Conference committee adopts House language on school resource officer bill

It took about eight minutes Tuesday morning to resolve what should be the final piece in providing clarity to school resource officers.

A conference committee on HF3489 quickly approved an agreement that it is expected to be before both the House and Senate later this week.

Rep. Cedrick Frazier (DFL-New Hope), the House sponsor, did not give a closing comment, but Rep. Jeff Witte (R-Lakeville) offered kudos.

“We’ve worked hard, we’ve worked together, and we found compromise. The goal now is to get our SROs back in the schools so our students and teachers can be safe,” he said.

The bill would clarify language around the use of certain choke holds and face-down prone restraints resource officers can place on students and update use-of-force standards for those officers. It would remove language specific to contracted security and school resource officers placing restraining holds on students.

Passed 124-8 by the House March 4, the Senate amended the bill Monday and passed it 57-9.

The Senate amendment, which House supporters object to, would have allowed a teacher, school principal, school employee or, school bus driver to restrain students “to prevent theft, damage, or destruction of property.”

“This literally expanded the use of prone restraints in schools, not constrict them,” said Sen. Bonnie Westlin (DFL-Plymouth), the Senate sponsor.