Grant program to fund safety improvements at schools established, report required, and money appropriated.

A bill for an act

relating to public safety; establishing a grant program to fund safety improvements

at schools; requiring a report; appropriating money; proposing coding for new law

in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 299A.

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

Section 1.

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[299A.625] SCHOOL SAFETY GRANT PROGRAM.

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Subdivision 1.

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Definitions.

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(a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have

the meanings given.

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(b) "Capital safety improvement project" means the acquisition or betterment of buildings

or other fixed assets and other improvements of a capital nature to improve the physical

safety of people in schools and on school grounds.

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(c) "Noncapital safety improvements" means safety-related improvements, equipment,

systems, or software that are not capital in nature and support the physical safety of people

in schools and on school grounds.

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(d) "School" means:

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(1) a public or nonpublic school that enrolls students in prekindergarten through grade

12, or any portion thereof, and is housed in a building classified as Group E Occupancy

under the State Fire Code; or

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(2) a child day care center classified as a Group E or Group I-4 Occupancy under the

State Fire Code.

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(e) "Minnesota School Safety Center" or "Center" means the program within the

Department of Public Safety dedicated to supporting safe and secure learning environments.

If the Minnesota School Safety Center is not operational, the responsibilities delegated to

the Center in this section are delegated to the commissioner of public safety.

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Subd. 2.

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Eligible applicants and projects.

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(a) To be eligible for a grant from bond

proceeds under this section, the school property owner must be a public entity and the project

must be a capital safety improvement project.

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(b) To be eligible for a grant from the school safety improvement account in the special

revenue fund, the owner of the school property to be improved may be a public entity, Tribal

government, or private entity.

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Subd. 3.

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Approved vendors; comprehensive security systems.

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(a) The Minnesota

School Safety Center must prepare a list of vendors authorized to provide the security

services and products described in this paragraph. The list must only include vendors that

have been operating for at least two years and have experience providing the school security

services and products described in this paragraph. The eligible school must use grant money

to contract with an authorized vendor to implement and install security equipment,

components, or systems, as determined by the school in consultation with an authorized

vendor. Grant money may be used for the eligible school's current security systems and

training for school staff on using the security systems. The security systems may include a

system to alert local law enforcement of an immediate security threat within each room in

the school. Grant money may be used for as many of the following components as an

authorized vendor recommends:

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(1) bullet-resistant interior doors and windows;

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(2) ballistic wall panels;

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(3) magnetic door-locking systems;

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(4) remote lock-down activation systems;

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(5) a mass notification system unified with an emergency communication system;

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(6) an emergency building access system for first responders including fire, emergency

medical services, and law enforcement personnel;

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(7) an access control system with remote door-release capabilities;

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(8) electronic access controls for main distribution frame and independent distribution

frame rooms with a key override;

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(9) classroom duress alarms linked to a law enforcement and administration notification

system;

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(10) security system training for staff to initiate emergency protocols;

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(11) ballistic security glass for interior door vision panels and sidelites;

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(12) electronic access control systems for primary building entrances; and

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(13) classroom door installations that optimize safety and security.

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(b) The Minnesota School Safety Center must provide districts and charter schools with

the list of authorized vendors identified in paragraph (a).

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Subd. 4.

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Application.

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An applicant for a grant under this section must submit a written

application to the Minnesota School Safety Center using the form, timeline, and procedures

the Center prescribes. The written application must include:

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(1) a description of the project or improvements proposed for funding by a grant under

this section;

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(2) the rationale for the project or improvements, including a description of the population

attending the school;

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(3) an estimate of total costs for the project or improvements, with costs broken out by

individual phases, including but not limited to predesign, design, construction, engineering,

furnishing, and equipping;

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(4) a breakdown of the portions of the project or improvements that are capital and that

are noncapital;

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(5) the requested amount;

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(6) the owner of the property to be improved;

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(7) the entity authorized to make decisions for and enter into legal commitments on

behalf of the property owner;

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(8) the sources and amounts of state and nonstate funds previously received and

committed to the project or improvements;

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(9) the public purpose achieved by the project or improvements;

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(10) an estimated timeline for completing the project or improvement;

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(11) a contact person to answer clarifying questions about the application for the project

or improvements; and

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(12) any additional information requested by the Center.

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Subd. 5.

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Prioritization of requests.

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(a) If money available for this program is insufficient

to fund all eligible grant requests, the Minnesota School Safety Center must award grants

based on a prioritized ranking of the projects according to the following factors:

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(1) demonstrated local support for the project;

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(2) the need for the project;

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(3) long-term costs of maintaining the funded improvements; and

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(4) cost of requested improvement compared to anticipated increase in safety.

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(b) The Center must ensure that grant money is allocated equitably across the state's

regions, including between the metropolitan area and greater Minnesota.

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Subd. 6.

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Match.

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An applicant for a grant under this section must demonstrate the

commitment of a match for the project with nonstate funds, unless the applicant is:

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(1) located in a city with a net tax capacity per capita that is less than the median net tax

capacity per capita among the cities statewide; or

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(2) experiencing hardship.

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Subd. 7.

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Grant amount.

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(a) A school may apply for one or more grants totaling up to

$....... per year for approved costs of capital and noncapital safety improvement projects.

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(b) Each grant must be for at least the amount required to complete one or more project

phases, minus any nonstate funds already committed to the project.

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(c) Any remaining balance of the grant amount awarded after the availability period

described in section 16A.642 is canceled to the account or fund from which it was

appropriated.

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Subd. 8.

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Notifications.

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The Minnesota School Safety Center must promptly notify each

applicant of the grant decision. For approved projects, the notification must include the

grant amount awarded, the required match, and the deadline for money availability.

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Subd. 9.

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Applicability of other laws.

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(a) Chapter 16A applies to grants made from

general obligation bond proceeds and to grants made from the school safety improvement

account in the special revenue fund for capital safety improvement projects.

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(b) Grant money is available until the project is completed or abandoned subject to

section 16A.642.

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(c) A school improved with a grant from bond proceeds is state bond financed property

subject to section 16A.642.

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Subd. 10.

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Administration and monitoring.

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Up to five percent of any appropriation

under this section may be used for administration and monitoring of the program. The

Minnesota School Safety Center must use the money appropriated, other than proceeds

from the sale of general obligation bonds, to provide technical assistance, education, and

support for program applicants, as needed, and may contract with a third party to provide

such services.

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Subd. 11.

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Report to legislature.

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On or before January 31, 2027, and every January 31

thereafter, the Minnesota School Safety Center must submit a report as required under

section 3.195 that details the grants awarded under this section, including the total grants

distributed, the recipients of the grants, the projects supported by the grants, and any other

information the commissioner deems appropriate. A copy of this report must also be sent

to the chairs and ranking minority members of the committees in the house of representatives

and the senate having jurisdiction over capital investment, education, and public safety.

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Sec. 2.

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[299A.709] SCHOOL SAFETY IMPROVEMENT ACCOUNT.

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The school safety improvement account is created in the special revenue fund, consisting

of appropriations made from funds, other than from the bond proceeds fund, for school

safety improvements under section 299A.625. Money in the account is annually appropriated

to the commissioner of public safety for the grant awards under section 299A.625.

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Sec. 3.
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APPROPRIATION.
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$1,000,000,000 is appropriated from the bond proceeds fund to the commissioner of

public safety for the Minnesota School Safety Center to provide grants for capital school

safety improvement projects eligible under Minnesota Statutes, section 299A.625, subdivision

2, paragraph (a).

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Sec. 4.
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TRANSFER.
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$....... in fiscal year 2027 is transferred from the general fund to the school safety

improvement account under Minnesota Statutes, section 299A.709, for grants for school

safety improvement projects eligible under Minnesota Statutes, section 299A.625, subdivision

2, paragraph (b).

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