HF1398

This bill proposes amendments to the Minnesota Statutes to include local correctional officers under the Peace Officers Discipline Procedures Act.

Key Provisions:

1. Expanding Definition of Correctional Officers:

   • The bill revises Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 241.026, subdivision 1 to define "correctional officer" as an individual employed by state or local correctional or detention facilities in a security capacity.
   • It clarifies “formal statement” as questioning an officer while obtaining a recorded statement intended for use in a disciplinary proceeding.

2. Changes to Law Enforcement Discipline Procedures:

   • The bill amends Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 626.89, by:
     • Defining "correctional officer" as someone working at a local correctional or detention facility in a security role.
     • Including correctional officers in the definition of “officer”, making them subject to the same disciplinary procedures as peace officers.
     • Expanding the applicability of disciplinary procedures to local correctional and detention facilities.

3. Clarification of Investigation Scope:

   • The bill specifies that the procedures outlined do not apply to investigations of criminal charges against an officer—only to disciplinary matters.

Purpose:

• The bill aims to extend legal protections and procedural rights afforded to peace officers to local correctional officers during disciplinary investigations.

Next Steps:

• The bill has been introduced in the Minnesota House of Representatives and referred to the Committee on Public Safety Finance and Policy for review.

Would you like more details or a deeper analysis of its potential impact?