School resource officer use of force law clarified

More clarity has been put into law regarding the use of reasonable force by school resource officers.

Sponsored by Rep. Cedrick Frazier (DFL-New Hope) and Sen. Bonnie Westlin (DFL-Plymouth), and effective March 15, 2024, the law clarifies a 2023 law around the use of certain choke holds and face-down prone restraints resource officers can place on students and updates use-of-force standards for those officers.

School district employees can only place students in these types of holds “to prevent bodily harm or death to the child, pupil, or another.” School resource officers are subject to the limitations on using force that apply to any other peace officer – including the ban on using choke holds that applies to all officers.

It also removes previous language specific to contracted security and school resource officers placing restraining holds on students.

The law will also:

• create and fund new school resource officer training standards;

• direct the Peace Officer Standards and Training Board to develop a model school resource officer policy; and

• appropriate $150,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $490,000 in fiscal year 2025 from the General Fund to the Department of Public Safety to increase staffing in its school safety center. Base funding is $490,000 in fiscal years 2026 and 2027.

HF3489*/SF3534/CH78

HF3489* / SF3534 / CH78