ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Thursday signed a bipartisan compromise school resource officer (SRO) bill into law.
The bill allows SROs to use prone restraints when students pose a risk to themselves or others, reports MPR News. The law also provides funding for SROs and other law enforcement officers in Minnesota public schools so that they’ll be able to receive specialized training and obtain state certification, reports the Star Tribune. The officer training and certification will be required.
HF 3489 went into effect on Friday and received overwhelming bipartisan support in both legislative chambers.
The passage of the law is in response to previous legislation that restricted an SRO’s ability to restrain children, which prompted about 40 law enforcement agencies to pull their officers from K-12 campuses. The agencies that removed their officers were concerned they could face civil litigation.
That restriction over prone restraints, however, has now been lifted.
According to a press release from Walz’s office, the bill specifically includes:
- Direct funding for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety School Safety Center to conduct free training for SROs
- Specifies duties for SROs focused on fostering a positive school climate
- Requires the POST Board to develop a new SRO model policy
- Provides statutory clarity for law enforcement.
