Anonymous reporting systems required, and report required.

A bill for an act

relating to education; requiring anonymous reporting systems; requiring a report;

amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 121A.53; proposing coding for new

law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 121A.

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

Section 1.

new text begin

[121A.036] ANONYMOUS REPORTING SYSTEM.

new text end

new text begin

Subdivision 1.

new text end

new text begin

Definition; evidence-based.

new text end

new text begin

As used in this section, the term

"evidence-based" means a program or practice that:

new text end

new text begin

(1) demonstrates a statistically significant effect on relevant outcomes based on:

new text end

new text begin

(i) strong evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented experimental

study;

new text end

new text begin

(ii) moderate evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented

quasi-experimental study; or

new text end

new text begin

(iii) promising evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented

correlational study with statistical controls for selection bias; or

new text end

new text begin

(2) demonstrates a rationale based on high-quality research findings or positive evaluation

that the program or practice is likely to improve relevant outcomes, and includes ongoing

efforts to examine the effects of the program or practice.

new text end

new text begin

Subd. 2.

new text end

new text begin

School systems.

new text end

new text begin

(a) By July 1, 2028, each elementary, middle, or secondary

school, as defined in section 120A.05, subdivisions 9, 11, and 13, must implement an

anonymous reporting system that:

new text end

new text begin

(1) supports anonymous reporting 24 hours a day through, at a minimum, a mobile

application and a multilingual crisis center;

new text end

new text begin

(2) includes crisis centers staffed by persons with evidence-based counseling and crisis

intervention training;

new text end

new text begin

(3) promptly forwards reported information to the appropriate school-based team;

new text end

new text begin

(4) supports a coordinated response by schools, 911 telecommunicators, and sworn law

enforcement to an identified crisis when response by schools and sworn law enforcement

is to be reasonably expected to ensure the public safety and welfare;

new text end

new text begin

(5) requires and certifies the training of a school-based team in each school to receive

notice of any report submitted through the anonymous reporting system concerning the

school, school personnel, or an enrolled student;

new text end

new text begin

(6) promotes public awareness and education about the anonymous reporting system

and its reporting methods before launching the system;

new text end

new text begin

(7) implements an evidence-based student violence prevention training that teaches

students how to identify observable warning signs and signals of an individual who may be

at risk of self-harm, the importance of taking threats seriously and seeking help, and how

to report a person who is at risk using the anonymous reporting system; and

new text end

new text begin

(8) complies with data practices under chapter 13 and the Family Educational Rights

and Privacy Act of 1974, United States Code, title 20, section 1232g.

new text end

new text begin

(b) A school may comply with this subdivision by implementing its own anonymous

reporting system, or using a statewide system implemented by the Department of Education

in accordance with subdivision 3. A school that implements its own system may enter into

a contract to develop and implement an anonymous reporting system that meets the

requirements of this subdivision.

new text end

new text begin

(c) In addition to the system requirements under paragraph (a), a party providing an

anonymous reporting system must establish the following:

new text end

new text begin

(1) a website to educate students on the availability of the anonymous reporting system

and provide guidance on how and when to use the system; and

new text end

new text begin

(2) a toll-free hotline that can be used to provide anonymous tips regarding dangerous,

violent, threatening, harmful, or potentially harmful activity that occurs, or is threatened

on, school property or relates to an enrolled student or school personnel.

new text end

new text begin

(d) By September 1, 2027, a school subject to this subdivision must form a school-based

team comprised of at least three school employees and inform the commissioner of education,

in the form and manner determined by the commissioner, of the primary contact person for

each school-based team.

new text end

new text begin

(e) A nonpublic school may implement an anonymous reporting system but is not subject

to the requirements of this subdivision.

new text end

new text begin

Subd. 3.

new text end

new text begin

Department of Education.

new text end

new text begin

(a) The Department of Education must, in

collaboration with the Department of Public Safety, make available to all schools where a

Minnesota resident may fulfill the compulsory instruction requirements under section

120A.22 a list of third parties that provide anonymous reporting systems that meet the

requirements under this section. The list must include third parties who offer free or low-cost

anonymous reporting systems.

new text end

new text begin

(b) By January 1, 2027, the Department of Education must begin compiling and

maintaining the school-based team information reported to the department under subdivision

2.

new text end

new text begin

(c) The Department of Education may operate or contract for the development and

operation of a statewide anonymous reporting system that meets the requirements of a

system under subdivision 2.

new text end

new text begin

Subd. 4.

new text end

new text begin

Report.

new text end

new text begin

By December 15, 2028, and each year thereafter, the commissioner

of education must submit a report to the legislative committees with jurisdiction over

kindergarten through grade 12 education and public safety with the following information:

new text end

new text begin

(1) the total number of reports received through an anonymous reporting system for the

preceding school year;

new text end

new text begin

(2) for all reports received through an anonymous reporting system since this section

was enacted, the following information disaggregated by school site:

new text end

new text begin

(i) the type of reports received;

new text end

new text begin

(ii) the method by which the report was received; and

new text end

new text begin

(iii) the number of false reports received; and

new text end

new text begin

(3) how schools responded to reports received, disaggregated by disciplinary actions,

nondisciplinary actions, and interventions; and

new text end

new text begin

(4) the gender and race of a student subject to disciplinary action, nondisciplinary action,

or intervention as a result of a report.

new text end

new text begin

Subd. 5.

new text end

new text begin

Funding sources.

new text end

new text begin

The Department of Education and schools subject to the

requirements of this section may accept funds for the anonymous reporting system required

under this section from public and private sources, including state or federal funding, that

is available to increase school safety.

new text end

new text begin

EFFECTIVE DATE.

new text end

new text begin

This section is effective July 1, 2026.

new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 121A.53, is amended to read:

121A.53 REPORT TO COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION.

Subdivision 1.

Exclusions and expulsions; student withdrawals; physical assaults.

new text begin
(a)
new text end

Consistent with subdivision 2, the school board must report through the department electronic

reporting system each exclusion or expulsion, each physical assault of a district employee

by a pupil, and each pupil withdrawal agreement within 30 days of the effective date of the

dismissal action, pupil withdrawal, or assault, to the commissioner of education. This report

must include a statement of nonexclusionary disciplinary practices, or other sanction,

intervention, or resolution in response to the assault given the pupil and the reason for, the

effective date, and the duration of the exclusion or expulsion or other sanction, intervention,

or resolution. The report must also include the pupil's age, grade, gender, race, and special

education status.

new text begin

(b) The report to the department must state whether the discipline reported is related to

a report received through an anonymous reporting system under section 121A.036.

new text end

Subd. 2.

Report.

(a) The school board must include state student identification numbers

of affected pupils on all dismissal and other disciplinary reports required by the department.

The department must report annually to the commissioner summary data on the number of

dismissals and physical assaults of district employees by a student by age, grade, gender,

race, and special education status of the affected pupils.
new text begin
The report to the commissioner

must also include summary data on the number of dismissals related to a report received

through an anonymous reporting system under section 121A.036.
new text end
All dismissal and other

disciplinary reports must be submitted through the department electronic reporting system.

(b) The commissioner must aggregate the district data reported under this section and

include the aggregated data, including aggregated data on physical assaults of a district

employee by a student, in the annual school performance reports under section
120B.36
.

new text begin

EFFECTIVE DATE.

new text end

new text begin

This section is effective July 1, 2026.

new text end