FIRSTREGULARSESSION
HOUSEBILLNO.564
102NDGENERALASSEMBLY
INTRODUCEDBYREPRESENTATIVESAULS.
0928H.01I DANARADEMANMILLER,ChiefClerk
ANACT
Toamendchapter285,RSMo,byaddingtheretoonenewsectionrelatingtoinvestigationsof
firefighters.
BeitenactedbytheGeneralAssemblyofthestateofMissouri,asfollows:
SectionA.Chapter285,RSMo,isamendedbyaddingtheretoonenewsection,tobe
2knownassection285.600,toreadasfollows:
285.600.1.Forpurposesofthissection,thefollowingtermsmean:
2 (1)"Firefighter",apaidorvolunteerfirefighteremployedbyapublicagency.
3Theterm"firefighter"shallinclude,butnotbelimitedto,anyfirefighterwhoisa
4paramedicoremergencymedicaltechnician(EMT),butshallnotincludeprobationary
5employees;
6 (2)"Interrogation",anyformalinterview,inquiry,orquestioningofany
7firefighterbytheappointingauthority'sdesigneeregardingmisconductorviolationof
8policy;
9 (3)"Publicconcern",anythingreasonablyconsideredasrelatingtoanymatter
10ofpolitical,social,orotherconcerntoacommunity;
11 (4)"Punitiveaction",anyactionthatmayleadtodismissal,demotion,
12suspension,reductioninsalary,writtenreprimand,ortransferforpurposesof
13punishment;
14 (5)"Socialmediaaccount",anyelectronicserviceoraccountoranyelectronic
15contentincluding,butnotlimitedto,videos,photographs,blogs,videoblogs,podcasts,
16instantortextmessages,emailprogramsorservices,onlineservices,orwebsiteprofiles.
EXPLANATION—Matterenclosedinbold-facedbrackets[thus] intheabovebillisnotenactedandis
intendedtobeomittedfromthelaw.Matterinbold-facetypeintheabovebillisproposedlanguage. 17 2.Whenanyfirefighterisunderinvestigationandissubjecttointerrogation,the
18interrogationshallbeconductedaccordingtothefollowingminimumstandards:
19 (1)Priortothecommencementoftheinterrogation,thefirefighterunder
20investigationshallbenotifiedinwritingofthenatureoftheinvestigation;therank,
21name,andcommandoftheofficerorotherpersonsconductingtheinterrogation;the
22identityofallpersonspresentduringsuchinterrogation;thenamesofthe
23complainants;andthespecificchargesorviolationsbeinginvestigated;
24 (2)Theinterrogationshallbeconductedatareasonablehourandatatimewhen
25thefirefighterisonduty,unlessanimminentthreattothesafetyofthepublicrequires
26otherwise.Iftheinterrogationoccursduringanoff-dutytime,thefirefightershallbe
27compensatedathisorherregularrateofpay,asapplicable;
28 (3)Thesessionofinterrogationshallbeforareasonableperiodoftime,taking
29intoconsiderationthegravityandcomplexityoftheissueorissuesbeinginvestigated.
30Thefirefighterunderinterrogationshallbeallowedreasonablebreakstoattendtohis
31orherownpersonalorphysicalnecessitiesandtoconferwithunionrepresentativesand
32legalcounsel;
33 (4)Thesessionofinterrogationshalltakeplaceatthefacilitywherethe
34investigatingofficerisassignedoratthefacilitythathasjurisdictionovertheplace
35wheretheincidentunderinvestigationallegedlyoccurred,asdesignatedbythe
36investigatingofficer;
37 (5)Allquestionsdirectedtoafirefighterunderinterrogationshallbeaskedby
38andthroughnomorethantwointerrogatorsduringthesessionofinterrogation;
39 (6)Thefirefighterunderinterrogation,andanyofthefirefighter's
40representatives,shallbeallowedtotakenotesduringthesessionofinterrogation;
41 (7)Afirefightershallnotbesubjectedtooffensivelanguageduringan
42interrogationandshallnotbeofferedanyincentiveasaninducementtoansweringany
43questionduringorbeforeaninterrogation;
44 (8)If,priortoorduringtheinterrogationofafirefighter,itisdeterminedthat
45thefirefighterbeinginterrogatedcouldbechargedwithacriminaloffense,such
46firefightershallbeimmediatelyinformedofhisorherrelevantconstitutionalrights;
47 (9)Priortothecommencementofaninterrogationthatcouldresultincriminal
48charges,andduringanyinterrogationinwhichitisdiscoveredthatcriminalcharges
49couldresult,thefirefighterunderinterrogationshallhavethefollowingrightsandshall
50beinformedofsuchrights:
51 (a)Tobeinformedoftheallegationsinvolved;
52 (b)Tobeaskedonlyquestionsthatarespecificallydirectedatandnarrowly
53tailoredtotheperformanceofthefirefighter'sofficialduties;
HB564 2 54 (c)Tohavestatementsmadeduringthecourseofanyinterviewsor
55interrogationsbeusedonlyaspossibleevidenceofmisconductorasapossiblebasis
56forseekingdisciplinaryactionagainstthefirefighter;
57 (d)Tohavestatementsmadeduringthecourseofanyinterviewsor
58interrogationsnotbeusedagainstthefirefighterinanysubsequentcriminal
59proceeding,andtohavetheoutcomeofanyofsuchstatementsnotbeusedagainst
60thefirefighterinanysubsequentcriminalproceeding;
61 (e)Torequestthatapersonofthefirefighter'schoicebepresenttoserveasa
62witness,unionrepresentativeifapplicable,orlegalcounselduringanyinterviewsor
63interrogations;and
64 (f)Tobeinformedthatthefirefightermaybesubjecttodismissalifheorshe
65refusestoanswerquestionsrelatingtohisorherperformanceofofficialduties;
66 (10)Priortothecommencementofameetingbetweenafirefighterandhisor
67hersupervisorthatmayresultindiscipline,thefirefighter'semployershall:
68 (a)Informthefirefighterthatheorshehasarighttohaveaunion
69representativepresent;
70 (b)Informthefirefighterthatthemeetingcouldresultindiscipline;
71 (c)Informthefirefighterthatheorshehastherighttotakenotesduringthe
72meeting;
73 (d)Affordthefirefighteranopportunitytomeetprivatelywithhisorherunion
74representativebeforeandduringthemeeting;and
75 (e)Informthefirefighterthatiftheemployerdeniestherequestforunion
76representationandcontinuestoaskquestions,thefirefighterhasarighttorefuseto
77answeranysuchquestionsandshallnotbedisciplinedasaresultofhisorherrefusalto
78answer;
79 (11)Uponthefilingofaformalwrittenstatementofcharges,orwheneveran
80interrogationfocusesonmattersthatmayresultinpunitiveactionagainstany
81firefighter,thefirefighterunderinvestigationshall,athisorherrequest,havetheright
82toberepresentedbyarepresentativeofhisorherchoicewhomaybepresentatall
83timesduringanyinterrogation.Therepresentativeshallnotbeapersonsubjecttothe
84sameinvestigation.Therepresentativeshallnotberequiredtodisclose,andshallnotbe
85subjecttoanypunitiveactionforrefusingtodisclose,anyinformationreceivedfromthe
86firefighterunderinvestigationfornoncriminalmatters;
87 (12)Afirefightershallbeentitledtothepresenceofhisorhercounselor
88representative,orboth,atanyinterrogationinconnectionwithaninvestigation.A
89firefighter'srepresentativeorcounselshallbeallowedtoofferadvicetothefirefighter
HB564 3 90andshallbeallowedtoaskquestionsandmakestatementsatanyinterrogationinthe
91courseofaninvestigation;
92 (13)Thecounselorrepresentativeforafirefighterunderinvestigationmaycall
93witnessestotestifyonthefirefighter'sbehalf;
94 (14)Afirefighter'sphotograph,homeaddress,telephonenumber,orother
95contactinformationshallnotbegiventothepressornewsmediawithoutthe
96firefighter'swrittenconsent;and
97 (15)Afirefighterunderinvestigationshallnotbelentortemporarilyreassigned
98toanylocationwhereafirefighterinhisorherdepartmentwouldnotnormallybesent
99undersimilarcircumstances.Afirefighterunderinvestigationshallnotbegivenaduty
100assignmentthatafirefighterinhisorherdepartmentwouldnotnormallybegiven
101undersimilarcircumstances.
102 3.Nofirefightershallbedisciplined,demoted,dismissed,orsubjecttoany
103punitiveactionunlessaninvestigationisconductedinaccordancewiththissection.Any
104discipline,demotion,dismissal,oradverseactiontakenagainstafirefighterwithoutfull
105compliancewiththeprovisionsofthissectionshallbenullandvoid.
106 4.Nofirefighterunderinvestigationshallbesubjectedtoanypunitiveaction,
107deniedpromotion,discharged,disciplined,orbethreatenedwithsuchbecauseofthe
108lawfulexerciseofrightsunderthissectionorthelawfulexerciseofanyrightsunderany
109existingadministrativegrievanceprocedures,statutes,orconstitutionalprovisions.
110 5.Allfirefighterinvestigationsshallbecompletedwithinthreemonthsoftheir
111commencementunlessafirefighterunderinvestigationisincapacitatedorotherwise
112unavailable.Aninvestigationmaybereopenedifsignificantnewevidenceisdiscovered
113thatislikelytoaffecttheoutcomeofaninvestigation.Toreopenaninvestigation,the
114newlydiscoveredsignificantevidenceshallbeevidencethatcouldnotreasonablyhave
115beendiscoveredinthenormalcourseoftheinitialinvestigation.
116 6.Upontheconclusionofaninvestigation,iftheemployerdecidestoimpose
117disciplineonthefirefighter,thefirefightershallbenotifiedinwritingoftheemployer's
118decisionwithinfivedaysofsuchdecisionandatleastforty-eighthourspriortothe
119actualimpositionofdiscipline.
120 7.Anemployershallnot,eitherdirectlyorindirectly,require,request,suggest,
121orcauseanyfirefightertodisclosetheusername,password,oranyotherinformation
122thatwouldprovideaccesstoanyofhisorherpersonalsocialmediaaccounts.
123 8.Anemployershallnotdischarge,discipline,discriminateagainstinany
124manner,denyemploymentorpromotionto,orthreatentotakeanysuchactionagainst
125anyfirefighterwhorefuses,declines,orfailstodisclosetheusername,password,orany
HB564 4 126otherinformationthatwouldprovideaccesstoanyofhisorherpersonalsocialmedia
127accounts.
128 9.Anemployershallnotdischarge,discipline,discriminateagainstinany
129manner,denyemploymentorpromotionto,orthreatentotakeanysuchactionagainst
130anyfirefighterwhodoesnotreportviolationsofsocialmediapolicytohisorher
131supervisor.
132 10.Whenafirefighterisoffdutyandnotspeakingaspartofhisorherjob
133dutiesbutisspeakingasacitizenonamatterofpublicconcern,heorsheshallbe
134subjectonlytosuchrestrictionsonspeechthatarenecessaryforhisorheremployerto
135operateefficientlyandeffectively.
136 11.Amemberofanyfiredepartmentorfireprotectiondistrictshallnotbe
137prohibitedfromseekingpublicofficeandmay:
138 (1)Beacandidateforelectedpublicoffice;
139 (2)Solicitvotesandcampaignfundsifheorsheisoffdutyornotinuniform;
140and
141 (3)Engageinpoliticalactivityifheorsheisoffdutyornotinuniform.
142 12.Afirefightershallnothavehisorherlockerorotherassignedspacefor
143storagesearchedexceptinhisorherpresenceorwithhisorherconsent,unlessavalid
144searchwarranthasbeenobtained.Thissubsectionshallapplyonlytosearchesof
145lockersandotherspacesforstoragethatareownedbythefirefighter'semployer.
146Firefightersshallbenotifiedinwritingoftheemployer'sownershipofsuchassigned
147spacesandoftheemployer'srightstosearchthosespacessubjecttotheprovisionsof
148thissubsection.
149 13.Theprovisionsofthissectionshallnotbeconstruedtodiminishanyrightsor
150privilegesoffirefightersthatareguaranteedtoallcitizensbytheConstitutionofthe
151UnitedStatesorbythelawsoftheUnitedStatesorthelawsofthisstate,ortolimitthe
152grantingofanyotherbroaderrightsbylaw,ordinance,orotherrule.Suchotherrights
153shallinclude,butarenotlimitedto,therighttobringsuitagainstanyperson,groupof
154persons,association,organization,orcorporationfordamagessufferedduringthe
155performanceofafirefighter'sofficialdutiesandtherighttobringsuitforanyviolation
156ormodificationofthefirefighter'sexistingrights,civilorotherwise,relatingtothe
157performanceofthefirefighter'sofficialduties.
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HB564 5