1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to education; special education; requiring districts to adopt policies and
1.3 processes to assist parents who require language assistance; requiring reasonable
1.4 accommodations for parents of children with disabilities; proposing coding for
1.5 new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 125A.
1.6BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.7 Section 1. [125A.081] MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION FOR PARENTS WHO
1.8REQUIRE LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE.
1.9 Subdivision 1.District policy.(a) A school district must adopt a policy to ensure that
1.10a parent who requires language assistance and whose child has a disability can meaningfully
1.11participate in the development of the child's education program.
1.12 (b) The policy must include the following:
1.13 (1) the process for a parent to request free translation and interpretation services through
1.14the school district;
1.15 (2) a list of the documents related to an individualized education program that are
1.16available in languages other than English;
1.17 (3) the district's process for ensuring that a parent who requires language assistance
1.18understands the contents of a document relating to a child's individualized education program;
1.19and
1.20 (4) the process for a parent to request that a document related to the individualized
1.21education program be provided at least one day before a meeting related to the child's
1.22individualized education program.
1Section 1.
REVISOR CR/NS 25-0134712/12/24
State of Minnesota
This Document can be made available
in alternative formats upon request
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H. F. No. 775
NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
Authored by Hanson, J.; Hicks; Berg; Mahamoud; Frederick and others02/13/2025
The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Education Policy 2.1 Subd. 2.District process.(a) A school district must develop a process for: (1) identifying
2.2a parent who requires language assistance; (2) notifying the parent, in a language the parent
2.3understands, of the policy required under subdivision 1; and (3) providing the parent a
2.4written or oral translation of the policy. If the parent requires language assistance and the
2.5parent's native language is not a written language, the district must provide an oral translation
2.6of the policy. The district must consider modifications to the process for developing an
2.7individualized education program that enable a parent who requires language assistance
2.8with speaking, reading, writing, or comprehension to meaningfully participate in the
2.9development and revision of the child's individualized education program.
2.10 (b) A school district must notify teachers and other school staff who work with children
2.11with disabilities of the process to request translators and interpreters.
2.12 (c) The district must post the policy in English and the three most common languages
2.13in the district on the district's website and must notify parents of children with disabilities
2.14of the policy annually.
2.15 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective July 1, 2025.
2.16 Sec. 2. [125A.082] ACCOMMODA TIONS FOR PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH
2.17DISABILITIES.
2.18 Subdivision 1.Accommodations policy required.(a) A school district must adopt a
2.19policy establishing a process to provide accommodations for a parent with a disability who
2.20is a parent of a child with a disability that allows the parent to participate in developing a
2.21child's individualized education program. A district must provide a parent with a disability
2.22with a reasonable accommodation unless it would impose an undue hardship on the district.
2.23 (b) "Reasonable accommodation" has the meaning given in section 363A.08, subdivision
2.246. In determining whether an accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the school
2.25district, factors to be considered are the factors listed in section 363A.08, subdivision 6. An
2.26accommodation is reasonable if it allows a parent with a disability to participate meaningfully
2.27in meetings, data collection, or a paperwork process related to an individualized education
2.28program and does not impose an undue hardship on the school district.
2.29 (c) "Disability" has the meaning given in section 363A.03, subdivision 12. The
2.30determination of whether a parent has a disability does not require that a parent disclose
2.31private health information to the school district. A school district may not request or require
2.32that a parent authorize the release of health care records or medical information.
2Sec. 2.
REVISOR CR/NS 25-0134712/12/24 3.1 (d) A school district must require that all teachers and staff providing special instruction
3.2and services to students with disabilities review the accommodations policy each school
3.3year.
3.4 Subd. 2.Process.(a) A district must inform the parent of a student with a disability of
3.5the accommodation process before referring the student for a special education evaluation
3.6and annually thereafter at the beginning of each school year that has an individualized
3.7education program. The district must ensure that notice of the accommodation process is
3.8easily understandable and readable and must offer a parent the option to receive the notice
3.9orally or in the parent's native language, where appropriate.
3.10 (b) A parent's request for an accommodation must be treated as private data according
3.11to section 13.32, and may not be disclosed as directory information or be included in a
3.12student's individualized education program or other student records. Accommodations
3.13granted must be noted in the student's individualized education program but the individualized
3.14education program or other student records must not include information about the parent's
3.15disability and must not state that the accommodation is for a parent's disability.
3.16 (c) The process to request an accommodation must allow a parent with a disability to
3.17request an accommodation verbally or in writing, and to submit the request to any member
3.18of an individualized education program team holding a license issued under chapter 122A
3.19that is employed by the district, or if the student has not been referred for special education
3.20evaluation, to the student's teacher or principal.
3.21 (d) A school district must respond to a request for an accommodation within five school
3.22days. A deadline related to the development or modification of an individualized education
3.23program that is not established by federal law is stayed pending the resolution of a parent's
3.24request for an accommodation. During the stay, a district must continue to provide a student
3.25with educational services under a temporary or existing individualized education program.
3.26 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective July 1, 2025.
3Sec. 2.
REVISOR CR/NS 25-0134712/12/24