House committee advances bill letting local governments accept gifts for line‑of‑duty memorials

The Minnesota House Public Safety Committee on Feb. 19 voted to refer House File 124, as amended, to the Elections and Government Operations Committee. The bill would authorize political subdivisions to accept gifts intended for public safety officers who are killed in the line of duty and to establish local policies for receiving and distributing those gifts.

Representative Peggy Berg, the bill’s author, described the amendment adopted by the committee. “The A‑one amendment adds a section to the underlying bill authorizing a political subdivision to receive a gift on behalf of 1 or more public safety officers and distribute it to the intended public safety officer recipients,” Berg said, adding that the change also “allows a local government to fundraise and expend funds for funeral or memorial services in the event of a line of duty death, including travel to national memorial events.”

Rep. Byrd and Burnsville Fire Chief BJ Jongman testified about the need for clearer local authority after a recent fatal incident in Burnsville. “As you likely know, we experienced a horrific tragedy just over a year ago on 02/18/2024. An incident that took the lives of 3 of our fellow public safety servants and wounded another,” Jongman said. He said existing gift laws made it difficult for local departments to accept donations intended for families and staff and that the bill would allow acceptance and public‑purpose expenditures for “4 months following a line of duty death for an agency.”

Committee members described the bill as narrowly tailored and nonpartisan. Representative Witte, who signed on to the bill, said it “is a human issue” and thanked the Burnsville leaders for bringing the proposal. Representative Moore voiced support and said the committee’s “hearts truly do break for your team and for the community of Burnsville.”

The committee adopted the offered amendment (voice vote) and then approved the motion to re‑refer House File 124 as amended. The committee did not record a roll‑call tally in the transcript; the chair announced that the motion carried.

The bill would permit political subdivisions to set local policies on receipt and distribution of gifts and to fundraise for funeral and memorial expenses in the limited circumstances described; the measure, as amended, applies broadly to local governments that experience a line‑of‑duty death. No changes to statutory citations were specified in committee testimony.