Purpose of the Bill

This Minnesota bill aims to include local correctional officers under the same disciplinary procedures as peace officers. This will ensure that local correctional officers are subject to consistent standards and processes when facing disciplinary actions.

Main Provisions

• Inclusion of Local Correctional Officers: The bill specifically amends existing laws to include local correctional officers in the Peace Officers Discipline Procedures Act. This means local correctional officers will now undergo the same processes as peace officers when disciplinary issues arise.

• Definition Updates: The bill updates the definitions of "correctional officer" and "officer" to explicitly include those employed by local correctional facilities in a security capacity. It clarifies that these officers will be treated similarly to other peace officers in disciplinary matters.

• Formal Statement Clarification: It defines a "formal statement" as the process of questioning an officer to obtain evidence for disciplinary proceedings. This aligns the procedure for correctional officers with that of traditional peace officers.

• Applicability: The bill clarifies that the procedural rules are applicable to both law enforcement agencies and local correctional facilities. However, it does not apply to investigations of criminal charges against officers.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

Previously, the procedures under the Peace Officers Discipline Procedures Act did not explicitly cover local correctional officers. This bill changes that by amending the definitions and scope, thereby bridging the gap between correctional officers and traditional peace officers in terms of disciplinary procedures. This change aims to provide a more streamlined and fair disciplinary process for all officers in security roles.

Relevant Terms

• Public safety
• Local correctional officers
• Peace Officers Discipline Procedures Act
• Disciplinary proceedings
• Correctional facilities
• Formal statement