1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to employment; modifying public safety peer counseling and debriefing 
1.3 	provisions;amending Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 181.973.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 181.973, is amended to read:
1.6 	181.973 EMPLOYEE PUBLIC SAFETY PEER COUNSELING AND 
1.7 	DEBRIEFING.
1.8 	A person engaged in a public safety peer counseling or a public safety peer debriefing 
1.9 	shall not, without the permission of the person being debriefed or counseled, be allowed to 
1.10 	disclose any information or opinion which the peer group member or peer counselor has 
1.11 	acquired during the debriefing process. However, this does not prohibit a peer counselor 
1.12 	from disclosing information the peer counselor reasonably believes indicates that the 
1.13 	person may be a danger to self or others, if the information is used only for the purpose of 
1.14 	eliminating the danger to the person or others. Any information or opinion disclosed in 
1.15 	violation of this paragraph is not admissible as evidence in any personnel or occupational 
1.16 	licensing matter involving the person being debriefed or counseled.
1.17 	For purposes of this paragraphsection, "public safety peer counseling or  debriefing" 
1.18 	means a group process oriented debriefing session, or one-to-one contact with a peer 
1.19 	counselor, held for peace officers, firefighters, medical emergency persons, dispatchers, 
1.20 	or other persons involved with public safety emergency services, that is established by 
1.21 	any agency providing public safety emergency services and is designed to help a person 
1.22 	who has suffered an occupation-related traumatic event trauma, illness, or stress begin 
1.23 	the process of healing and effectively dealing with posttraumatic stress the person's 
1.24 	problems or the use of the peer counselor for direction with referrals to better service 
2.1 	these occupation-related issues. A "peer counselor" means someone so designated by 
2.2 	that agency.