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<br />-22- <br />Solid Waste Recycling Exemption – The requirement that not more than 15 percent of mixed municipal <br />solid waste received by recycling or composting facilities be disposed of, rather than recycled or <br />composted, is suspended as long as the need for the exception is triggered by operational changes <br />implemented to address the COVID-19 pandemic. <br /> <br />Pension Changes – Effective January 1, 2021, the maximum lump-sum pension amount for volunteer <br />firefighters is increased from $10,000 to $15,000 per year of service. Municipalities are permitted to split <br />state fire aid received between its career firefighters and its affiliated volunteer firefighters, but only if the <br />amount allocated to the career firefighters is approved by the membership of the volunteer firefighter <br />relief association. Any aid allocated to career firefighters must be used to pay the Public Employees <br />Retirement Association (PERA) employer contributions on their behalf within 18 months of the transfer <br />or be returned to the relief association. <br /> <br />Police Accountability Act – The Legislature passed the Police Accountability Act, which enacted a <br />number of changes to laws governing police conduct, training, and oversight. Among the more significant <br />changes adopted were: <br /> <br />• Defined and authorized “public safety peer counseling” and “critical incident stress <br />management,” and classifies information shared in these settings as private data. <br />• Established an Independent Use of Force Investigations Unit within the Bureau of Criminal <br />Apprehension to investigate all officer-involved deaths in the state, as well as criminal sexual <br />assault allegations against peace officers, effective August 1, 2020. <br />• Authorized statutory or home rule charter cities to offer incentives to encourage a person hired as <br />a peace officer to be a resident of the city. <br />• Limited the use of certain restraint methods by peace officer unless the use of deadly force is <br />authorized in a given situation. <br />• Established and modified provisions related to law enforcement use of deadly force. <br />• Defined and prohibited “warrior-style” training for peace officers. <br />• Established a 15-member “Ensuring Police Excellence and Improving Community Relations <br />Advisory Council” under the Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board, to assist the <br />POST Board in maintaining policies and regulating peace officers in a manner that ensures the <br />protection of civil and human rights. <br />• Established a duty for peace officers to intercede when another officer is using excessive force <br />and report incidents of excessive force to supervisors.