Bill > HF2136

This bill appropriates $250,000 from the general fund to the commissioner of children, youth, and families for the fiscal year 2027 to provide grants for scholarships. These scholarships are intended to fund training for individuals to attend nationally recognized forensic interview protocol training, which is a specialized interviewing technique used to gather information from children who may have experienced abuse or trauma. The grants will support basic, advanced, and specialized forensic interview training for a variety of professionals, including law enforcement officers, child protection workers, prosecutors, healthcare professionals involved in child maltreatment cases, advocates working with multidisciplinary teams, and forensic interviewers at children's advocacy centers, all of whom play a crucial role in investigating and addressing child maltreatment in Minnesota.