This bill amends Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 595.02, subdivision 1, to enhance the confidentiality protections for domestic abuse advocates. Specifically, it prohibits domestic abuse advocates from disclosing any information acquired while attending to a victim in a professional capacity without the victim's consent. This change emphasizes the importance of maintaining the privacy of victims and strengthens the legal protections surrounding the communications between victims and their advocates.

Additionally, the bill clarifies the definition of a "domestic abuse advocate" to include employees or supervised volunteers from community-based programs that provide support to victims of domestic abuse, ensuring that these advocates are not affiliated with law enforcement or government agencies. The bill also includes an effective date of July 1, 2025, for these provisions, signaling a future implementation of these important changes to witness competency and confidentiality laws.

Statutes affected:
Introduction: 595.02