops, transport services, and storage facilities that may be asked for records
- State agencies managing disaster relief funds and emergency response
- Drivers and people with disability certificates whose personal data is held by the Department of Public Safety
Limits and unknowns
- The bill text provided does not list specific dates when these new rules will take effect.
- The full details of changes to crimes like retail theft, identity fraud, and domestic abuse are listed in the title but cut off before being explained in detail.
Plain language
Terms to know
- Subpoena
- A legal order that requires a person or business to provide records.
- Contingency account
- A special fund set aside for unexpected events, such as natural disasters.
- Private data
- Government information that is protected by law and cannot be shared with the public without permission or a court order.
Official record
Sources
Official summary
Public safety; policy provided for public safety, correctional facilities, investigations, Department of Public Safety data, controlled substances, crime victims, orders for protection, private detective and protective agent licensure, employment disqualifications, sentence adjustments, expungement relief, domestic abuse-related crimes and data, use of chemical irritants, crimes of coercion, retail theft, identity theft, and fraud; reimbursements provided; "battered women" term replaced in statute where it appears; criminal penalties provided; reports required; and rulemaking required.
Official activity
Bill history
- See Senate file in House SF4760House
- Bills not identical, SF substituted on General RegisterHouse
- Referred to Chief Clerk for comparison with SF4760House
- Committee report, to adopt as amendedHouse
- Author added CurranHouse
- Committee report, to adoptHouse
- Committee report, to adopt as amended and re-refer to State Government Finance and PolicyHouse
- Introduction and first reading, referred to Public Safety Finance and PolicyHouse