1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to public safety; authorizing law enforcement use of unmanned aerial
1.3 vehicles to find missing persons, persons fleeing arrest, and incarcerated persons;
1.4 amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 626.19, subdivision 3.
1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 626.19, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
1.7 Subd. 3.Authorized use.A law enforcement agency may use a UAV:
1.8 (1) during or in the aftermath of an emergency situation that involves the risk of death
1.9or bodily harm to a person;
1.10 (2) to provide more expansive aerial coverage for the purpose of searching for a missing
1.11person including but not limited to a missing child or vulnerable adult;
1.12 (2) (3) over a public event where there is a heightened risk to the safety of participants
1.13or bystanders;
1.14 (3) (4) to counter the risk of a terrorist attack by a specific individual or organization if
1.15the agency determines that credible intelligence indicates a risk;
1.16 (4) (5) to prevent the loss of life and property in natural or man-made disasters and to
1.17facilitate operational planning, rescue, and recovery operations in the aftermath of these
1.18disasters;
1.19 (5) (6) to conduct a threat assessment in anticipation of a specific event;
1.20 (6) (7) to collect information from a public area if there is reasonable suspicion of criminal
1.21activity;
1Section 1.
25-02217 as introduced01/16/25 REVISOR KLL/ES
SENATE
STATE OF MINNESOTA
S.F. No. 625NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
(SENATE AUTHORS: HOWE, Oumou Verbeten and Draheim)
OFFICIAL STATUSD-PGDATE
Introduction and first reading01/27/2025
Referred to Judiciary and Public Safety 2.1 (8) to locate a person sought for arrest when the person has fled from a law enforcement
2.2officer and a law enforcement officer remains in pursuit of the person;
2.3 (9) to locate an incarcerated person escaping from an adult correctional facility under
2.4the control of the commissioner of corrections or licensed by the commissioner of corrections
2.5under section 241.021;
2.6 (7) (10) to collect information for crash reconstruction purposes after a serious or deadly
2.7collision occurring on a public road;
2.8 (8) (11) over a public area for officer training or public relations purposes; and
2.9 (9) (12) for purposes unrelated to law enforcement at the request of a government entity
2.10provided that the government entity makes the request in writing to the law enforcement
2.11agency and specifies the reason for the request and proposed period of use.
2Section 1.
25-02217 as introduced01/16/25 REVISOR KLL/ES