SF 625

as introduced - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026) Posted on 02/10/2025 04:31pm

A bill for an act
relating to public safety; authorizing law enforcement use of unmanned aerial
vehicles to find missing persons, persons fleeing arrest, and incarcerated persons;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 626.19, subdivision 3.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 626.19, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Authorized use.

A law enforcement agency may use a UAV:

(1) during or in the aftermath of an emergency situation that involves the risk of death
or bodily harm to a person;

new text begin (2) to provide more expansive aerial coverage for the purpose of searching for a missing
person including but not limited to a missing child or vulnerable adult;
new text end

deleted text begin (2) deleted text end new text begin (3) new text end over a public event where there is a heightened risk to the safety of participants
or bystanders;

deleted text begin (3) deleted text end new text begin (4) new text end to counter the risk of a terrorist attack by a specific individual or organization if
the agency determines that credible intelligence indicates a risk;

deleted text begin (4) deleted text end new text begin (5) new text end to prevent the loss of life and property in natural or man-made disasters and to
facilitate operational planning, rescue, and recovery operations in the aftermath of these
disasters;

deleted text begin (5) deleted text end new text begin (6) new text end to conduct a threat assessment in anticipation of a specific event;

deleted text begin (6) deleted text end new text begin (7) new text end to collect information from a public area if there is reasonable suspicion of criminal
activity;

new text begin (8) to locate a person sought for arrest when the person has fled from a law enforcement
officer and a law enforcement officer remains in pursuit of the person;
new text end

new text begin (9) to locate an incarcerated person escaping from an adult correctional facility under
the control of the commissioner of corrections or licensed by the commissioner of corrections
under section 241.021;
new text end

deleted text begin (7) deleted text end new text begin (10) new text end to collect information for crash reconstruction purposes after a serious or deadly
collision occurring on a public road;

deleted text begin (8) deleted text end new text begin (11) new text end over a public area for officer training or public relations purposes; and

deleted text begin (9) deleted text end new text begin (12) new text end for purposes unrelated to law enforcement at the request of a government entity
provided that the government entity makes the request in writing to the law enforcement
agency and specifies the reason for the request and proposed period of use.