MN HF4238

Amends Minnesota Statutes section 626.556, subdivision 10, to allow the Commissioner of Education to base child maltreatment investigations in schools on investigative reports from school facilities and law enforcement instead of requiring independent face-to-face contact with the child and alleged offender.

For school-based maltreatment investigations, the face-to-face observation of the child and interview of the alleged offender must occur in the initial stages but may rely on investigative reports from the school facility and local law enforcement if those investigations satisfy existing requirements.

Maintains standard face-to-face contact requirements for all other child maltreatment reports (non-school cases), which must occur immediately for sexual abuse or substantial child endangerment allegations, or within five calendar days for other reports.

Allows postponement of face-to-face contact for up to five days in sexual abuse or substantial child endangerment cases if law enforcement requests a delay, the child is in a location confirmed to restrict contact with the alleged offender, or the agency is pursuing a court order.