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participate in mandatory training, while also <br />aiming to ensure that public safety service in <br />their community is efficient, seamless, and <br />cost-effective. In response to this issue, there <br />have been recent legislative proposals to <br />reimburse local units of government for <br />military leave paid to public safety <br />personnel. <br />Response: The League of Minnesota <br />Cities supports state funding to ensure <br />that local units of government can <br />maintain quality and cost-effective public <br />safety services in their communities and <br />for their taxpayers while also offering full <br />support for employees who are members <br />of the military. Such state funding could <br />include reimbursement of costs incurred <br />to local units of government related to <br />compensating personnel on military leave <br />as well as reimbursement for costs related <br />to ensuring these temporary vacancies are <br />adequately filled. <br />HR-17. Background Checks <br />Issue: Current law allows criminal justice <br />background checks on active employees (as <br />opposed to applicants for employment) only <br />when such employees are firefighters or <br />work with children. The law governing <br />criminal history background checks on <br />police and other city employees does not <br />specifically allow such checks on active <br />employees. Cities need the ability to be able <br />to conduct criminal history background <br />checks on active employees as well as <br />applicants for employment using the BCA or <br />the BCA database access. <br />Response: Cities should be able to <br />conduct, but not be required to conduct, <br />criminal history background checks on <br />active employees using the BCA database. <br />The laws governing background checks <br />for all city employees should be amended <br />to allow for this practice. For those cities <br />117 <br />that choose to use the BCA to run the <br />criminal history employment background <br />check for them, the fee should be the <br />same as that charged to non-profit <br />organizations. <br />HR-18. Tele-health Exams <br />Issue: Technology improvements are <br />creating new ways to approach many city <br />functions. Specifically, the increased <br />acceptance of the use of tele-health (audio <br />and video, web -based) exams creates an <br />opportunity for cities to access and use <br />psychologists with specific expertise in <br />public safety as part of the hiring process for <br />police officers. However, the Peace Officers <br />Standards and Training (POST) Board has <br />adopted a position prohibiting the use of <br />tele-health exams for the required <br />psychological oral interview/evaluation <br />prior to hiring. <br />Response: The League of Minnesota <br />Cities supports the use of tele-health <br />(audio and video, web -based) exams to <br />meet the requirements of the POST <br />Board for a psychological oral <br />interview/evaluation prior to hiring a <br />police officer candidate. <br />Data Practices <br />DP-1. Data Practices Compliance <br />Costs <br />Issue: The purpose of the Minnesota <br />Government Data Practices Act (MGDPA) <br />is to protect personal information from <br />indiscriminate disclosure while balancing <br />the right of the public to know what the <br />government is doing. The Act also attempts <br />to balance these rights within a context of <br />effective government operation. The League <br />of Minnesota Cities supports the public <br />policy behind the MGDPA while <br />acknowledging that compliance with the law <br />