Bill > HF3009

This bill modifies the composition and duties of Minnesota's multidisciplinary child protection teams, expanding their scope and membership to better address emerging child protection challenges. The bill adds Tribal social services agencies and Tribal law enforcement as potential team members, and specifically includes representatives from agencies serving youth at risk of sex or labor trafficking, sexual exploitation, or with family members who are missing and murdered Indigenous relatives. The teams' existing duties of public education, resource development, and case consultation are maintained, but the bill introduces a new provision allowing teams to assist local welfare and law enforcement agencies in developing responsive programs for at-risk youth, particularly Indigenous youth. A key requirement is that at least one representative from a nonprofit agency serving at-risk youth or families of missing and murdered Indigenous relatives must be appointed to the team. This expanded approach aims to create more comprehensive and culturally sensitive child protection support systems by ensuring broader representation and more holistic intervention strategies.