HF 4944

03/25/26   REVISOR  VH/MI  26-07805
This Document can be made available
in alternative formats upon request  State of Minnesota
  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
  NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
  H. F. No.   4944
04/13/2026     Authored by Johnson, P., and Virnig
  The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Public Safety Finance and Policy
1.1A bill for an act
1.2relating to public safety; establishing the investigative specialist grant program;
1.3appropriating money.
1.4BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.5Section 1. INVESTIGATIVE SPECIALIST GRANT PROGRAM;
1.6APPROPRIATION.
1.7(a) $2,000,000 in fiscal year 2027 is appropriated from the general fund to the
1.8commissioner of public safety for the investigative specialist grant program. This is a onetime
1.9appropriation.
1.10(b) The commissioner must issue grants to law enforcement agencies as defined in
1.11Minnesota Statutes, section 626.84, subdivision 1, paragraph (f), for the purpose of hiring,
1.12training, and retaining investigative specialists to increase the rate at which agencies clear
1.13offenses and improve support for victims of crime. The commissioner may award up to
1.14$250,000 to an individual applicant. In issuing grants under this section, the commissioner
1.15must prioritize law enforcement agencies that:
1.16(1) have a disproportionately high rate of unsolved crimes;
1.17(2) identify inadequate staffing as a major impediment to solving crimes;
1.18(3) present a plan to utilize investigative specialists to increase the number of crimes
1.19that are solved;
1.20(4) present other evidence of a commitment to increase the rate of crimes solved by the
1.21agency; and
Section 1.  1
03/25/26   REVISOR  VH/MI  26-07805
2.1      (5) identify specific goals and performance metrics to measure the effectiveness of
2.2  investigative specialists.
2.3      (c) Grant recipients must use grant money to:
2.4      (1) create recruiting protocols and a job description for investigative specialists;
2.5      (2) create a procedure manual for investigative specialists;
2.6      (3) hire investigative specialists;
2.7      (4) create training programs for investigative specialists and train individuals hired to
2.8  be investigative specialists; and
2.9      (5) supervise and support investigative specialists.
2.10     (d) Investigative specialists hired under this program must provide administrative and
2.11 investigative support to detectives and investigative supervisors. Grant recipients must
2.12 provide training to investigative specialists, including training on confidentiality requirements
2.13 and other relevant policies and procedures.
2.14     (e) An investigative specialist hired under this program must not be a peace officer as
2.15 defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 626.84, subdivision 1, paragraph (c); must not identify
2.16 as a peace officer; and must not exercise powers and duties assigned exclusively to peace
2.17 officers.
2.18     (f) Grant recipients must submit a report to the commissioner of public safety on the use
2.19 of investigative specialists to improve the rate of crimes solved by the agency. Reports must
2.20 be made six months after the commissioner awards a grant to the agency and at the end of
2.21 the grant period. At a minimum, reports must identify:
2.22     (1) the number of investigative specialists hired by the agency;
2.23     (2) a description of the training provided to investigative specialists;
2.24     (3) a summary of the acts performed by investigative specialists; and
2.25     (4) a description of the impact the investigative specialists had on solving crimes.
Section 1.  2