Today, in a public bill signing ceremony, Governor Mark Dayton signed Chapter 153, SF 2297 into law. The new law modifies parental notification requirements in cases where a child is the victim of neglect, physical abuse, or sexual abuse occurring outside the family. The law specifies how parents will be notified. In addition, the law directs law enforcement to immediately notify the local welfare agency if a child is the victim of abuse.

Governor Dayton was joined at the bill signing by authors Senator Gary Dahms and Representative Bruce Vogel, and by Jacob Gould and members of his family. Jacob was a victim of sexual assault and law enforcement notified his father of the crime, but not his mother. The family has advocated for the law that Governor Dayton signed today.

This bill was passed with support from Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women, Legal Services Advocacy Project, and the Safe at Home program in the Secretary of State's Office. It passed both bodies of the legislature with unanimous support.