Bill > SF625

This bill expands the authorized uses of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones) by law enforcement in Minnesota. The bill adds three new specific scenarios where law enforcement can use UAVs: (1) searching for missing persons, including missing children and vulnerable adults, (2) locating individuals who have fled from a law enforcement officer during pursuit, and (3) finding incarcerated persons who have escaped from correctional facilities. These additions build upon existing authorized uses, which already include emergency situations, monitoring public events, countering terrorist threats, disaster response, threat assessments, collecting information about suspected criminal activity, crash reconstruction, officer training, and fulfilling government entity requests. The bill modifies Minnesota Statutes section 626.19, subdivision 3, by inserting the new use cases and renumbering the existing provisions accordingly. The expanded provisions aim to provide law enforcement with additional technological tools to enhance public safety, search and rescue efforts, and apprehension of individuals evading law enforcement.

Justice

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&f=SF0625&ssn=0&y=2025