| 1 | 1 | | 1.1 A bill for an act |
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| 2 | 2 | | 1.2 relating to public safety; establishing a public safety officer hearing protection |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1.3 program; appropriating money. |
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| 4 | 4 | | 1.4BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: |
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| 5 | 5 | | 1.5 Section 1. PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER HEARING PROTECTION PROGRAM. |
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| 6 | 6 | | 1.6 Subdivision 1.Definitions.For the purposes of this section, the following terms have |
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| 7 | 7 | | 1.7the meanings given: |
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| 8 | 8 | | 1.8 (1) "commissioner" means the commissioner of public safety; |
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| 9 | 9 | | 1.9 (2) "firefighter" means a volunteer, paid on-call, part-time, or career firefighter serving |
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| 10 | 10 | | 1.10a general population within the boundaries of the state; |
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| 11 | 11 | | 1.11 (3) "hearing protection product" means a commercial off-the-shelf, multiuse, completely |
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| 12 | 12 | | 1.12in the canal hearing protection product with a minimum noise reduction rating of 25 decibels |
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| 13 | 13 | | 1.13and a maximum output of 80 decibels; |
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| 14 | 14 | | 1.14 (4) "peace officer" means a person who is licensed under Minnesota Statutes, section |
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| 15 | 15 | | 1.15626.84, subdivision 1, paragraph (c); |
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| 16 | 16 | | 1.16 (5) "public safety officer" means a peace officer, firefighter, or qualified emergency |
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| 17 | 17 | | 1.17medical service provider; and |
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| 18 | 18 | | 1.18 (6) "qualified emergency medical service provider" means a person certified under |
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| 19 | 19 | | 1.19Minnesota Statutes, section 144E.28, who is actively employed by a Minnesota licensed |
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| 20 | 20 | | 1.20ambulance service. |
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| 21 | 21 | | 1Section 1. |
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| 22 | 22 | | REVISOR KLL/ES 25-0469003/13/25 |
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| 23 | 23 | | State of Minnesota |
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| 24 | 24 | | This Document can be made available |
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| 25 | 25 | | in alternative formats upon request |
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| 26 | 26 | | HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
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| 27 | 27 | | H. F. No. 2525 |
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| 28 | 28 | | NINETY-FOURTH SESSION |
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| 29 | 29 | | Authored by Duran, Witte and Novotny03/20/2025 |
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| 30 | 30 | | The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Public Safety Finance and Policy 2.1 Subd. 2.State and local eligibility.Public safety officers and heads of agencies and |
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| 31 | 31 | | 2.2entities who buy hearing protection products for public safety officer employees may request |
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| 32 | 32 | | 2.3hearing protection products from the commissioner on a form prepared by the commissioner. |
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| 33 | 33 | | 2.4While the supply lasts, the commissioner must make hearing protection products available |
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| 34 | 34 | | 2.5to qualified applicants at no cost in the order the applications are received. |
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| 35 | 35 | | 2.6 Subd. 3.Limitation of liability.A state agency, political subdivision of the state, state |
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| 36 | 36 | | 2.7or local government employee, or other entity that provides a public safety officer with a |
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| 37 | 37 | | 2.8hearing protection product under this section is not liable to the public safety officer or |
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| 38 | 38 | | 2.9public safety officer's heirs for negligence in the death of or injury to the public safety officer |
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| 39 | 39 | | 2.10because the hearing protection product was defective or deficient. |
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| 40 | 40 | | 2.11 Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION; PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER HEARING PROTECTION |
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| 41 | 41 | | 2.12PROGRAM. |
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| 42 | 42 | | 2.13 $2,000,000 in fiscal year 2026 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner |
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| 43 | 43 | | 2.14of public safety to purchase hearing protection products directly from a manufacturer for |
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| 44 | 44 | | 2.15the public safety officer hearing protection program established in section 1. |
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| 45 | 45 | | 2Sec. 2. |
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| 46 | 46 | | REVISOR KLL/ES 25-0469003/13/25 |
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