Minnesota Public Safety Grants

Minnesota Police UAS Law

Section 626.19 generally requires a search warrant for law-enforcement UAV use. Subdivision 3 authorizes defined circumstances, including life-safety emergencies, certain public events, disaster response, serious road-crash reconstruction and active missing-person searches. Officers must comply with FAA requirements, document each use with a unique case number and factual basis, and identify the exception when no warrant was obtained.

Before purchase or use, the agency must allow public comment; a local budget governing body must offer comment at a regular meeting. Before operation the chief officer must establish a written policy, publish it on the agency website if one exists, and report annual deployment and program-cost data to DPS by January 15.

Privacy, Data and Retention

Section 626.19 prohibits weaponizing police UAVs. Facial recognition or other biometric matching requires express warrant authorization. Collecting protest or demonstration data requires a warrant or a listed exception. UAV data are classified under Minnesota data-practices law; law-enforcement UAV data generally must be deleted as soon as possible and within seven days unless part of an active criminal investigation.

Specify retention, access logs, redaction, evidence export and cloud controls before connecting a system. Other government-entity data remain subject to chapter 13 classification.

State Supply Chain and Cyber Reporting

MNIT’s June 2026 Supply Chain Risk Management Standard applies to Minnesota executive-branch state entities and their vendors/contractors. It calls for risk planning, supplier review, acquisition controls and assessment of systems and components. A city or county should follow its own procurement and IT requirements; the state standard does not automatically bind all local buyers.

Under § 16E.36, a public agency reports a cybersecurity incident affecting it to MNIT within 72 hours of reasonable identification or belief. An affected government contractor or vendor reports to the public agency within that period. Build supplier notice, breach response and evidence handling into the contract.

Federal Funds and Country of Origin

OMB M-26-02 Appendix D implements the American Security Drone Act restriction on using federal award funds, from December 22, 2025, to procure or in connection with operating a FASC-prohibited UAS, subject to stated exemptions and waivers. A locally bought aircraft is not a workaround for federally charged operation; neither does receiving a grant automatically prohibit every locally funded system.

NDAA Section 889, applicable TAA clauses, the FCC Covered List, ASDA and Blue UAS are distinct tests. Check the specific contract and award language and the actual manufacturer, components, communications links, firmware and cloud services.

BJA UAS Approval and Cyber Funding

BJA awards, including JAG, require express prior approval for UAS purchases. Its certification addresses DCMA Blue UAS Cleared List status, Commerce screening, accessories/modifications, federal information, privacy and cybersecurity. Counter-UAS systems have separate approval and authority requirements.

MNIT’s Whole-of-State plan provides subsidized security services through SLCGP and SSMI. Its program page places counties and port cities with SSMI, with other listed entities generally served through SLCGP; complete the participant survey and contact a Cyber Navigator for the applicable service and subsidy. This is not a general aircraft-purchase grant.

Practical Minnesota UAS Procurement Checklist

1. 1Map the funding and mission. Identify purchaser, direct and pass-through awards, operating charges, planned aircraft use and data systems.
2. 2Complete public process. Provide § 626.19 public comment before purchase or use and adopt and post the written agency UAS policy before operation.
3. 3Document flight authority. Identify a warrant or a specific subdivision 3 exception; follow FAA rules and log each flight with a case number and factual basis.
4. 4Plan privacy and retention. No weapons; biometric matching requires a warrant. Address protest data, classification and seven-day deletion unless the active-investigation exception applies.
5. 5Review vendors and cyber controls. For state executive-branch systems apply MNIT supply-chain standard; assess components, software, cloud, remote access and vendor data flows.
6. 6Screen federal award use. Apply OMB M-26-02 Appendix D to award-funded procurement or operation of FASC-prohibited UAS, subject to stated exceptions and waivers.
7. 7Get approval and keep records. For BJA UAS purchases obtain express prior approval; retain certifications, list checks, cost allocation, policy and annual-report evidence.