Nondiscrimination and faith-statement restrictions removal on eligible institutions and enrollment options

A bill for an act

relating to education; removing nondiscrimination and faith-statement restrictions

on eligible institutions and enrollment options; amending Minnesota Statutes 2025

Supplement, section 124D.09, subdivision 3.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 124D.09, subdivision 3, is

amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Definitions.

For purposes of this section, the following terms have the meanings

given to them.

(a) "Eligible institution" means a Minnesota public postsecondary institution, a private,

nonprofit two-year trade and technical school granting associate degrees, an opportunities

industrialization center accredited by an accreditor recognized by the United States

Department of Education, or a private, residential, two-year or four-year, liberal arts,

degree-granting college or university located in Minnesota.
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An eligible institution must not

require a faith statement from a secondary student seeking to enroll in a postsecondary

course under this section during the application process or base any part of the admission

decision on a student's race, creed, ethnicity, disability, gender, or sexual orientation or

religious beliefs or affiliations.
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(b) "Course" means a course or program.

(c) "Concurrent enrollment" means nonsectarian courses in which an eligible pupil under

subdivision 5 or 5b enrolls to earn both secondary and postsecondary credits, are taught by

a secondary teacher or a postsecondary faculty member, and are offered at a high school

for which the school district, charter school, or Tribal contract school is eligible to receive

concurrent enrollment program aid under section
124D.091
.

Sec. 2.
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APPROPRIATION; LEGAL FEES.
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$....... in fiscal year 2026 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of

education for the payment of fees and expenses awarded to the plaintiff in
Loe v. Jett
, Case

No. 23-CV-1527, if an order granting the plaintiff's motion for fees and expenses is filed

in that case.

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The commissioner of education must pay, on behalf of all defendants, all fees and

expenses awarded to the plaintiff. This is a onetime appropriation and is available until June

30, 2026.

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