| Minnesota Criminal Justice Statute Service | Bureau of Criminal Apprehension

260E.35.3(m)

Statute ID: 17780

Statute Function ID: 36861

Maltreatment of minors - Discloses the identity of a reporter before completion of investigation

In Effect

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Penalty

Classifications

Offense Level:

Petty Misdemeanor (PM)

General Offense Code:

Other (9)

Offense Summary Code & Rank:

Crimes Against Adm of Justice (X) (Rank 18)

Detailed Offense Code:

Obstruction of Justice (974)

Offense Severity Level:

Function Text:

UCR Code

Description

Flags

Crime of Violence:

Targeted Misdemeanor:

Predatory Offender Registration Review:

Enhanceable:

Certify to DPS:

Report to DNR:

DPS Group:

Conditional Release:

Payable:

Petty Misdemeanor Only if Prosecutor Certifies:

Yes

Third Violation Indicator:

Qualified Domestic Violence Related:

Nonviolent Controlled Substance Offender Review:

Wildlife Restitution:

Statute Number:

260E.35.3(m)

Enactment Date:

Jun 18, 2020

Effective Date:

Aug 1, 2020

Expiration Date:

Repealed?:

Summary Text:

Maltreatment of minors - Discloses the identity of a reporter before completion of investigation

Statute ID:

17780

Created:

Jul 16, 2020 by mnjis.legal.analyst@state.mn.us

Updated:

Jul 16, 2020 by mnjis.legal.analyst@state.mn.us

Last Update Action:

Added

Legal Analyst Comment:

Misdemeanor

Summary Text:

Maltreatment of minors - Discloses the identity of a reporter before completion of investigation

Link to MN Statute Text:

https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/stats/260E/35.html

Legislative Session:

2020 - Regular

Session Law Text?:

Statute text last updated on:

Jul 16, 2020

(a) A written copy of a report maintained by personnel of agencies, other than welfare or law enforcement agencies, which are subject to chapter 13 shall be confidential. An individual subject of the report may obtain access to the original report as provided by paragraphs (g) to (o).

(b) All reports and records created, collected, or maintained under this chapter by a local welfare agency or law enforcement agency may be disclosed to a local welfare or other child welfare agency of another state when the agency certifies that:

(1) the reports and records are necessary to conduct an investigation of actions that would qualify as maltreatment under this chapter; and

(2) the reports and records will be used only for purposes of a child protection assessment or investigation and will not be further disclosed to any other person or agency.

(c) The local social service agency or law enforcement agency in this state shall keep a record of all records or reports disclosed pursuant to this subdivision and of any agency to which the records or reports are disclosed. If in any case records or reports are disclosed before a determination is made under section 260E.24, subdivision 3, paragraph (a), or a disposition of a criminal proceeding is reached, the local social service agency or law enforcement agency in this state shall forward the determination or disposition to any agency that has received a report or record under this subdivision.

(d) The responsible authority of a local welfare agency or the responsible authority's designee may release private or confidential data on an active case involving assessment or investigation of actions that are defined as maltreatment under this chapter to a court services agency if:

(1) the court services agency has an active case involving a common client who is the subject of the data; and

(2) the data are necessary for the court services agency to effectively process the court services agency's case, including investigating or performing other duties relating to the case required by law.

(e) The data disclosed under paragraph (d) may be used only for purposes of the active court services case described in paragraph (d), clause (1), and may not be further disclosed to any other person or agency, except as authorized by law.

(f) Records maintained under subdivision 4, paragraph (b), may be shared with another local welfare agency that requests the information because it is conducting an assessment or investigation under this section of the subject of the records.

(g) Except as provided in paragraphs (b), (h), (i), (o), and (p); subdivision 1; and sections 260E.22, subdivision 2; and 260E.23, all records concerning individuals maintained by a local welfare agency or agency responsible for assessing or investigating the report under this chapter, including any written reports filed under sections 260E.06 and 260E.09, shall be private data on individuals, except insofar as copies of reports are required by section 260E.12, subdivision 1 or 2, to be sent to the local police department or the county sheriff.

(h) All records concerning determinations of maltreatment by a facility are nonpublic data as maintained by the Department of Education, except insofar as copies of reports are required by section 260E.12, subdivision 1 or 2, to be sent to the local police department or the county sheriff.

(i) Reports maintained by any police department or the county sheriff shall be private data on individuals, except the reports shall be made available to the investigating, petitioning, or prosecuting authority, including a county medical examiner or county coroner.

(j) Section 13.82, subdivisions 8, 9, and 14, apply to law enforcement data other than the reports.

(k) The local welfare agency or agency responsible for assessing or investigating the report shall make available to the investigating, petitioning, or prosecuting authority, including a county medical examiner or county coroner or a professional delegate, any records that contain information relating to a specific incident of maltreatment that is under investigation, petition, or prosecution and information relating to any prior incident of maltreatment involving any of the same persons. The records shall be collected and maintained according to chapter 13.

(l) An individual subject of a record shall have access to the record according to those sections, except that the name of the reporter shall be confidential while the report is under assessment or investigation except as otherwise permitted by this section.

(m) Any person conducting an investigation or assessment under this section who intentionally discloses the identity of a reporter before the completion of the investigation or assessment is guilty of a misdemeanor. After the assessment or investigation is completed, the name of the reporter shall be confidential. The subject of the report may compel disclosure of the name of the reporter only with the consent of the reporter or upon a written finding by the court that the report was false and that there is evidence that the report was made in bad faith. This subdivision does not alter disclosure responsibilities or obligations under the Rules of Criminal Procedure.

(n) Upon request of the legislative auditor, data on individuals maintained under this chapter must be released to the legislative auditor in order for the auditor to fulfill the auditor's duties under section 3.971. The auditor shall maintain the data according to chapter 13.

(o) Active law enforcement investigative data received by a local welfare agency or agency responsible for assessing or investigating the report under this chapter are confidential data on individuals. When this data become inactive in the law enforcement agency, the data are private data on individuals.

(p) Section 13.03, subdivision 4, applies to data received by the commissioner of education from a licensing entity.