School safety policies development requirement, School Safety Advisory Council establishment, and Minnesota School Safety Center appropriation

A bill for an act

relating to public safety; requiring schools to develop school safety policies;

establishing a School Safety Advisory Council; appropriating money to the

Minnesota School Safety Center to improve school safety; requiring a report;

amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 121A.035; proposing coding for new

law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 121A.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 121A.035, is amended to read:

121A.035 CRISIS MANAGEMENT POLICY.

Subdivision 1.

Model policy.

The commissioner shall maintain and make available to

school boards and charter schools a model crisis management policy that includes, among

other items, cardiac emergency response plans,
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model school safety policy under section

121A.036,
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school lock-down and tornado drills, consistent with subdivision 2, and school

fire drills under section
299F.30
.

Subd. 2.

School district and charter school policy.

(a) A school board and a charter

school must adopt a crisis management policy to address potential violent crisis situations

in the district or charter school. The policy must be developed cooperatively with

administrators, teachers, employees, students, parents, community members, law enforcement

agencies, other emergency management officials, county attorney offices, social service

agencies, emergency medical responders, and any other appropriate individuals or

organizations. The policy must include at least five school lock-down drills, five school fire

drills consistent with section
299F.30
, and one tornado drill.

(b) A school board or a charter school may adopt the model cardiac emergency response

plan provided by the commissioner under subdivision 1.

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(c) To the extent practical, a school board or charter school must integrate the school

safety policy adopted under section 121A.036 with the crisis management policy under this

section.

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Sec. 2.

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[121A.036] SCHOOL SAFETY POLICIES.

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Subdivision 1.

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Definitions.

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

the meanings given.

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(b) "Evidence-based" has the meaning given in section 121A.038, subdivision 1.

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(c) "School Safety Center" means the program within the Department of Public Safety

dedicated to supporting safe and secure learning environments. If the School Safety Center

is not operational, the duties delegated to the School Safety Center in this section are

delegated to the commissioner of public safety.

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Subd. 2.

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School Safety Center.

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(a) The School Safety Center must:

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(1) develop an evidence-based model school safety policy under subdivision 3;

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(2) develop criteria for determining whether a school safety policy is evidence-based;

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(3) review local school safety policies and notify school boards whether their school

safety policies meet the requirements of this section; and

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(4) administer grants for implementing evidence-based school safety policies, to the

extent grant money is available.

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(b) The 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 policy.

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(c) To implement the requirements of this section, the School Safety Center must employ

at least two school mental health professionals. Each mental health professional must be a

licensed school psychologist, licensed school social worker, or licensed school counselor.

The School Safety Center may also consult with the comprehensive school mental health

services lead at the Department of Education under section 127A.215.

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Subd. 3.

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Model policy.

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(a) The 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 policy to prevent human-caused safety incidents.

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(b) The School Safety Center must post the model policy on its website no later than

September 1, 2026. The School Safety Center may make available to school boards

evidence-based school safety policies developed by third parties.

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Subd. 4.

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Local school safety policy.

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(a) A school board of a district or charter school

must adopt an evidence-based school safety policy to prevent human-caused safety incidents

that meets the minimum requirements of the model policy developed under subdivision 3.

A school safety policy must include a description of the school's efforts to create a positive

school climate and support mental health. Beginning May 1, 2028, and annually thereafter,

a school board or charter school that has not yet adopted an evidence-based school safety

policy must submit the policy to the School Safety Center for review and approval. The

School Safety Center must review each policy and notify a school board whether the policy

is approved as an evidence-based policy no later than August 1.

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(b) If the School Safety Center does not approve the board-submitted policy as an

evidence-based policy, a school board may appeal the decision in the form and manner

determined by the School Safety Center no later than August 15. The School Safety Center

must make a final decision on the appeal no later than September 15.

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(c) In the calendar year that the school board submitted its policy for approval under

paragraph (a), a school board must notify parents, students, and staff no later than October

15 on the status of the school's evidence-based school safety policy. The notice must:

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(1) be written in plain language and be available to all parents and other school

community members;

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(2) explain the purpose of an evidence-based school safety policy;

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(3) indicate whether the school's school safety policy was approved as an evidence-based

school safety policy by the School Safety Center; and

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(4) provide the name and contact information of the school employee designated to

receive questions or concerns regarding school safety policies.

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(d) A school board that has not adopted an evidence-based school safety policy by

October 30 must adopt a school safety policy developed in partnership with the School

Safety Center. The school board may amend the School Safety Center policy subject to

approval by the School Safety Center.

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(e) A nonpublic school is encouraged to develop an evidence-based school safety policy

and consult with the School Safety Center on evidence-based approaches to improving

school safety.

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Subd. 5.

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Report.

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The School Safety Center must prepare a report that identifies the

schools that have adopted an evidence-based school safety policy and post the report on the

Department of Public Safety's publicly facing website. The School Safety Center must

submit the report to the legislative committees with jurisdiction over public safety and

kindergarten through grade 12 education. The School Safety Center must update the report

by December 1, 2028, and every two years thereafter.

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EFFECTIVE DATE.

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This section is effective the day following final enactment.

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Sec. 3.

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[121A.0361] SCHOOL SAFETY ADVISORY COUNCIL.

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Subdivision 1.

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Council established.

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(a) The School Safety Advisory Council is

established as an advisory council to the School Safety Center at the Department of Public

Safety. The advisory council consists of the following members:

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(1) three students enrolled in grades 9 through 12;

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(2) two persons under the age of 21 who are survivors of school or community violence;

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(3) two parents of students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12;

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(4) one licensed mental health professional not employed by the School Safety Center;

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(5) one school resource officer that meets the requirements of section 626.8482; and

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(6) one employee of the School Safety Center.

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(b) The commissioner of public safety, in consultation with the commissioner of

education, must appoint the members of the advisory council by September 1, 2026. The

terms and compensation of the members are governed by section 15.059. The School Safety

Advisory Council does not expire.

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Subd. 2.

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Duties.

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The School Safety Advisory Council must advise the School Safety

Center on school safety needs and opportunities, including making recommendations to

existing school safety approaches.

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EFFECTIVE DATE.

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This section is effective July 1, 2026.

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Sec. 4.
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APPROPRIATION; SCHOOL SAFETY CENTER.
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$....... in fiscal year 2027 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of

public safety for the Minnesota School Safety Center. Of this amount:

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(1) $....... is to develop and distribute an evidence-based model school safety policy

under Minnesota Statutes, section 121A.036;

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(2) $....... is for the School Safety Advisory Council under Minnesota Statutes, section

121A.0361; and

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(3) $....... is to assist schools in implementing customized school safety and student

mental health policies under Minnesota Statutes, section 121A.036.

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