1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to crime; Minnesota coalition against sexual 
  1.3             assault grant; providing for sexual assault 
  1.4             multidisciplinary assistance and resource teams 
  1.5             (SMART); providing for technical support and legal 
  1.6             assistance; providing for a multidisciplinary forum; 
  1.7             appropriating money. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  [MINNESOTA COALITION AGAINST SEXUAL ASSAULT; 
  1.10  GRANT.] 
  1.11     Subdivision 1.  [GRANT AUTHORIZED.] The department of 
  1.12  public safety, through the center for crime victim services, 
  1.13  shall make a grant to the Minnesota coalition against sexual 
  1.14  assault.  The Minnesota coalition against sexual assault shall: 
  1.15     (1) provide staff and technical support for existing sexual 
  1.16  assault multidisciplinary assistance and resource teams around 
  1.17  the state and development of new teams; 
  1.18     (2) provide a staff attorney and legal technical assistance 
  1.19  regarding sexual assault issues to law enforcement and service 
  1.20  providers; and 
  1.21     (3) coordinate research on topics related to sexual assault.
  1.22     Subd. 2.  [SEXUAL ASSAULT MULTIDISCIPLINARY ASSISTANCE AND 
  1.23  RESOURCE TEAMS TECHNICAL SUPPORT.] Minnesota coalition against 
  1.24  sexual assault staff members shall provide technical support and 
  1.25  assistance, including sharing of best practices, to existing 
  1.26  team protocol projects.  Each multidisciplinary team must 
  2.1   coordinate a locally established protocol that fits local 
  2.2   communities and local resources.  The protocols must ensure a 
  2.3   victim-centered and collaborative response to sexual assault 
  2.4   cases for purposes of enhancing investigation and prosecution, 
  2.5   providing sensitive and constructive victim assistance, and 
  2.6   providing appropriate accountability for offenders.  The core 
  2.7   services at each site must include law enforcement, prosecution, 
  2.8   medical responder, and victim advocacy.  Staff shall also 
  2.9   develop materials and training seminars to introduce the 
  2.10  protocol process to new communities. 
  2.11     Subd. 3.  [LEGAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.] The staff attorney 
  2.12  shall provide and coordinate legal technical assistance on 
  2.13  sexual assault to law enforcement and service providers.  The 
  2.14  staff attorney may provide professional training and develop and 
  2.15  collect resources to be disseminated to law enforcement and 
  2.16  service providers.  The staff attorney may establish a resource 
  2.17  center and information clearinghouse for legal issues and 
  2.18  processing of sexual assault cases. 
  2.19     Subd. 4.  [RESEARCH.] Minnesota coalition against sexual 
  2.20  assault staff shall coordinate research on topics related to 
  2.21  sexual assault.  Staff shall work with the teams to determine 
  2.22  needed research and disseminate national research on sexual 
  2.23  assault and related issues. 
  2.24     Subd. 5.  [MULTIDISCIPLINARY FORUM.] The Minnesota 
  2.25  coalition against sexual assault shall utilize a 
  2.26  multidisciplinary forum to identify needs and issues related to 
  2.27  sexual assault.  The forum shall provide problem-solving 
  2.28  information and identify resource needs around these issues and 
  2.29  advise the interagency task force on domestic violence and 
  2.30  sexual assault, service providers, law enforcement, and others 
  2.31  regarding recommendations to address the issues in this 
  2.32  subdivision.  
  2.33     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.34     $225,000 is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 
  2.35  30, 2002, and $225,000 is appropriated for the fiscal year 
  2.36  ending June 30, 2003, from the general fund to the commissioner 
  3.1   of public safety for a grant to the Minnesota coalition against 
  3.2   sexual assault for the purposes of section 1.