SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Tuesday, the Minnesota House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Finance & Policy Committee approved legislation creating the new SAFE (State Aid for Emergencies) Account, a fund making assistance available to local governments after unplanned or extraordinary public safety events that exhaust available local resources, including mutual aid. The legislation, authored by Rep. Carlos Mariani (DFL – Saint Paul), the committee chair, is aimed at reaching our shared goals of public safety and justice for all Minnesotans.
“All Minnesotans deserve safe, strong communities, no matter where they live or what they might look like,” Rep. Mariani said. “Whether a flood, tornado, or bridge collapse, our state has historically shown a great track record of coming together to care for one another. The SAFE Account will ensure that when communities experience harm, resources are available during their time of need.”
The SAFE Account legislation establishes a state public aid program to provide cost-sharing assistance through reimbursement to local governments and state agencies for extraordinary or unplanned incidents. Eligible purposes include, among others, overtime costs, logistical needs, incidental supplies, backfill personnel costs, or damaged or destroyed equipment. The state Department of Public Safety will be responsible for approval or denial of applications. The bill transfers $35 million from the state’s general fund to the account.
The legislation also protects the First Amendment rights of Minnesotans by directing the Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board to create a model policy on responding to public assemblies and requires law enforcement agencies to adopt a similar policy.
“We must also protect the rights of Minnesotans to gather peacefully to make their voices heard on issues or events impacting their community,” Rep. Mariani continued. “I’m hopeful that this legislation can help build trust among one other as Minnesotans, including within law enforcement, to allow peaceful and safe expressions, while protecting human rights and constitutional liberties.”
Video of the hearing is available on House Public Information Services’ YouTube channel. More information, including documents from the hearing, are available on the committee webpage.