SF 577

1st Engrossment - 87th Legislature (2011 - 2012) Posted on 06/06/2012 11:56am

A bill for an act
relating to education; prohibiting public school employees from using public
funds and resources to advocate to pass, elect, or defeat a political candidate,
ballot question, or pending legislation; proposing coding for new law in
Minnesota Statutes, chapter 123B.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

new text begin [123B.022] PROHIBITIONS ON POLITICAL ACTIVITIES BY
PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEES.
new text end

new text begin Local school boards shall develop and implement policies to ensure that publicly
funded resources, including, but not limited to, time, materials, equipment, facilities, and
e-mail and other forms of technology used to communicate are not used or authorized
for use by public employees to:
new text end

new text begin (1) advocate the election or defeat of any candidate for elective office;
new text end

new text begin (2) advocate the passage or defeat of any referendum question; or
new text end

new text begin (3) solicit funds for political purposes.
new text end

new text begin The policy also must define appropriate use and times of use of all computers at a
school site with Internet access available for employee use.
new text end

new text begin Such policies shall not prohibit the use of public funds for disseminating factual
information about a proposition appearing on a local ballot, if such information is factual
and does not advocate for or against the proposition.
new text end

new text begin All school districts must make these policies readily accessible to the public.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective six months following final enactment.
new text end