1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to government employees; changing the definition of essential 
1.3 	employees;amending Minnesota Statutes 2005 Supplement, section 179A.03, 
1.4 	subdivision 7.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2005 Supplement, section 179A.03, subdivision 7, 
1.7 	is amended to read:
1.8 		Subd. 7.Essential employee. "Essential employee" means firefighters, peace 
1.9 	officers subject to licensure under sections 626.84 to 626.863, 911 system and police and 
1.10 	fire department public safety dispatchers, guards at correctional facilities, confidential 
1.11 	employees, supervisory employees, assistant county attorneys, assistant city attorneys, 
1.12 	principals, and assistant principals. However, for state employees, "essential employee" 
1.13 	means all employees in law enforcement, Department of Military Affairs, firefighters, 
1.14 	public safety radio communications operators, health care professionals, correctional 
1.15 	guards, professional engineering, and supervisory collective bargaining units, irrespective 
1.16 	of severance, and no other employees. For University of Minnesota employees, "essential 
1.17 	employee" means all employees in law enforcement, nursing professional and supervisory 
1.18 	units, irrespective of severance, and no other employees. "Firefighters" means salaried 
1.19 	employees of a fire department whose duties include, directly or indirectly, controlling, 
1.20 	extinguishing, preventing, detecting, or investigating fires. Employees for whom the state 
1.21 	court administrator is the negotiating employer are not essential employees. For Hennepin 
1.22 	Healthcare System, Inc. employees, "essential employees" means all employees.