Peace officer access to surplus badges provided.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Bidal Duran and 4 co-sponsors

Allows chief officers to gift surplus non-operational badges at no cost to current/former officers or their spouses/children of deceased officers, decommissioned for non-duty use.

Second reading

#policeandpeaceofficers #publicsafetydepartment

Purpose and Intent

HF 4317 would authorize certain peace officers or their eligible family members to receive surplus police badges at no cost through their chief law enforcement officer. The measure creates a limited, non-operational pathway for transferring surplus badges and places conditions on who may receive them and how they may be used.

Key Provisions

Section [626.881] SURPLUS BADGES (new statute)

A chief law enforcement officer may provide, at no cost, a surplus badge to: 1) The person to whom the badge was issued when initially hired or during the person’s employment. Eligibility includes current employees and retirees, provided the person is in good standing or retired in good standing with the agency. 2) The spouse or child of a deceased peace officer.
A surplus badge provided under this section may not be used by a peace officer in the performance of their duties. The badge is decommissioned for active law enforcement use.
For purposes of this statute, “surplus badge” means:
Any badge that bears a seal prior to May 11, 2026, or
The badge of a person who is retired bearing any seal.

Who Is Affected

Primary beneficiaries:

Former or current peace officers who received the badge and would like to retain the badge in a non-operational capacity.
The spouses or children of deceased peace officers who would receive a badge posthumously to be kept by the family.

Limitation on use:

Recipients may not use the surplus badge for law enforcement duties. It is specifically decommissioned and non-operational.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

Effective/Applicable scope:

The bill references badges bearing seals prior to May 11, 2026, or badges of retired individuals with any seal. This provides a cutoff date for what qualifies as a “surplus badge.”

Governance:

Distribution is controlled by the chief law enforcement officer of the issuing agency.

Status:

Introduced and referred to Public Safety Finance and Policy.
Committee report on April 7, 2026, with amendments and a second reading noted.

Sponsors:

Primary and co-sponsors include Paul Novotny, Jeff Witte, Bidal Duran, Terry Stier, and Jim Nash.

Potential Impact and Considerations

Non-operational Use: The bill explicitly ensures surplus badges cannot be used in performing law enforcement duties, preventing any changes to personnel authority or authority to act as a peace officer.

Family Deterrence and Memorialization: Recognizing the spouse or child of a deceased officer provides a symbolic benefit and a tangible remembrance of service.

Administrative Clarity: The bill creates a clear definition of what constitutes a “surplus badge” and a straightforward process for transfer at no cost.

Public Safety Implications: By restricting use to non-operational contexts, the bill aims to avoid potential confusion or misuse of badges in public settings.

If you’d like, I can add a side-by-side comparison with current Minnesota statutes or provide a plain-language FAQ based on these provisions.

Bill