Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Minnesota House Bill HF15 Latest Draft

Bill / Engrossed Version Filed 03/03/2025

                            1.1	A bill for an act​
1.2 relating to education; allowing student and staff safety measures to be included in​
1.3 each school district's long-term facilities maintenance school facility plan; creating​
1.4 school security systems grants; requiring a report; appropriating money; amending​
1.5 Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 123B.595, subdivision 4.​
1.6BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:​
1.7 Section 1. TITLE.​
1.8 This act shall be known as the "Safe Haven In Every Local District (SHIELD) Act."​
1.9 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 123B.595, subdivision 4, is amended to read:​
1.10 Subd. 4.Facilities plans.(a) To qualify for revenue under this section, a school district​
1.11or intermediate district, not including a charter school, must have a ten-year facility plan​
1.12adopted by the school board and approved by the commissioner. The plan must include​
1.13provisions for implementing a health and safety program that complies with health, safety,​
1.14and environmental regulations and best practices, including indoor air quality management​
1.15and remediation of lead hazards. For planning purposes, the plan must also address provisions​
1.16for providing a gender-neutral single-user restroom at each school site.​
1.17 (b) The facilities plan for a school that receives a Safe Haven In Every Local District​
1.18(SHIELD) grant must include a safe schools plan for each school site where improvements​
1.19funded by the grant are made identifying the physical modifications to improve student and​
1.20staff safety at the school site. A school district that does not receive a Safe Haven In Every​
1.21Local District grant may include a safe schools plan as part of its long-term facilities​
1.22maintenance plan.​
1​Sec. 2.​
REVISOR	CR	H0015-1​HF15  FIRST ENGROSSMENT​
State of Minnesota​
This Document can be made available​
in alternative formats upon request​
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES​
H. F. No.  15​
NINETY-FOURTH SESSION​
Authored by Engen, Duran, Zeleznikar, Knudsen, Bennett and others​02/06/2025​
The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Education Policy​
Adoption of Report: Amended and re-referred to the Committee on Public Safety Finance and Policy​03/03/2025​ 2.1 (b) (c) The district must annually update the plan, submit the plan to the commissioner​
2.2for approval by July 31, and indicate whether the district will issue bonds to finance the​
2.3plan or levy for the costs.​
2.4 (c) (d) For school districts issuing bonds to finance the plan, the plan must include a​
2.5debt service schedule demonstrating that the debt service revenue required to pay the principal​
2.6and interest on the bonds each year will not exceed the projected long-term facilities revenue​
2.7for that year.​
2.8 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for plans submitted to the commissioner​
2.9on or after August 1, 2025.​
2.10 Sec. 3. APPROPRIATION; SCHOOL SECURITY GRANTS.​
2.11 (a) $....... in fiscal year 2026 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner​
2.12of public safety to issue school security grants to school districts and charter schools, in​
2.13consultation with the Minnesota School Safety Center.​
2.14 (b) A school district or charter school may apply for a grant in the form and manner​
2.15specified by the commissioner. The commissioner may establish timelines for grant​
2.16applications and may award grants in more than one round. Applications for the last round​
2.17of grants must be received by the commissioner no later than August 1, 2025.​
2.18 (c) The Minnesota School Safety Center must rank applicants based on the proposed​
2.19plan for school security system installation and the commissioner must award grants in a​
2.20manner consistent with the ranking. The grants must be awarded to schools located in all​
2.21geographic regions of the state and priority must be given to facilities serving the largest​
2.22number of students within that geographic region.​
2.23 (d) The Minnesota School Safety Center must prepare a list of vendors authorized to​
2.24provide the security services and products listed in this paragraph. The Minnesota School​
2.25Safety Center must only include vendors that have been operating for at least two years and​
2.26that have experience providing the school security services described in this paragraph. A​
2.27school district or charter school must use grant money to contract with an approved vendor​
2.28for implementation and installation of a comprehensive, multilayered, integrated security​
2.29system, including an evaluation of a school site's current security systems, and training for​
2.30school staff on using the security systems. The security systems must include a system to​
2.31alert local law enforcement of an immediate security threat within each room in the school.​
2.32A comprehensive, multilayered, integrated security system must include as many of the​
2.33following components that an authorized vendor determines may be installed:​
2​Sec. 3.​
REVISOR	CR	H0015-1​HF15 FIRST ENGROSSMENT​ 3.1 (1) bullet-resistant interior doors and windows;​
3.2 (2) ballistic wall panels;​
3.3 (3) magnetic door-locking systems;​
3.4 (4) remote lock-down activation systems;​
3.5 (5) a mass notification system unified with an emergency communication system;​
3.6 (6) an emergency building access system for first responders including fire, emergency​
3.7medical services, and law enforcement personnel;​
3.8 (7) an access control system with remote door-release capabilities;​
3.9 (8) electronic access controls for main distribution frame and independent distribution​
3.10frame rooms with a key override;​
3.11 (9) classroom duress alarms linked to a law enforcement and administration notification​
3.12system;​
3.13 (10) security system training for staff to initiate emergency protocols;​
3.14 (11) ballistic security glass for interior door vision panels and sidelites;​
3.15 (12) electronic access control systems for primary building entrances; and​
3.16 (13) classroom door installations that optimize safety and security.​
3.17 (e) The Minnesota School Safety Center must identify vendors that provide the services​
3.18and systems required under paragraph (d) and provide districts and charter schools with a​
3.19list of approved vendors.​
3.20 (f) The Department of Public Safety may retain up to 2.5 percent of the appropriation​
3.21to administer the grant, including for the Minnesota School Safety Center to provide districts​
3.22and charter schools with technical assistance.​
3.23 (g) By February 1 following each year a grant is awarded under this section, the​
3.24Minnesota School Safety Center must report to the commissioner of public safety on the​
3.25number and amount of grant awards, a description of each grant recipient's purchased items​
3.26and the vendors contracted for school security system installation and technical assistance,​
3.27and considerations for future school security grant funding, management, and installation.​
3.28Within two weeks of receiving a report from the Minnesota School Safety Center, the​
3.29commissioner of public safety must provide the report to the chairs and ranking minority​
3.30members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade​
3.3112 education policy and finance, and public safety policy and finance.​
3​Sec. 3.​
REVISOR	CR	H0015-1​HF15 FIRST ENGROSSMENT​ 4.1 (h) This is a onetime appropriation and is available until June 30, 2028.​
4​Sec. 3.​
REVISOR	CR	H0015-1​HF15 FIRST ENGROSSMENT​