Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed a bill into law on Thursday aimed at clarifying use-of-force standards for school resource officers, resolving a bipartisan effort to address concerns raised by last year’s legislation that prompted many police departments to withdraw their officers from school districts.
The Senate overwhelmingly approved the bill with a 61-3 vote on Thursday, marking the conclusion of a months-long debate over language embedded in an education policy passed last year. Law enforcement agencies had expressed concerns about the ambiguity of the language and its potential legal implications, particularly regarding the risk of lawsuits.
The disputed language in the previous law restricted school staff and resource officers from using certain restraints and physical holds on students. In response, numerous police departments suspended their school resource officer programs while awaiting clarification from the Legislature.
The newly approved bill, backed by broad bipartisan support, specifically exempts school resource officers from the recent regulations on student holds and restraints, while still requiring them to adhere to other laws governing police conduct, including restrictions on chokeholds except in limited circumstances. However, the regulations outlined last year for school staff remain in place.
Under the new law, school resource officers must undergo training on topics such as de-escalation techniques and handling mental health crises. Additionally, the Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training is tasked with developing a model policy in collaboration with stakeholders representing school boards and law enforcement agencies.
Importantly, the legislation prohibits the use of school resource officers for disciplinary purposes related to school policy violations.
During extensive debates earlier in the week, Republicans successfully amended the bill to broaden the definition of “reasonable force” that school staff can use, expanding it to include preventing theft, damage, or destruction of property, in addition to preventing bodily harm. However, this amendment was ultimately removed by a conference committee comprised of House and Senate lawmakers. The House approved the committee’s report on Wednesday, followed by the Senate on Thursday, before it was signed into law by Governor Walz later that evening.