Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Minnesota Senate Bill SF89 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.
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11 1.1 A bill for an act​
22 1.2 relating to education; repealing the American Indian mascot prohibition; repealing​
33 1.3 Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 121A.041.​
44 1.4BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:​
55 1.5 Section 1. REPEALER.​
66 1.6 Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 121A.041, is repealed.​
77 1.7 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment for​
88 1.8the 2025-2026 school year and later.​
99 1​Section 1.​
1010 25-01492 as introduced​12/19/24 REVISOR CR/DG​
1111 SENATE​
1212 STATE OF MINNESOTA​
1313 S.F. No. 89​NINETY-FOURTH SESSION​
1414 (SENATE AUTHORS: WESTROM, Drazkowski, Rarick and Koran)​
1515 OFFICIAL STATUS​D-PG​DATE​
1616 Introduction and first reading​01/16/2025​
1717 Referred to Education Policy​ 121A.041 AMERICAN INDIAN MASCOTS PROHIBITED.​
1818 Subdivision 1.Definitions.(a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the​
1919 meanings given.​
2020 (b) "American Indian" means an individual who is:​
2121 (1) a member of an Indian Tribe or Band, as membership is defined by the Tribe or Band,​
2222 including:​
2323 (i) any Tribe or Band terminated since 1940; and​
2424 (ii) any Tribe or Band recognized by the state in which the Tribe or Band resides;​
2525 (2) a descendant, in the first or second degree, of an individual described in clause (1);​
2626 (3) considered by the Secretary of the Interior to be an Indian for any purpose;​
2727 (4) an Inuit, Aleut, or other Alaska Native; or​
2828 (5) a member of an organized Indian group that received a grant under the Indian Education​
2929 Act of 1988 as in effect the day preceding October 20, 1994.​
3030 (c) "District" means a district under section 120A.05, subdivision 8.​
3131 (d) "Mascot" means any human, nonhuman animal, or object used to represent a school and its​
3232 population.​
3333 (e) "Public school" or "school" means a public school under section 120A.05, subdivisions 9,​
3434 11, 13, and 17, and a charter school under chapter 124E.​
3535 Subd. 2.Prohibition on American Indian mascots.(a) Starting September 1, 2026, a public​
3636 school may not have or adopt a name, symbol, or image that depicts or refers to an American Indian​
3737 Tribe, individual, custom, or tradition to be used as a mascot, nickname, logo, letterhead, or team​
3838 name of the school, district, or school within the district, unless the school has obtained an exemption​
3939 under subdivision 3.​
4040 (b) The prohibition in paragraph (a) does not apply to a public school located within the​
4141 reservation of a federally recognized Tribal Nation in Minnesota, where at least 95 percent of​
4242 students meet the state definition of American Indian student.​
4343 (c) A school district with a prohibited American Indian mascot according to paragraph (a), that​
4444 has not received an exemption according to subdivision 3, must report to the chairs and ranking​
4545 minority members of the legislative committees having jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade​
4646 12 education policy by February 14, 2025, and again by February 1, 2026, on the district's progress​
4747 to comply with this section; and the district must submit copies of the reports to the Legislative​
4848 Reference Library. The reports must include the following:​
4949 (1) confirmation that the district has removed the American Indian mascot, nickname, logo,​
5050 letterhead, or team name from the district website;​
5151 (2) confirmation that the board of the district has approved a new mascot, nickname, logo,​
5252 letterhead, or team name;​
5353 (3) a summary of the district's progress on removing the American Indian mascot, nickname,​
5454 logo, letterhead, or team name from uniforms, equipment, signs, elements of facilities, and other​
5555 district items; and​
5656 (4) a summary of resources necessary to comply with the prohibition in paragraph (a) and the​
5757 district's plan to raise and allocate any necessary funds.​
5858 Subd. 3.Exemption.A public school may seek an exemption to subdivision 2 by submitting​
5959 a request in writing to all 11 federally recognized Tribal Nations in Minnesota and to the Tribal​
6060 Nations Education Committee by September 1, 2023. The exemption is denied if any of the 11​
6161 Tribal Nations or the Tribal Nations Education Committee oppose the exemption by December 15,​
6262 2023. A public school whose request for an exemption is denied must comply with subdivision 2​
6363 by September 1, 2026.​
6464 1R​
6565 APPENDIX​
6666 Repealed Minnesota Statutes: 25-01492​