1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to public safety; establishing the Organized Retail and Supply Chain 
1.3 	Crimes Advisory Board; requiring a report; appropriating money;proposing coding 
1.4 	for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 299A.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [299A.685] ORGANIZED RETAIL AND SUPPLY CHAIN CRIMES 
1.7 	ADVISORY BOARD.
1.8 		Subdivision 1.Advisory board. The Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crimes Advisory 
1.9 	Board is established to provide advice and guidance to the commissioner of public safety 
1.10 	related to the investigation and prosecution of organized retail and supply chain theft and 
1.11 	theft enterprises.
1.12 		Subd. 2.Membership; officers. (a) The advisory board consists of the following 
1.13 	individuals:
1.14 	(1) the commissioner of public safety or a designee;
1.15 	(2) the attorney general or a designee;
1.16 	(3) the United States attorney for the district of Minnesota or a designee;
1.17 	(4) two chiefs of police, selected by the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association;
1.18 	(5) two sheriffs, selected by the Minnesota Sheriffs' Association;
1.19 	(6) two county attorneys, selected by the Minnesota County Attorneys Association, one 
1.20 	who must work in the seven-county metropolitan area and one who must work in greater 
1.21 	Minnesota;
2.1 	(7) a Tribal peace officer, selected by the commissioner of public safety, in consultation 
2.2 	with the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council;
2.3 	(8) a representative from a federal law enforcement agency, selected by the commissioner;
2.4 	(9) the president of the Minnesota Retailers Association or a designee;
2.5 	(10) the president of the Minnesota Regional Railroads Association or a designee;
2.6 	(11) the president of the Minnesota Trucking Association or a designee;
2.7 	(12) the president of the Minnesota Grocers Association or a designee;
2.8 	(13) the president of the Minnesota Automobile Dealers Association or a designee;
2.9 	(14) the president of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce or a designee;
2.10 	(15) a representative from a statewide organization dedicated to combating organized 
2.11 	retail crime; and
2.12 	(16) four citizen members appointed by the commissioner of public safety in consultation 
2.13 	with representatives from the councils created in sections 3.922 and 15.0145.
2.14 	(b) Section 15.059, subdivisions 3 and 4, govern compensation and removal of members.
2.15 	(c) At the first meeting, the members of the advisory board shall elect a chair and may 
2.16 	elect other officers as the members deem necessary. The advisory board may adopt 
2.17 	procedures to govern its conduct.
2.18 		Subd. 3.Duties. The advisory board shall offer advice to the commissioner on the 
2.19 	development of an overall strategy to identify, address, and prevent organized retail and 
2.20 	supply chain theft and theft enterprises. The strategy may include the development of 
2.21 	protocols and procedures to investigate suspected organized retail theft crimes and retail 
2.22 	theft enterprises and a structure for best addressing these issues on a statewide basis and in 
2.23 	a multijurisdictional manner. In developing the strategy, the advisory board must:
2.24 	(1) regularly consult with law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, local governments, 
2.25 	state agencies, retailers, supply chain businesses, and national organizations to identify 
2.26 	trends in retail and supply chain theft crimes;
2.27 	(2) identify the connections between organized retail theft and retail theft enterprises 
2.28 	and other criminal activities such as the sale of controlled substances, human trafficking, 
2.29 	and violent crimes;
2.30 	(3) address the effect of the Internet and online retailers on organized retail and supply 
2.31 	chain theft and  theft enterprises;
3.1 	(4) address the use of an interactive database to identify organized retail and supply 
3.2 	chain theft and theft enterprises;
3.3 	(5) establish relationships with advisory boards, task forces, and similar federal, state, 
3.4 	or local entities  formed to address organized retail and supply chain theft and theft enterprises; 
3.5 	and
3.6 	(6) address whether the commissioner of public safety should certify multijurisdictional 
3.7 	entities to combat organized retail and supply chain theft and theft enterprises.
3.8 		Subd. 4.Statewide coordinator. The commissioner of public safety shall appoint a 
3.9 	statewide coordinator. The coordinator shall:
3.10 	(1) coordinate and monitor all multijurisdictional enforcement activities related to 
3.11 	organized retail and supply chain theft and theft enterprises;
3.12 	(2) facilitate local efforts and ensure statewide coordination with efforts to combat 
3.13 	organized retail and supply chain theft and theft enterprises;
3.14 	(3) facilitate training for personnel;
3.15 	(4) monitor compliance with investigative protocols; and
3.16 	(5) facilitate training and educational programs for businesses to help identify and prevent 
3.17 	organized retail and supply chain theft.
3.18 		Subd. 5.Participating officers; employment status. All participating law enforcement 
3.19 	officers must be licensed peace officers as defined in section 626.84, subdivision 1, or 
3.20 	qualified federal law enforcement officers as defined in section 626.8453. Participating 
3.21 	officers remain employees of the same entity that employed them before joining any 
3.22 	multijurisdictional entity established under this section. Participating officers are not 
3.23 	employees of the state. Participating officers shall be subject to annual performance reviews 
3.24 	conducted by the entity's operational supervisor.
3.25 		Subd. 6.Jurisdiction and powers. Law enforcement officers participating in any 
3.26 	multijurisdictional entity established under this section have statewide jurisdiction to conduct 
3.27 	criminal investigations and have the same powers of arrest as those possessed by a sheriff.
3.28 		Subd. 7.Advisory board is permanent. Notwithstanding section 15.059, this section 
3.29 	does not expire.
3.30 		Subd. 8.Funding. The commissioner may accept lawful grants and in-kind contributions 
3.31 	from any federal, state, or local source or legal business or individual not funded by this 
3.32 	section for general operation support, including personnel costs. These grants or in-kind 
4.1 	contributions are not to be directed toward the case of a particular victim or business. The 
4.2 	advisory board's fiscal agent shall handle all funds approved by the commissioner, including 
4.3 	in-kind contributions.
4.4 		Subd. 9.Annual report. By February 1 each year, the commissioner shall submit a 
4.5 	report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees and divisions 
4.6 	with jurisdiction over criminal justice policy and funding on the work and recommendations 
4.7 	of the advisory board.

4.8 	Sec. 2. ORGANIZED RETAIL AND SUPPLY CHAIN CRIMES ADVISORY 
4.9 	BOARD; APPROPRIATION.
 4.10 	$....... in fiscal year 2026 and $....... in fiscal year 2027 are appropriated from the general 
4.11 	fund to the commissioner of public safety to establish, operate, and support the Organized 
4.12 	Retail and Supply Chain Crimes Advisory Board.