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RELEASE: House Public Safety Committee holds hearings focused on mental health for victims, first responders

Tuesday, March 8, 2022

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Today, the House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Committee held a remote hearing to focus on legislation to address mental health in public safety. The hearing included discussions on bills regarding mental health’s impacts on first responders, crime victims, and others in our state.

“As we work to create a public safety system that delivers justice while creating positive outcomes for our communities, there are many complex challenges related to mental health,” said Rep. Carlos Mariani (DFL – Saint Paul), the committee chair. “Today, during ‘Mental Health in Public Safety Day’ in our committee, we’re working to advance thoughtful solutions to address mental health problems for first responders, crime victims, and those accused of crimes, all toward our ultimate goal of ensuring safe communities for everybody.”

The committee discussed legislation authored by Rep. Jamie Long (DFL – Minneapolis) to ensure first responders including peace officers, state troopers, and firefighters can seek treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Following the murder of George Floyd and the protests that followed, over 300 Minneapolis police officers left the force, with many of them out on permanent disability leave citing PTSD as the cause. Rep. Long’s bill would require employees with PTSD symptoms to receive at least 32 weeks of treatment before becoming eligible for a permanent duty disability, giving them an opportunity to return to the job if possible. It would also require law enforcement agencies to provide regular in-service wellness training, while providing a larger reimbursement to public employers for disability benefits that provide annual wellness training to peace officers or firefighters.

Later in the evening, the committee was scheduled to reconvene and discuss the Survivors Justice Act authored by Rep. Athena Hollins (DFL – Saint Paul). Currently, Minnesota sentencing guidelines ignore an individual’s experience with domestic or sexual violence as an enumerated reason for a departure, including efforts to save their own lives. The bill would provide for downward sentencing departures for those convicted of crimes as a result of being a victim of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or sex trafficking. Such victims are overwhelmingly women, with wide racial disparities particularly impacting Indigenous and Black women. The bill is also retroactive and creates a post-conviction relief petition process.

“It’s important to not only address crime after it happens, but to understand why it may happen,” said Rep. Hollins. “These matters are not black and white. This bill would allow for the justice system to account for a holistic view of a person’s life.”

The committee also discussed legislation to establish competency provisions related to standing trial, provide equine therapy for first responders, make mental health calls from jail free of charge, decriminalize small amounts of cannabis, and more.

The full agenda, along with documents from the hearing, are available on the committee webpage. Video of the hearing will be available on House Public Information Services’ YouTube Channel.