Committee adopts amendment and advances bill defining grooming as a crime after survivor testimony

A Minnesota Senate Judiciary Committee moved Senate File 39‑69 forward after the committee adopted a clarifying A8 amendment that defines grooming and tightens provisions for people in positions of authority.

Senator Makeway described the bill as a response to gaps that delayed investigations into educator misconduct. Survivor Hannah Lopresto told the committee she was groomed and assaulted by a high‑school band teacher over several years and urged lawmakers to treat grooming as an independent felony. "Grooming is not a precursor to abuse. It is abuse all on its own," Lopresto said.

Detective Chad Clawson, who investigated Lopresto’s case, told members delayed disclosure and statutory time limits prevented a full school investigation under the prior framework. "Waiting until physical violence occurs allows more harm," Clawson said, and he described grooming as a pattern of conduct that investigators uncovered through voluminous communications and repeated manipulative behaviors.

The A8 amendment, explained by the bill author and counsel, refines the definition to focus on a pattern of conduct (examples include establishing false trust, isolating a child, boundary violations and coercion), extends certain "positions of authority" protections to coaches and other leaders, and clarifies school‑specific offenses so that enrolled students (including those over 18) remain covered. Counsel noted the new grooming crime is being placed in the solicitation chapter where related offenses generally apply to adults 18 and older; members debated whether the age‑restriction should be broader.

After members adopted the amendment by voice vote, the committee recommended the bill be referred to the Senate Education Finance Committee for further consideration.