HF4727

Purpose

This bill tightens how certain staff data are shared by public agencies. It aims to protect employees who work in secure treatment facilities and in state prisons or who supervise offenders, by limiting which personnel data can be shared with facility patients, clients, or other people who might misuse the information. It also lets government agencies require people who request this data to identify themselves and explain why they need it.

Who and what is covered

• Covered employees: staff at secure treatment facilities (as defined by state law) and employees of state correctional facilities or the Department of Corrections who directly supervise offenders in the community.
• Recipient types: facility patients, clients, corrections inmates, and others who facility or correction administrators reasonably believe would misuse the information to harass, intimidate, or assault these employees.

Data that cannot be disclosed

The bill adds limits on disclosing certain data about covered employees, including: - Place where the employee’s education or training occurred. - Place of prior employment. - Payroll timesheets or other data that could reveal future work assignments. - Home address or telephone number. - Location of the employee during nonwork hours. - Location of the employee’s immediate family members. - Other data that could reveal future work assignments or personal locations.

Disciplinary action information

For employees of a secure treatment facility, the final disposition of any disciplinary action and data documenting the reasons and basis for the action would also be restricted from disclosure.

How requests for data must be handled

When a request for personnel data may be subject to these restrictions, a government entity is allowed to require the requester to identify themselves and state a reason for the request.

Relationship to existing law

• The changes modify Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 13.43 subdivision 5a.
• They apply to data about employees of secure treatment facilities and certain Department of Corrections staff, and they add specific restrictions beyond what is already allowed under current law.
• The new rules operate alongside existing data-practices provisions (e.g., 13.05) by adding these heightened privacy protections and a requester identification requirement.

Potential impact

• Increased privacy and safety protections for staff who work with high-risk populations.
• Reduced access to sensitive personnel data for individuals who could use it to harass or harm employees.
• Greater burden on agencies to verify requester identity and purpose for data requests.

Relevant Terms - government data practices - personnel data - secure treatment facility - Department of Corrections - state correctional facility - directly involved in supervision of offenders in the community - facility patients - clients - corrections inmates - harassment - intimidation - assault - payroll timesheets - future work assignments - home address - telephone number - nonwork hours - immediate family members - final disposition of disciplinary action - data documenting the basis of the action - identification requirement for data requests - Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 13.43 subdivision 5a - Minnesota Statutes 13.05 subdivision 12a