1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to public safety; changing name of McGruff 
  1.3             program; amending Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 
  1.4             299A.28. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 299A.28, is 
  1.7   amended to read: 
  1.8      299A.28 [MCGRUFF SAFE HOUSE PROGRAM.] 
  1.9      Subdivision 1.  [SYMBOL.] The symbol of "McGruff" with the 
  1.10  phrase "McGruff House" is the symbol to designate a house in 
  1.11  this state where a child may seek help when threatened. 
  1.12     Subd. 2.  [DUTIES OF COMMISSIONER.] The commissioner of 
  1.13  public safety shall:  
  1.14     (1) design or adopt a standard symbol to designate a safe 
  1.15  "McGruff" house that is the "McGruff" symbol used in other 
  1.16  states; 
  1.17     (2) make available written information about the safe 
  1.18  "McGruff" house program and "McGruff" symbols to school 
  1.19  districts and law enforcement agencies; 
  1.20     (3) publicize the safe "McGruff" house program in as many 
  1.21  ways as is reasonably practical; 
  1.22     (4) require the appropriate local law enforcement agency to 
  1.23  maintain a register of safe "McGruff" houses; 
  1.24     (5) either directly or through cooperation with the 
  1.25  appropriate law enforcement agencies conduct background checks 
  2.1   on persons who apply to have their house be a safe "McGruff" 
  2.2   house.  
  2.3      Subd. 3.  [DISPLAY OF SYMBOL.] A person displaying the 
  2.4   "McGruff" symbol so that it is visible from the outside of their 
  2.5   house must be approved as a safe "McGruff" house by the 
  2.6   appropriate local law enforcement agency.  The appropriate law 
  2.7   enforcement agency must supply the symbol to the person.  The 
  2.8   symbol is the property of the law enforcement agency, and a 
  2.9   person must return the symbol to the law enforcement agency if 
  2.10  the agency determines that the house no longer qualifies as a 
  2.11  "McGruff" house.  Violation of this subdivision is a misdemeanor.
  2.12     Subd. 4.  [SAFE "MCGRUFF" HOUSES; REQUIREMENTS.] The 
  2.13  appropriate law enforcement agency must provide "McGruff" 
  2.14  symbols to persons who apply for symbols if they agree in 
  2.15  writing to follow the terms of the safe "McGruff" house program 
  2.16  and pass a background check by the appropriate local law 
  2.17  enforcement agency.  
  2.18     Subd. 5.  [EXCLUSIVE SYMBOL.] The safe "McGruff" house 
  2.19  symbol provided by this section is the exclusive symbol 
  2.20  for safe "McGruff" houses in this state.  
  2.21     Subd. 6.  [RULES.] The commissioner of public safety may 
  2.22  adopt rules necessary to implement this section.