SF5063

Purpose

This bill creates and funds the Philando Castile Memorial Training Fund to support and strengthen law enforcement training in Minnesota. It uses money from the general fund to improve training outcomes and encourage best practices.

Funding and Fund Details

• Amount: A one-time appropriation of 10,000,000 from the general fund in fiscal year 2027.
• Named fund: Philando Castile Memorial Training Fund.
• Primary recipient: Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (POST Board).
• Purpose: Reimburse costs for training courses that qualify under specified Minnesotan training statutes.

What the Funds Can Be Used For

• Reimbursement of training courses that meet approval criteria under:
  • Minnesota Statutes section 626.8452 (use of force)
  • 626.8469 (training in crisis response, conflict management, and cultural diversity)
  • 626.8474 (autism training)
• After eligible reimbursements, the board may use any remaining funds to reimburse law enforcement agencies for other board-approved training courses.
• This is a one-time funding action.

Administration and Oversight

• The POST Board administers the fund and maintains records of all training course applications (approved and denied).
• Data and records responsibilities:
  • Sponsors must submit course goals, objectives, outline, timeline, hours, instructor qualifications, and a plan for learning assessments.
  • Sponsors must document and submit learning assessments to the board; instructor evaluations from students must be provided to the sponsor.
  • A list of licensees who complete the course must be kept by the sponsor and sent to the board after completion, along with completed student evaluations.
  • Instructors’ and courses are reviewed; continuing education courses are reviewed after the first year, with a timetable set for recurring reviews.
  • The board must establish a data retention schedule for all information collected.
• Access to evaluations: Chief law enforcement officers can access the course evaluations.

Application and Course Requirements

• Each training sponsor must include in its application:
  • Course goals and objectives
  • A course outline including timeline and teaching hours
  • Instructor qualifications
  • A plan for learning assessments and how these assessments will be documented to the board
• Learning outcomes: Courses must demonstrate that the approved learning outcomes are taught.
• Recordkeeping: The sponsor maintains records of licensees who complete courses and shares evaluations with the board.

Eligibility, Review, and Recourse

• Only board-approved, funded training is eligible for reimbursement under this program.
• The bill creates reporting and recordkeeping requirements to ensure transparency and accountability.

Significance and Policy Impact

• Establishes a memorial training fund tied to a high-profile incident to promote improved, evidence-based policing training.
• Strengthens oversight of police training by formalizing review schedules and data retention.
• Emphasizes training areas aligned with crisis response, cultural competency, and autism awareness, among others, as core components of funded training.

Relevant terms - Philando Castile Memorial Training Fund - Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (POST Board) - general fund - one-time appropriation - fiscal year 2027 - training reimbursement - use of force (626.8452) - crisis response - conflict management - cultural diversity - autism training - course goals and objectives - course outline - timeline - teaching hours - instructor qualifications - learning assessments - student evaluations - licensees - board-approved training - data retention schedule - chief law enforcement officers