HF1917

This bill, H.F. No. 1917, seeks to amend Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 13.43, subdivision 2, relating to data practices. It modifies the definition of "public official" in cities and counties for the purposes of public data access.

Key Provisions:

1. Public Data – The bill outlines what personnel data on government employees, volunteers, and independent contractors is considered public. This includes:

   • Name, employee ID (excluding Social Security numbers), salary details, job title, employment history, existence and status of complaints, final disposition of disciplinary actions, and settlement agreements involving public money over $10,000.
   • Work location, contact details, honors, awards, and certain payroll records.

2. Final Disposition of Disciplinary Actions

   • A final decision by a government entity makes related disciplinary data public.
   • Resignation following a final decision also makes the data public.
   • If an arbitrator fully reverses a disciplinary action, the data is not public.

3. Definition of Public Officials – The bill expands the definition to include:

   • Agency heads, deputy and assistant state agency heads.
   • Members of boards and commissions appointed by the governor.
   • Executive or administrative heads of state departments.
   • Chief administrative officers and equivalent positions in political subdivisions.
   • Specific managerial employees in cities (over 7,500 population) and counties (over 5,000 population).
   • Certain school district employees, including business managers, HR directors, athletic directors, CFOs, superintendents, and principals.

4. Public Access to Complaint Data

   • Upon completing an investigation of a complaint against a public official, all related data is public unless it would jeopardize an active investigation or expose confidential sources.
   • Complaints against employees listed under the expanded definition of "public official" become public only if:
     • The complaint results in disciplinary action.
     • The employee resigns or is terminated while the complaint is pending.
     • Potential legal claims related to the complaint are settled.

This amendment aims to enhance transparency in government employment while balancing privacy protections for employees.