Bureau of Criminal Apprehension required to develop sexual assault investigation training, peace officers required to complete training requirements, and money appropriated.

A bill for an act

relating to public safety; requiring the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to develop

sexual assault investigation training; requiring peace officers to complete training

requirements; appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section

626.8442.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 626.8442, is amended to read:

626.8442 POLICIES ON SEXUAL ASSAULTS.

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Subdivision 1.

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Policies.

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(a) The chief law enforcement officer of every state and local

law enforcement agency must establish and enforce a written policy addressing how the

agency will respond to and investigate reports of sexual assault. The policy must substantially

incorporate the main items from the board's model policy on responding to reports of sexual

assault, but also may expand on the board's policy. As an alternative, the policy may be

identical to the board's policy.

(b) Each chief law enforcement officer must certify to the board that the policy described

in paragraph (a) is in place and being enforced and forward a copy of the policy to the board.

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Subd. 2.

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Sexual assault investigations training.

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(a) The Bureau of Criminal

Apprehension must develop and maintain a 14-hour, specialized, intensive, and integrative

training for peace officers responsible for investigating sexual assault and the highest ranking

supervisors and commanders overseeing sexual assault investigations. The training must

be based on a victim-centered, trauma-informed approach to responding to sexual assault.

Among other subjects, the training must include content on the neurobiology of trauma,

trauma-informed interviewing, and investigative techniques. The curriculum must cover:

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(1) different strategies for interviewing victims and suspects;

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(2) different investigation strategies between adolescent and adult sexual assault reports;

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(3) how to respond to victims with a victim-centered, trauma-informed approach; and

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(4) collection and preservation of evidence for successful prosecution.

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(b) The board must collaborate with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to develop

and maintain an online, one-hour continuing education credit course for peace officers with

a victim-centered, trauma-informed approach to interacting with victims and responding to

calls involving sexual violence. In developing the training, the Bureau of Criminal

Apprehension must seek advice from the Minnesota Sheriffs' Association and police chiefs,

the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and experts on sexual assault and the

neurobiology of trauma. The curriculum must:

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(1) be designed for use within individual law enforcement agencies;

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(2) include features that allow the training to be used in different environments, including

but not limited to use of multimedia or video components;

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(3) allow for law enforcement agencies to host the training in small segments at different

times over several days or weeks, including roll calls; and

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(4) include components on available resources for victims, including but not limited to

material on and references to community-based victim advocates.

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(c) The completion of the courses in paragraphs (a) and (b) must be tracked through an

e-learning module developed and managed by the board.

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(d) The training curricula under paragraphs (a) and (b) must be reviewed annually and

updated to align with best practices in collaboration with the Minnesota Sheriffs' Association

and police chiefs, the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the Minnesota County

Attorneys Association, and experts on sexual assault and the neurobiology of trauma. The

Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is the final authority on the contents of the curricula under

this section.

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Subd. 3.

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Training curriculum evaluation.

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(a) Within 180 days of the effective date of

this section, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension must enter into an agreement with a

qualified research partner to develop and conduct an evaluation of the investigation training

programs under subdivision 2. The qualified research partner must have demonstrated

substantial experience in conducting rigorous evaluations of program effectiveness, including

the use of well-implemented randomized control trials or other evidence-based research

methodologies that allow for strong causal inferences. The evaluation must explore whether

current training and practices foster a trauma-informed, victim-centered approach to victim

interviews, identify best practices and current gaps in training, and lead to better case

outcomes, including but not limited to higher clearance rates in sexual assault cases. The

evaluation must, to the extent feasible and appropriate, make use of experimental or

quasi-experimental designs that allow for the strongest possible causal inferences with

respect to the listed outcomes.

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(b) Nothing in this section or in the agreement limits or precludes the qualified research

partner from publishing or otherwise publicizing the partner's research findings, unless

necessary to ensure the confidentiality of personally identifiable data and information as

required under this section, chapter 13, or other applicable federal or state laws.

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Subd. 4.

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Requirements for peace officers.

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(a) The board must require completion of

the one-hour continuing education credit course under subdivision 2, paragraph (b), for a

peace officer within one year of assignment as a peace officer and at least once every three

years after completing the initial course.

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(b) The board must require completion of the 14-hour continuing education credit course

for a peace officer responsible for investigating sexual assault and the highest ranking

supervisors and commanders overseeing sexual assault investigations within one year of

assignment as a peace officer investigating sexual assault or overseeing sexual assault

investigations.

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(c) Law enforcement agencies may follow a staggered rollout for implementation of the

training requirements under paragraphs (a) and (b) for current peace officers employed by

the agencies who are required to complete the training courses under paragraph (a) or (b)

according to the following schedule. Each law enforcement agency that employs:

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(1) 500 or more peace officers must have the peace officers employed by the agency

complete the required courses on or before January 1, 2029;

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(2) 200 or more but fewer than 500 peace officers must have the peace officers employed

by the agency complete the required courses on or before January 1, 2030;

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(3) 50 or more but fewer than 200 peace officers must have the peace officers employed

by the agency complete the required courses on or before January 1, 2031; and

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(4) fewer than 50 peace officers must have the peace officers employed by the agency

complete the required courses on or before January 1, 2032.

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This paragraph expires July 1, 2032.

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Sec. 2.
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APPROPRIATION; SEXUAL ASSAULT INVESTIGATION TRAINING.
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$....... in fiscal year 2027 is appropriated from the general fund to the Department of

Public Safety for the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to develop and maintain the sexual

assault investigation training programs under Minnesota Statutes, section 626.8442,

subdivision 2.

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