Fix to SRO bill signed into law by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz

ST. PAUL, Minn.  —  Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed into law Thursday a bill clarifying use-of-force standards for school resource officers, a bipartisan fix to a law change last year that prompted many police departments to pull their officers from school districts.

The Senate approved the bill on a 61-3 vote Thursday, ending a debate that took months over statute language buried in an education policy last year. Law enforcement worried the language was too ambiguous and raised concerns about the impact, namely if it could leave them vulnerable to lawsuits.

The language at issue prohibited school staff and school resource officers from using certain types of restraints and physical holds on students. Dozens of departments chose to suspend their school resource officer programs awaiting further action from the Legislature.

The new bill approved by lawmakers with broad bipartisan support now carves out school resource officers from those recent regulations on holds and restraints of students. But they still have to follow other laws governing police conduct, including a ban on chokeholds except in narrow circumstances. School staff are still subject to the rules outlined last year.

The law requires SRO training on topics like de-escalation and responding to mental health crises.

The legislation also instructs the Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training to develop a model policy with stakeholders, like groups representing school boards and law enforcement.

School resource officers also cannot be used to discipline students for violating school policy.

During an hourslong debate earlier this week, Republicans successfully amended the bill to expand the definition for when "reasonable force" may be used by school staff to include preventing theft, damage, or destruction of property. The language the House approved said only to prevent "bodily harm."

That version was then sent to a conference committee — a panel of House and Senate lawmakers — to hash out the differences; ultimately the group removed the amendment approved by the Senate. The House gave the OK to the committee's report Wednesday and the Senate followed suit on Thursday, sending it to Walz's desk, which he signed that evening.