NEWS RELEASE
Rep. Jeff Brand
Minnesota House of Representatives
District 18A – 651-296-8634– rep.jeff.brand@house.mn.gov
501 State Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Marlee Schlegel
651-296-9873 or marlee.schlegel@house.mn.gov
March 4, 2024
Rep. Jeff Brand Votes to Pass Enhanced School Resource Officer Legislation
SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed comprehensive legislation to provide a uniform system across the state for districts that decide to have a School Resource Officer (SRO) program with a bipartisan vote. The bill, HF 3489, would provide the clarity law enforcement agencies and school districts sought last fall regarding the use-of-force standard.
Rep. Jeff Brand (DFL – Saint Peter) voted for the measure. Last fall, Rep. Brand joined a bipartisan group of legislators from Greater Minnesota in meeting with Governor Walz to encourage action on the issue.
“Thank you to my colleagues who spent the past several months listening to parents, students, educators, and law enforcement to carefully craft this legislation in a bipartisan fashion,” said Rep. Brand. “I also want to thank the Attorney General’s office and law enforcement organizations for working with us on legal clarification to get SRO’s back into schools last fall. Today, we voted to codify their guidance into law, enhancing SRO programs to prioritize proper training and ensure student safety across the state. Our number one priority is creating a healthy and nurturing environment for our kids, and this bill will help schools do that.”
The bill clarifies the law regarding the use of force in schools and retains the limitation on the use of chokeholds that applies to all peace officers in Minnesota Statute 609.06. It creates a statutory definition for School Resource Officers and requires a statewide standard of the basic training required for SROs. To minimize harmful, disparate engagements between SROs and students, the legislation also expressly prohibits SROs from being used to deliver discipline for violation of school policies.
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