Plain English Breakdown
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HF5015 • 2026
School safety plans enhanced, student discipline provisions modified, anonymous reporting systems enabled, safe schools revenue increased, school building and cybersecurity grant program modified, reports required, and money appropriated.
School safety plans enhanced, student discipline provisions modified, anonymous reporting systems enabled, safe schools revenue increased, school building and cybersecurity grant program modified, reports required, and money appropriated.
Education
Taxes
Technology
Passed Legislature
This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.
Bill History
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2026-04-16
House
Introduction and first reading, referred to Education Finance
Official Summary Text
School safety plans enhanced, student discipline provisions modified, anonymous reporting systems enabled, safe schools revenue increased, school building and cybersecurity grant program modified, reports required, and money appropriated.
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
A bill for an act relating to school safety; enhancing school safety plans; modifying student discipline provisions; enabling anonymous reporting systems; increasing safe schools revenue; modifying the school building and cybersecurity grant program; requiring reports; transferring money; canceling an appropriation; appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 121A.425, subdivision 1; 126C.44; Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 124D.901, subdivision 4; Laws 2023, chapter 55, article 8, section 19, subdivision 2; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 121A; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 121A.425, subdivision 2. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: Section 1. new text begin [121A.036] SCHOOL SAFETY PLANS. new text end new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end new text begin Minnesota School Safety Center. new text end new text begin (a) The Minnesota School Safety Center must: new text end new text begin (1) develop an evidence-based model school safety plan for use by school boards; new text end new text begin (2) develop criteria to determine whether a school safety plan is evidence-based; new text end new text begin (3) review local school safety plans and notify school boards whether their school safety plans meet the requirements of this section; new text end new text begin (4) assess whether school facility improvements intended to improve school safety are evidence-based; new text end new text begin (5) administer grants for implementing evidence-based school safety plans, to the extent grant money is available; and new text end new text begin (6) prepare a report that identifies the schools that have adopted an evidence-based school safety plan and post the report on the Department of Public Safety's publicly facing website. The Minnesota School Safety Center must submit the report to the legislative committees with jurisdiction over public safety and kindergarten through grade 12 education. The Minnesota School Safety Center must update the report by December 1, 2028, and every two years thereafter. new text end new text begin (b) The Minnesota School Safety Center may provide consulting services to schools serving students in kindergarten through grade 12 to develop, improve, or implement an evidence-based school safety plan. new text end new text begin (c) The Minnesota School Safety Center must consult with at least two school mental health professionals to implement the requirements of this section. Each mental health professional must be a licensed school psychologist, licensed school social worker, or licensed school counselor. The Minnesota School Safety Center may also consult with the comprehensive school mental health services lead at the Department of Education under section 127A.215. new text end new text begin Subd. 2. new text end new text begin Model plan. new text end new text begin (a) The Minnesota School Safety Center, in consultation with the Department of Education, must maintain and make available to school boards and charter schools an evidence-based model school safety plan to prevent human-caused safety incidents. new text end new text begin (b) For purposes of this section and section 121A.0361, "evidence-based" means an activity, strategy, or intervention that: new text end new text begin (1) demonstrates a statistically significant effect on improving student outcomes or other 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)(i) demonstrates a rationale based on high-quality research findings or positive evaluation that the activity, strategy, or intervention is likely to improve relevant student outcomes or other relevant outcomes; and new text end new text begin (ii) includes ongoing efforts to examine the effects of the activity, strategy, or intervention. new text end new text begin (c) The Minnesota School Safety Center must post the model plan on its website no later than September 1, 2026. The Minnesota School Safety Center may make evidence-based school safety plans developed by third parties available to school boards. new text end new text begin Subd. 3. new text end new text begin Local school safety plan. new text end new text begin (a) A school board of a district or charter school may adopt an evidence-based school safety plan to prevent human-caused safety incidents that meets the minimum requirements of the model plan developed under subdivision 1. A school safety plan may include a crisis management policy under section 121A.035. A school board that adopts a plan must submit the plan to the Minnesota School Safety Center no later than May 1, 2028, and subsequent plans upon adoption by the following May 1. new text end new text begin (b) A nonpublic school is encouraged to develop an evidence-based school safety plan and consult with the Minnesota School Safety Center on evidence-based approaches to improve school safety. new text end new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment. new text end Sec. 2. new text begin [121A.0361] ANONYMOUS THREAT 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 For purposes of this section, "evidence-based" has the meaning given in section 121A.036, subdivision 2. new text end new text begin Subd. 2. new text end new text begin Local anonymous threat reporting system. new text end new text begin (a) A school district or charter school is encouraged to implement a local anonymous threat reporting system. A local anonymous threat reporting system must: new text end new text begin (1) support anonymous reporting 24 hours a day using a mobile application and a multilingual crisis center at a minimum; new text end new text begin (2) include crisis centers staffed by persons with evidence-based counseling and crisis intervention training; new text end new text begin (3) promptly forward reported information to the appropriate school-based team; new text end new text begin (4) support 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 public safety and welfare; new text end new text begin (5) require and certify the training of a school-based team in each school to receive notice of any report submitted through the anonymous threat reporting system concerning the school, school personnel, or an enrolled student; new text end new text begin (6) promote public awareness and education about the anonymous threat reporting system and reporting methods before launching the system; new text end new text begin (7) implement 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 use the anonymous threat reporting system to report a person who is at risk of self-harm; and new text end new text begin (8) comply 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 that implements its own system may enter into a contract to develop and implement an anonymous threat 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 third party providing a local anonymous threat reporting system to a school must establish: new text end new text begin (1) a website to educate students on the availability of the anonymous threat 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) A district or charter school that establishes a local anonymous threat reporting system must form a school-based team at each school site comprised of at least three school employees. new text end new text begin (e) A nonpublic school may implement a local anonymous threat reporting system but is not subject to the requirements of this subdivision. new text end new text begin (f) A district or charter school must report the following information to the Department of Education, in the form and manner determined by the commissioner: new text end new text begin (1) whether the district or charter school has implemented a local anonymous threat reporting system, and if so: new text end new text begin (i) the third party that provided the system; new text end new text begin (ii) contact information for each school-based team; and new text end new text begin (iii) the number of reports received through the local anonymous threat reporting system, how the reports were received, and the number of false reports received; and new text end new text begin (2) whether the district or charter school has notified students, families, employees, and community members with information about the statewide anonymous threat reporting system under subdivision 3. new text end new text begin Subd. 3. new text end new text begin Statewide anonymous threat reporting system. new text end new text begin A district or charter school that does not implement its own local anonymous threat reporting system under subdivision 2 is encouraged to provide to students, families, employees, and community members information about the Department of Public Safety's statewide anonymous threat reporting system and how to use the system by: new text end new text begin (1) posting on the district's or charter school's website information about the Department of Public Safety's statewide anonymous threat reporting system; new text end new text begin (2) including information in the student handbook about the Department of Public Safety's statewide anonymous threat reporting system; and new text end new text begin (3) notifying parents annually of the availability of the Department of Public Safety's statewide anonymous threat reporting system. new text end new text begin Subd. 4. new text end new text begin Department of Education. new text end new text begin (a) By September 1, 2027, the Department of Education must, in collaboration with the Department of Public Safety, provide a list of third parties that provide anonymous threat reporting systems that meet the requirements under this section to all schools where a Minnesota resident may fulfill the compulsory instruction requirements under section 120A.22. The list must include third parties that offer free or low-cost anonymous threat reporting systems. new text end new text begin (b) By January 15, 2029, 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 that includes the following information: new text end new text begin (1) the total number of reports received through a local anonymous threat reporting system for the preceding school year; and new text end new text begin (2) for all reports received through a local anonymous threat reporting system since July 1, 2026, 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. new text end new text begin Subd. 5. new text end new text begin Funding sources. new text end new text begin (a) A district or charter school may accept funding for an anonymous threat reporting system from public and private sources, including state or federal funding, that is available to increase school safety. Acceptance of funding from a public or private source does not abrogate or modify the anonymous threat reporting system requirements established under this section. new text end new text begin (b) The Department of Education must use existing resources to meet the requirements under this section. 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. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 121A.425, subdivision 1, is amended to read: Subdivision 1. Disciplinary dismissals prohibited. (a) A pupil enrolled in the following is not subject to dismissals under this chapter: deleted text begin (1) deleted text end a preschool or prekindergarten program, including an early childhood family education, school readiness, school readiness plus, voluntary prekindergarten, Head Start, or other school-based preschool or prekindergarten program deleted text begin ; or deleted text end new text begin . new text end deleted text begin (2) kindergarten through grade 3. deleted text end (b) This provision does not apply to a dismissal from school for less than one school day, except as provided under chapter 125A and federal law for a student receiving special education services. new text begin (c) A pupil enrolled in kindergarten through grade 3 may only be dismissed for a period of up to three school days. The dismissal is not effective until approved by the district superintendent or person having administrative control of the charter school. new text end deleted text begin (c) deleted text end new text begin (d) new text end Notwithstanding this subdivision, expulsions and exclusions may be used deleted text begin only after resources outlined in subdivision 2 have been exhausted, and only deleted text end in circumstances where there is deleted text begin an ongoing serious deleted text end new text begin a new text end safety threat to the child or others. new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2026. new text end Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 124D.901, subdivision 4, is amended to read: Subd. 4. Allowed uses. (a) Aid under this section must be used to enhance student support services by: (1) increasing new student support services personnel positions; (2) increasing a current student support services personnel position that is less than 1.0 full-time equivalent to a greater number of service hours; or (3) making permanent a student support services personnel position hired using onetime resources. (b) Cooperative student support personnel aid must be transferred to the intermediate district or other cooperative unit of which the district is a member and used to hire new positions for student support services personnel or increase a current position that is less than 1.0 full-time equivalent to a greater number of service hours or make permanent a position hired using onetime resources at the intermediate district or cooperative unit. (c) If a school district, charter school, or cooperative unit does not receive at least two applications and is not able to hire a new full-time equivalent position with student support personnel aid or use the aid as otherwise provided under subdivision 4a, the aid may be used for contracted services from individuals licensed to serve as a school counselor, school psychologist, school social worker, school nurse, or chemical dependency counselor in Minnesota. (d) In addition to the personnel uses authorized under paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) and subdivision 4a, a district, charter school, or cooperative unit may use up to $5,000 of student support personnel aid each year for the following purposes: (1) to cover the costs of providing training or job-embedded coaching; or (2) to cover the costs of student support personnel travel among school sites operated by a single district, charter school, or cooperative unit, or among school sites operated by a cooperative unit's member districts or a group of charter schools. new text begin (e) In addition to the personnel uses authorized under paragraphs (a) to (d) and subdivision 4a, a school board may adopt a resolution, after allowing for public testimony at a regularly scheduled board meeting, to allow aid under this section to be used for any of the purposes in section 126C.44. new text end Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 126C.44, is amended to read: 126C.44 SAFE SCHOOLS REVENUE. Subdivision 1. Safe schools revenue for school districts. A school district's safe schools revenue equals deleted text begin its safe schools levy deleted text end new text begin $68 times the district's adjusted pupil units for the school year new text end . Subd. 2. School district safe schools levy. A school district's safe schools levy equals $36 times the district's adjusted pupil units for the school year. new text begin Subd. 2a. new text end new text begin School district safe schools aid. new text end new text begin A school district's safe schools aid equals its safe schools revenue minus its safe schools levy. new text end Subd. 3. new text begin Cooperative unit new text end safe schools revenue deleted text begin for intermediate school districts deleted text end . new text begin (a) A cooperative unit's safe schools revenue equals $35 times the member district's adjusted pupil units for the school year. new text end new text begin (b) A cooperative unit's safe schools levy for new text end a school district that is a member of an intermediate school district deleted text begin may include in its levy authority under this section the costs associated with safe schools activities authorized under this section for intermediate school district programs. This authority must not exceed the product of deleted text end new text begin equals new text end $15 deleted text begin and deleted text end new text begin times new text end the adjusted pupil units of the member districts. This authority is in addition to any other authority authorized under this section. Revenue raised deleted text begin under this subdivision deleted text end new text begin by this levy new text end must be transferred to the intermediate school district. new text begin (c) For an intermediate school district, its cooperative unit safe schools aid equals $20 times the member district's adjusted pupil units for the school year. new text end new text begin (d) For a cooperative unit other than an intermediate school district, a cooperative unit's safe schools aid equals its safe schools revenue. new text end new text begin (e) A cooperative unit's safe schools aid must be paid to the cooperative unit in the form and manner specified by the commissioner. new text end new text begin (f) For purposes of this section, a school district must designate only one cooperative unit as the recipient of its cooperative unit state aid in the form and manner specified by the commissioner. new text end new text begin (g) For purposes of this section, "cooperative unit" has the meaning given in section 123A.24, subdivision 2. new text end new text begin Subd. 3a. new text end new text begin Safe schools aid for charter schools. new text end new text begin For fiscal year 2027 and later, safe schools aid for a charter school equals $68 times the adjusted pupil units for the school year. new text end new text begin Subd. 3b. new text end new text begin Safe schools aid for nonpublic schools. new text end new text begin (a) For fiscal year 2027 and later, safe schools aid for a nonpublic school equals $68 times the school's enrollment for the school year. new text end new text begin (b) A nonpublic school must report enrollment and other necessary information to the commissioner in the form and manner specified by the commissioner. The commissioner must establish a payment schedule for safe schools aid for nonpublic schools. new text end new text begin (c) For purposes of this section, "nonpublic school" has the meaning given in section 123B.41, subdivision 9. new text end new text begin Subd. 3c. new text end new text begin Safe schools aid for Tribal contract schools. new text end new text begin Safe schools aid for a Tribal contract school eligible for aid under section 124D.83 equals $68 times the pupil units for the school year calculated under section 124D.83, subdivision 2. new text end Subd. 4. Use of safe schools revenue. (a) Safe schools revenue must be reserved and used for directly funding the following purposes or for reimbursing the cities and counties who contract with the deleted text begin district deleted text end new text begin school new text end for the following purposes: (1) to pay the costs incurred for the salaries, benefits, and transportation costs of peace officers and sheriffs for liaison in services in the deleted text begin district's schools deleted text end new text begin school new text end ; (2) to pay the costs for a drug abuse prevention program as defined in section 609.101, subdivision 3 , paragraph (e), in the elementary deleted text begin schools deleted text end new text begin school new text end ; (3) to pay the costs for a gang resistance education training curriculum in the deleted text begin district's schools deleted text end new text begin school new text end ; (4) to pay the costs for security in the deleted text begin district's schools deleted text end new text begin school new text end and on school property; (5) to pay the costs for other crime prevention, drug abuse, student and staff safety, voluntary opt-in suicide prevention tools, and violence prevention measures taken by the school deleted text begin district deleted text end ; (6) to pay costs for licensed school counselors, licensed school nurses, licensed school social workers, licensed school psychologists, and licensed alcohol and substance use disorder counselors to help provide early responses to problems; (7) to pay for facility new text begin , students, and staff new text end security enhancements including laminated glass, public announcement systems, emergency communications devices, and equipment and facility modifications related to violence prevention and facility security; (8) to pay for costs associated with improving the school climate; (9) to pay costs for colocating and collaborating with mental health professionals who are not deleted text begin district deleted text end new text begin school new text end employees or contractors new text begin or for school-linked mental health services delivered by telehealth new text end ; or (10) to pay for the costs of cybersecurity measures, including updating computer hardware and software, other systems upgrades, and cybersecurity insurance costs. (b) For expenditures under paragraph (a), clause (1), the new text begin school new text end district must initially attempt to contract for services to be provided by peace officers or sheriffs with the police department of each city or the sheriff's department of the county within the district containing the school receiving the services. If a local police department or a county sheriff's department does not wish to provide the necessary services, the district may contract for these services with any other police or sheriff's department located entirely or partially within the school district's boundaries. new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end new text begin This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2027 and later. new text end Sec. 6. Laws 2023, chapter 55, article 8, section 19, subdivision 2, is amended to read: Subd. 2. Building and cybersecurity grant program. (a) To provide grants to school districts deleted text begin and deleted text end new text begin , new text end charter schools new text begin , nonpublic schools, and Tribal contract schools new text end to improve building security and cybersecurity: $ 24,332,000 ..... 2024 $ 0 ..... 2025 (b) A cooperative unit, school district, deleted text begin or deleted text end charter school new text begin , nonpublic school as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 123B.41, subdivision 9, or Tribal contract school eligible for funding under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.83, new text end may apply for a grant in the form and manner specified by the commissioner. new text begin If grants from the 2024 appropriation have not yet been awarded as of the effective date of this section, the commissioner may reopen the grant application process, adjust preliminary grant amounts, and award additional grants. new text end (c) Funds may be used for security-related facility improvements, cybersecurity insurance premiums, and associated costs. (d) Up to $100,000 is available for grant administration and monitoring. (e) This is a onetime appropriation and is available until June 30, deleted text begin 2027 deleted text end new text begin 2029 new text end . new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end new text begin This section is effective the day following enactment. new text end Sec. 7. new text begin SCHOOL SAFETY FACILITY GRANTS. new text end new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end new text begin School safety facility grants. new text end new text begin (a) The commissioner of education may award school safety facility grants to qualifying schools to enhance school safety for students and staff. new text end new text begin (b) For purposes of this section, "qualifying school" means a school operated by a school district, charter school, cooperative unit defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 123A.24, subdivision 2, Tribal contract school, or nonpublic school. new text end new text begin (c) A school safety facility grant must be used for school facility security improvements authorized under Minnesota Statutes, section 126C.44, subdivision 4, paragraph (a), clause (7). new text end new text begin Subd. 2. new text end new text begin Application. new text end new text begin A qualifying school may apply for a school safety facility grant in the form and manner specified by the commissioner of education. A qualifying school's application must include information on other sources of funding, if any, that will be used to fully fund the school safety project. new text end new text begin Subd. 3. new text end new text begin Grant awards. new text end new text begin After consultation with the Department of Public Safety's Minnesota School Safety Center, the commissioner of education may award a school safety facility grant of no more than $500,000 to each qualifying school. The commissioner of education must prioritize grant applications. At least half of the grants must be awarded to schools with administrative offices located outside of the seven-county metropolitan area. new text end new text begin Subd. 4. new text end new text begin Grant disbursal. new text end new text begin No money for construction may be distributed by the commissioner of education to the grant recipient until bids have been received on 100 percent of the construction documents and satisfactory documentation has been submitted to the commissioner of education indicating the project can be fully completed with money available for the project. new text end new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment. new text end Sec. 8. new text begin APPROPRIATION CANCELLATION. new text end new text begin $50,000,000 of the appropriation in Laws 2023, chapter 68, article 1, section 2, subdivision 2, paragraph (d), as amended by Laws 2025, First Special Session chapter 8, article 1, section 13, for capital improvements and betterments for the Minneapolis-Duluth Northern Lights Express intercity passenger rail project is canceled on the effective date of this section. new text end new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment. new text end Sec. 9. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS; SCHOOL SAFETY. new text end new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end new text begin Department of Education. new text end new text begin The sums indicated in this section are appropriated from the general fund to the Department of Education in the fiscal year designated. new text end new text begin Subd. 2. new text end new text begin Safe schools aid. new text end new text begin (a) For safe schools aid under Minnesota Statutes, section 126C.44: new text end new text begin $ new text end new text begin 44,588,000 new text end new text begin ..... new text end new text begin 2027 new text end new text begin (b) The 2027 appropriation includes $0 for 2026 and $44,588,000 for 2027. new text end new text begin Subd. 3. new text end new text begin School safety facility grants. new text end new text begin (a) For school safety facility grants under section 7: new text end new text begin $ new text end new text begin 50,000,000 new text end new text begin ..... new text end new text begin 2027 new text end new text begin (b) This is a onetime appropriation. new text end new text begin (c) This appropriation is available until June 30, 2029. new text end new text begin Subd. 4. new text end new text begin Minnesota School Safety Center. new text end new text begin (a) For transfer to the Department of Public Safety's Minnesota School Safety Center to develop and distribute an evidence-based model school safety plan: new text end new text begin $ new text end new text begin 500,000 new text end new text begin ..... new text end new text begin 2027 new text end new text begin (b) This is a onetime appropriation. new text end new text begin Subd. 5. new text end new text begin School-linked behavioral health grants. new text end new text begin For transfer to the Department of Human Services for school-linked behavioral health services under Minnesota Statutes, section 245.4901: new text end new text begin $ new text end new text begin 2,500,000 new text end new text begin ..... new text end new text begin 2027 new text end Sec. 10. new text begin REPEALER. new text end new text begin Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 121A.425, subdivision 2, new text end new text begin is repealed. new text end new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2026. new text end APPENDIX Repealed Minnesota Statutes: 26-08424 121A.425 FULL AND EQUITABLE PARTICIPATION IN EARLY LEARNING. Subd. 2. Nonexclusionary discipline. For purposes of this section, nonexclusionary discipline must include at least one of the following: (1) collaborating with the pupil's family or guardian, child mental health consultant or provider, education specialist, or other community-based support; (2) creating a plan, written with the parent or guardian, that details the action and support needed for the pupil to fully participate in the current educational program, including a preschool or prekindergarten program; or (3) providing a referral for needed support services, including parenting education, home visits, other supportive education interventions, or, where appropriate, an evaluation to determine if the pupil is eligible for special education services or section 504 services.