1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to higher education; regulating remediation and testing; regulating the 
1.3 	teacher shortage loan forgiveness program; broadening child care grants; requiring 
1.4 	information about federal loan forgiveness programs; requiring information 
1.5 	about school acceptance of dual credits; regulating MnSCU credit transfer and 
1.6 	curriculum policies; creating a pilot MnSCU program for developmentally 
1.7 	disabled students; regulating state grants;amending Minnesota Statutes 2014, 
1.8 	section 136A.101, subdivision 10; Minnesota Statutes 2015 Supplement, sections 
1.9 	120B.30, subdivision 1; 136A.121, subdivision 7a; 136A.125, subdivision 2; 
1.10 	136A.1791, subdivisions 4, 5, 6; 136A.87; 136F.302, subdivision 1; Laws 2015, 
1.11 	chapter 69, article 3, sections 20, subdivision 15; 24, subdivision 1; proposing 
1.12 	coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapters 136A; 136F.
1.13 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.14 	ARTICLE 1
1.15 	HIGH SCHOOL TESTING; COLLEGE READINESS AND REMEDIATION

1.16 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2015 Supplement, section 120B.30, subdivision 1, is 
1.17 	amended to read:
1.18 		Subdivision 1.Statewide testing.  (a) The commissioner, with advice from experts 
1.19 	with appropriate technical qualifications and experience and stakeholders, consistent with 
1.20 	subdivision 1a, shall include in the comprehensive assessment system, for each grade 
1.21 	level to be tested, state-constructed tests developed as computer-adaptive reading and 
1.22 	mathematics assessments for students that are aligned with the state's required academic 
1.23 	standards under section 120B.021, include multiple choice questions, and are administered 
1.24 	annually to all students in grades 3 through 8. State-developed high school tests aligned 
1.25 	with the state's required academic standards under section 120B.021 and administered 
1.26 	to all high school students in a subject other than writing must include multiple choice 
2.1 	questions. The commissioner shall establish one or more months during which schools 
2.2 	shall administer the tests to students each school year.
2.3 	(1) Students enrolled in grade 8 through the 2009-2010 school year are eligible 
2.4 	to be assessed under (i) the graduation-required assessment for diploma in reading, 
2.5 	mathematics, or writing under Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 120B.30, subdivision 1, 
2.6 	paragraphs (c), clauses (1) and (2), and (d), (ii) the WorkKeys job skills assessment, (iii) 
2.7 	the Compass college placement test, (iv) the ACT assessment for college admission, (v) a 
2.8 	nationally recognized armed services vocational aptitude test.
2.9 	(2) Students enrolled in grade 8 in the 2010-2011 or 2011-2012 school year are 
2.10 	eligible to be assessed under (i) the graduation-required assessment for diploma in reading, 
2.11 	mathematics, or writing under Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 120B.30, subdivision 
2.12 	1, paragraph (c), clauses (1) and (2), (ii) the WorkKeys job skills assessment, (iii) the 
2.13 	Compass college placement test, (iv) the ACT assessment for college admission, (v) a 
2.14 	nationally recognized armed services vocational aptitude test.
2.15 	(3) For students under clause (1) or (2), a school district may substitute a score from 
2.16 	an alternative, equivalent assessment to satisfy the requirements of this paragraph.
2.17 	(b) The state assessment system must be aligned to the most recent revision of 
2.18 	academic standards as described in section 120B.023 in the following manner:
2.19 	(1) mathematics;
2.20 	(i) grades 3 through 8 beginning in the 2010-2011 school year; and
2.21 	(ii) high school level beginning in the 2013-2014 school year;
2.22 	(2) science; grades 5 and 8 and at the high school level beginning in the 2011-2012 
2.23 	school year; and
2.24 	(3) language arts and reading; grades 3 through 8 and high school level beginning in 
2.25 	the 2012-2013 school year.
2.26 	(c) For students enrolled in grade 8 in the 2012-2013 school year and later, students' 
2.27 	state graduation requirements, based on a longitudinal, systematic approach to student 
2.28 	education and career planning, assessment, instructional support, and evaluation, include 
2.29 	the following:
2.30 	(1) an opportunity to participate on a nationally normed college entrance exam, 
2.31 	in grade 11 or grade 12;
2.32 	(2) achievement and career and college readiness in mathematics, reading, and 
2.33 	writing, consistent with paragraph (j) (k) and to the extent available, to monitor students' 
2.34 	continuous development of and growth in requisite knowledge and skills; analyze 
2.35 	students' progress and performance levels, identifying students' academic strengths and 
2.36 	diagnosing areas where students require curriculum or instructional adjustments, targeted 
3.1 	interventions, or remediation; and, based on analysis of students' progress and performance 
3.2 	data, determine students' learning and instructional needs and the instructional tools and 
3.3 	best practices that support academic rigor for the student; and
3.4 	(3) consistent with this paragraph and section 120B.125, age-appropriate exploration 
3.5 	and planning activities and career assessments to encourage students to identify personally 
3.6 	relevant career interests and aptitudes and help students and their families develop a 
3.7 	regularly reexamined transition plan for postsecondary education or employment without 
3.8 	need for postsecondary remediation.
3.9 	Based on appropriate state guidelines, students with an individualized education program 
3.10 	may satisfy state graduation requirements by achieving an individual score on the 
3.11 	state-identified alternative assessments.
3.12 	(d) Expectations of schools, districts, and the state for career or college readiness 
3.13 	under this subdivision must be comparable in rigor, clarity of purpose, and rates of 
3.14 	student completion. 
3.15 	A student under paragraph (c), clause (2), must receive targeted, relevant, 
3.16 	academically rigorous, and resourced instruction, which may include a targeted instruction 
3.17 	and intervention plan focused on improving the student's knowledge and skills in core 
3.18 	subjects so that the student has a reasonable chance to succeed in a career or college 
3.19 	without need for postsecondary remediation. Consistent with sections 120B.13, 124D.09, 
3.20 	124D.091, 124D.49, and related sections, an enrolling school or district must actively 
3.21 	encourage a student in grade 11 or 12 who is identified as academically ready for a career 
3.22 	or college to participate in courses and programs awarding college credit to high school 
3.23 	students. Students are not required to achieve a specified score or level of proficiency on 
3.24 	an assessment under this subdivision to graduate from high school.
3.25 	(e) Though not a high school graduation requirement, students are encouraged to 
3.26 	participate in a nationally recognized college entrance exam. With funding provided by 
3.27 	the state, a district must pay the cost, one time, for an interested student in grade 11 or 12 
3.28 	to take a nationally recognized college entrance exam before graduating. A student must 
3.29 	be able to take the exam under this paragraph at the student's high school during the school 
3.30 	day and at any one of the multiple exam administrations available to students in the district.
3.31 	(f) The commissioner and the chancellor of the Minnesota State Colleges and 
3.32 	Universities must collaborate in aligning instruction and assessments for adult basic 
3.33 	education students and English learners to provide the students with diagnostic information 
3.34 	about any targeted interventions, accommodations, modifications, and supports they 
3.35 	need so that assessments and other performance measures are accessible to them and 
3.36 	they may seek postsecondary education or employment without need for postsecondary 
4.1 	remediation. When administering formative or summative assessments used to measure 
4.2 	the academic progress, including the oral academic development, of English learners 
4.3 	and inform their instruction, schools must ensure that the assessments are accessible to 
4.4 	the students and students have the modifications and supports they need to sufficiently 
4.5 	understand the assessments.
4.6 	(g) Districts and schools, on an annual basis, must use career exploration elements 
4.7 	to help students, beginning no later than grade 9, and their families explore and plan 
4.8 	for postsecondary education or careers based on the students' interests, aptitudes, and 
4.9 	aspirations. Districts and schools must use timely regional labor market information and 
4.10 	partnerships, among other resources, to help students and their families successfully 
4.11 	develop, pursue, review, and revise an individualized plan for postsecondary education or a 
4.12 	career. This process must help increase students' engagement in and connection to school, 
4.13 	improve students' knowledge and skills, and deepen students' understanding of career 
4.14 	pathways as a sequence of academic and career courses that lead to an industry-recognized 
4.15 	credential, an associate's degree, or a bachelor's degree and are available to all students, 
4.16 	whatever their interests and career goals.
4.17 	(h) A student who demonstrates attainment of required state academic standards, 
4.18 	which include career and college readiness benchmarks, on high school assessments 
4.19 	under subdivision 1a is academically ready for a career or college and is encouraged to 
4.20 	participate in courses awarding college credit to high school students. Such courses and 
4.21 	programs may include sequential courses of study within broad career areas and technical 
4.22 	skill assessments that extend beyond course grades.
4.23 	(i) As appropriate, students through grade 12 must continue to participate in targeted 
4.24 	instruction, intervention, or remediation and be encouraged to participate in courses 
4.25 	awarding college credit to high school students.
4.26 	(j) In developing, supporting, and improving students' academic readiness for a 
4.27 	career or college, schools, districts, and the state must have a continuum of empirically 
4.28 	derived, clearly defined benchmarks focused on students' attainment of knowledge and 
4.29 	skills so that students, their parents, and teachers know how well students must perform to 
4.30 	have a reasonable chance to succeed in a career or college without need for postsecondary 
4.31 	remediation. The commissioner, in consultation with local school officials and educators, 
4.32 	and Minnesota's public postsecondary institutions must ensure that the foundational 
4.33 	knowledge and skills for students' successful performance in postsecondary employment 
4.34 	or education and an articulated series of possible targeted interventions are clearly 
4.35 	identified and satisfy Minnesota's postsecondary admissions requirements.
5.1 	(k) For students in grade 8 in the 2012-2013 school year and later, a school, district, 
5.2 	or charter school must record on the high school transcript a student's progress toward 
5.3 	career and college readiness, and for other students as soon as practicable.
5.4 	(l) The school board granting students their diplomas may formally decide to include 
5.5 	a notation of high achievement on the high school diplomas of those graduating seniors 
5.6 	who, according to established school board criteria, demonstrate exemplary academic 
5.7 	achievement during high school.
5.8 	(m) The 3rd through 8th grade computer-adaptive assessment results and high school 
5.9 	test results shall be available to districts for diagnostic purposes affecting student learning 
5.10 	and district instruction and curriculum, and for establishing educational accountability. 
5.11 	The commissioner must establish empirically derived benchmarks on adaptive assessments 
5.12 	in grades 3 through 8 and the high school tests that reveal a trajectory toward career and 
5.13 	college readiness. The chancellor of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities must 
5.14 	review and confirm the benchmarks established by the commissioner as indicating students 
5.15 	can be expected to successfully complete credit-bearing coursework at a Minnesota 
5.16 	state college or university. The commissioner must disseminate to the public the 
5.17 	computer-adaptive assessments and high school test results upon receiving those results.
5.18 	(n) The grades 3 through 8 computer-adaptive assessments and high school tests 
5.19 	must be aligned with state academic standards. The commissioner shall determine the 
5.20 	testing process and the order of administration. The statewide results shall be aggregated 
5.21 	at the site and district level, consistent with subdivision 1a.
5.22 	(o) The commissioner shall include the following components in the statewide 
5.23 	public reporting system:
5.24 	(1) uniform statewide computer-adaptive assessments of all students in grades 3 
5.25 	through 8 and testing at the high school levels that provides appropriate, technically sound 
5.26 	accommodations or alternate assessments;
5.27 	(2) educational indicators that can be aggregated and compared across school 
5.28 	districts and across time on a statewide basis, including average daily attendance, high 
5.29 	school graduation rates, and high school drop-out rates by age and grade level;
5.30 	(3) state results on the American College Test; and
5.31 	(4) state results from participation in the National Assessment of Educational 
5.32 	Progress so that the state can benchmark its performance against the nation and other 
5.33 	states, and, where possible, against other countries, and contribute to the national effort 
5.34 	to monitor achievement.
5.35 	(p) For purposes of statewide accountability, "career and college ready" means a 
5.36 	high school graduate has the knowledge, skills, and competencies to successfully pursue a 
6.1 	career pathway, including postsecondary credit leading to a degree, diploma, certificate, or 
6.2 	industry-recognized credential and employment. Students who are career and college ready 
6.3 	are able to successfully complete credit-bearing coursework at a two- or four-year college 
6.4 	or university or other credit-bearing postsecondary program without need for remediation.
6.5 	(q) For purposes of statewide accountability, "cultural competence," "cultural 
6.6 	competency," or "culturally competent" means the ability and will to interact effectively 
6.7 	with people of different cultures, native languages, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

6.8 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for the 2016-2017 school year and 
6.9 	later.

6.10 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2015 Supplement, section 136F.302, subdivision 1, is 
6.11 	amended to read:
6.12 		Subdivision 1.ACT college ready score. A state college or university maymust not 
6.13 	require an individual to take a remedial, noncredit course in a subject area if the individual 
6.14 	has received a college ready ACT score in that subject area.

6.15 	Sec. 3. [136F.3025] MCA COLLEGE-READY BENCHMARK.
6.16 	A state college or university must not require an individual to take a remedial, 
6.17 	noncredit course in a subject area if the individual has received a college-ready MCA 
6.18 	benchmark in that subject area, consistent with section 120B.30, subdivision 1, paragraph 
6.19 	(m). As part of the notification of students and their families under section 120B.30, 
6.20 	subdivision 1, paragraph (m), the commissioner shall include a statement that students 
6.21 	who receive a college-ready benchmark on the high school MCA are not required to take a 
6.22 	remedial, noncredit course at a Minnesota state college or university in the corresponding 
6.23 	subject area. 

6.24 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for the 2018-2019 school year and 
6.25 	later, except for notification of students and families consistent with Minnesota Statutes, 
6.26 	section 136F.302, subdivision 1, which is effective for the 2016-2017 school year.

6.27 	ARTICLE 2
6.28 	OFFICE OF HIGHER EDUCATION

6.29 	Section 1. [136A.0412] ACCEPTANCE OF PRIVATE FUNDS; 
6.30 	APPROPRIATION.
6.31 	The commissioner may accept donations, grants, bequests, and other gifts of money 
6.32 	to carry out the purposes of section 136A.01. Money accepted by the commissioner 
7.1 	must be deposited in an account in the special revenue fund and is appropriated to the 
7.2 	commissioner for the purpose for which it was given.

7.3 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2015 Supplement, section 136A.1791, subdivision 4, 
7.4 	is amended to read:
7.5 		Subd. 4.Application for loan forgiveness. Each applicant for loan forgiveness, 
7.6 	according to rules adopted by the commissioner, shall:
7.7 	(1) apply for teacher shortage loan forgiveness and promptly submit any additional 
7.8 	information required by the commissioner; and
7.9 	(2) annually reapply for up to five consecutive school years and submit information 
7.10 	the commissioner requires to determine the applicant's continued eligibility for loan 
7.11 	forgiveness; and
7.12 	(3) (2) submit to the commissioner a completed affidavit, prescribed by the 
7.13 	commissioner, affirming the teacher is teaching in: (i) a licensure field and in identified by 
7.14 	the commissioner as experiencing a teacher shortage; or (ii) an economic development 
7.15 	region identified by the commissioner as experiencing a teacher shortage.

7.16 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2015 Supplement, section 136A.1791, subdivision 5, 
7.17 	is amended to read:
7.18 		Subd. 5.Amount of loan forgiveness. (a) To the extent funding is available, the 
7.19 	annual amount of teacher shortage loan forgiveness for an approved applicant shall not 
7.20 	exceed $1,000 or the cumulative balance of the applicant's qualified educational loans, 
7.21 	including principal and interest, whichever amount is less.
7.22 	(b) Recipients must secure their own qualified educational loans. Teachers who 
7.23 	graduate from an approved teacher preparation program or teachers who add a licensure 
7.24 	field, consistent with the teacher shortage requirements of this section, are eligible to 
7.25 	apply for the loan forgiveness program.
7.26 	(c) No teacher shall receive more than five annual awards.

7.27 	Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2015 Supplement, section 136A.1791, subdivision 6, 
7.28 	is amended to read:
7.29 		Subd. 6.Disbursement. (a) The commissioner must make annual disbursements 
7.30 	directly to the participant of the amount for which a participant is eligible, for each year 
7.31 	that a participant is eligible.
7.32 	(b) Within 60 days of receipt of athe disbursement date, the participant must provide 
7.33 	the commissioner with verification that the full amount of loan repayment disbursement 
8.1 	has been applied toward the designated loans. A participant that previously received 
8.2 	funds under this section but has not provided the commissioner with such verification 
8.3 	is not eligible to receive additional funds.

8.4 	Sec. 5. Laws 2015, chapter 69, article 3, section 20, subdivision 15, is amended to read:
8.5 		Subd. 15.Reporting. (a) A college must report to the commissioner the following 
8.6 	information:
8.7 	(1) the number of grantees and their race, gender, and ethnicity;
8.8 	(2) grantee persistence and completion;
8.9 	(3) employment outcomes; and
8.10 	(4) other information requested by the commissioner.
8.11 	(b) The commissioner shall report annually by January 15, 2017, and January 15, 
8.12 	2018, to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with 
8.13 	jurisdiction over higher education finance by college and in aggregate on the information 
8.14 	submitted to the commissioner under paragraph (a). The commissioner may include in the 
8.15 	report recommendations for changes in the grant program.

8.16 	ARTICLE 3
8.17 	CHILD CARE GRANTS

8.18 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2015 Supplement, section 136A.125, subdivision 2, 
8.19 	is amended to read:
8.20 		Subd. 2.Eligible students. (a) An applicant is eligible for a child care grant if 
8.21 	the applicant:
8.22 	(1) is a resident of the state of Minnesota or the applicant's spouse is a resident 
8.23 	of the state of Minnesota;
8.24 	(2) has a child 12 years of age or younger, or 14 years of age or younger who is 
8.25 	disabled as defined in section 125A.02, and who is receiving or will receive care on a 
8.26 	regular basis from a licensed or legal, nonlicensed caregiver;
8.27 	(3) is income eligible as determined by the office's policies and rules, but is not a 
8.28 	recipient of assistance from the Minnesota family investment program;
8.29 	(4) either has not earned a baccalaureate degree and has been enrolled full time less 
8.30 	than eight semesters or the equivalent, or has earned a baccalaureate degree and has been 
8.31 	enrolled full time less than eight semesters or the equivalent in a graduate or professional 
8.32 	degree program;
8.33 	(5) is pursuing a nonsectarian program or course of study that applies to an 
8.34 	undergraduate, graduate, or professional degree, diploma, or certificate;
9.1 	(6) is enrolled at least half time in an eligible institution; and
9.2 	(7) is in good academic standing and making satisfactory academic progress.
9.3 	(b) A student who withdraws from enrollment for active military service after 
9.4 	December 31, 2002, because the student was ordered to active military service as defined 
9.5 	in section 190.05, subdivision 5b or 5c, or for a major illness, while under the care of a 
9.6 	medical professional, that substantially limits the student's ability to complete the term 
9.7 	is entitled to an additional semester or the equivalent of grant eligibility and will be 
9.8 	considered to be in continuing enrollment status upon return.

9.9 	ARTICLE 4
9.10 	FEDERAL LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM INFORMATION

9.11 	Section 1. [136A.1792] PROMOTION OF FEDERAL PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN 
9.12 	FORGIVENESS PROGRAMS.
9.13 		Subdivision 1.Definitions. (a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms 
9.14 	have the meanings given.
9.15 	(b) "Employer" means an organization, agency, or entity that is a public service 
9.16 	organization under Code of Federal Regulations, title 34, part 685, section 219, provided 
9.17 	that the following are not employers:
9.18 	(1) a federal or tribal government organization, agency, or entity; and
9.19 	(2) a tribal college or university.
9.20 	(c) "Employment certification form" means the form used by the United States 
9.21 	Department of Education to certify an individual's employment at a public service 
9.22 	organization for the purposes of the federal public service loan forgiveness program.
9.23 	(d) "Federal loan forgiveness program" means a loan forgiveness program offered 
9.24 	under Code of Federal Regulations, title 34, part 685.
9.25 	(e) "Public service loan forgiveness program" means the loan forgiveness program 
9.26 	under Code of Federal Regulations, title 34, part 685, section 219.
9.27 	(f) "Public service organization" means a public service organization under Code of 
9.28 	Federal Regulations, title 34, part 685, section 219.
9.29 		Subd. 2.Promotion of federal public service loan forgiveness programs. (a) The 
9.30 	commissioner must develop and distribute informational materials designed to increase 
9.31 	awareness of federal public service loan forgiveness programs among Minnesota residents 
9.32 	who are eligible for those programs. At a minimum, the commissioner must develop and 
9.33 	distribute informational materials that public service organizations may use to promote 
9.34 	awareness of the federal public service loan forgiveness program, including:
10.1 	(1) a one-page letter addressed to individuals who may be eligible for the public 
10.2 	service loan forgiveness program that briefly summarizes the program, provides 
10.3 	information on what an eligible individual must do in order to participate, and recommends 
10.4 	that they contact their student loan servicer or servicers for additional information;
10.5 	(2) a detailed fact sheet describing the public service loan forgiveness program; and
10.6 	(3) a document containing answers to frequently asked questions about the public 
10.7 	service loan forgiveness program.
10.8 	(b) In place of developing and publishing an informational document required under 
10.9 	paragraph (a), the commissioner may distribute a document published by a federal agency 
10.10 	that meets the requirements of paragraph (a).
10.11 		Subd. 3.Publication of informational materials. The commissioner must make 
10.12 	the informational materials required under subdivision 2 available on the office's Web 
10.13 	site and must verify each biennium that the informational materials contain current 
10.14 	information. The commissioner must update and correct any informational materials that 
10.15 	the commissioner finds inaccurate or outdated.
10.16 		Subd. 4.Employer information. (a) An employer must provide an employee with 
10.17 	information about the employee's potential eligibility for the federal public service loan 
10.18 	forgiveness program. An employer must annually provide to each employee in written or 
10.19 	electronic form the one-page letter, fact sheet, and frequently asked questions required 
10.20 	under subdivision 2. In addition, an employer must provide a newly hired employee with 
10.21 	that information within two weeks of the employee's first day of employment.
10.22 	(b) At an employee's request, an employer must provide the employee with a copy 
10.23 	of the employment certification form.

10.24 	EFFECTIVE DATE. Subdivision 4 is effective January 1, 2017.

10.25 	ARTICLE 5
10.26 	DUAL CREDIT ACCEPTANCE INFORMATION

10.27 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2015 Supplement, section 136A.87, is amended to read:
10.28 	136A.87 PLANNING INFORMATION FOR POSTSECONDARY 
10.29 	EDUCATION.
10.30 	(a) The office shall make available to all residents beginning in 7th grade through 
10.31 	adulthood information about planning and preparing for postsecondary opportunities. 
10.32 	Information must be provided to all 7th grade students and their parents annually 
10.33 	by September 30 about planning for their postsecondary education. The office may 
11.1 	also provide information to high school students and their parents, to adults, and to 
11.2 	out-of-school youth.
11.3 	(b) The office must make reasonable efforts to obtain publicly available information 
11.4 	about the dual credit acceptance policies of each Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, 
11.5 	and North Dakota public and private college and university. This information must be 
11.6 	shared on the office's Web site and included in the information under paragraph (a). 
11.7 	(c) The information provided under paragraph (a) may include the following:
11.8 	(1) the need to start planning early;
11.9 	(2) the availability of assistance in educational planning from educational institutions 
11.10 	and other organizations;
11.11 	(3) suggestions for studying effectively during high school;
11.12 	(4) high school courses necessary to be adequately prepared for postsecondary 
11.13 	education;
11.14 	(5) encouragement to involve parents actively in planning for all phases of education;
11.15 	(6) information about postsecondary education and training opportunities existing 
11.16 	in the state, their respective missions and expectations for students, their preparation 
11.17 	requirements, admission requirements, and student placement;
11.18 	(7) ways to evaluate and select postsecondary institutions;
11.19 	(8) the process of transferring credits among Minnesota postsecondary institutions 
11.20 	and systems;
11.21 	(9) the costs of postsecondary education and the availability of financial assistance 
11.22 	in meeting these costs, including specific information about the Minnesota Promise;
11.23 	(10) the interrelationship of assistance from student financial aid, public assistance, 
11.24 	and job training programs; and
11.25 	(11) financial planning for postsecondary education.

11.26 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for the 2016-2017 school year and 
11.27 	later.

11.28 	ARTICLE 6
11.29 	MNSCU CREDIT AND CURRICULUM

11.30 	Section 1. [136F.304] FULL VALUE OF CREDITS.
11.31 	The board must adopt policies that give full value to all credits obtained from a 
11.32 	state college or university for use in satisfying credit requirements for a degree, diploma, 
11.33 	or certificate. Among other policies, the board may adopt policies accepting those 
11.34 	credits for the purpose of meeting general education credits or other distribution credit 
12.1 	requirements. The policies must apply regardless of whether the credits were earned in a 
12.2 	degree, diploma, or certificate program.

12.3 	Sec. 2.  [136F.305] CURRICULUM CONSISTENCY.
12.4 	The board must adopt policies that provide for reasonable state college and 
12.5 	university consistency among offerings of the same course, so students can have all credits 
12.6 	in these courses transfer to any college or university, and so students are well prepared to 
12.7 	advance through course sequences. Course curricula need not be identical, but a common 
12.8 	core must exist among the same courses.

12.9 	ARTICLE 7
12.10 	MNSCU DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED PILOT

12.11 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 136A.101, subdivision 10, is amended to 
12.12 	read:
12.13 		Subd. 10.Satisfactory academic progress. "Satisfactory academic progress" 
12.14 	means satisfactory academic progress as defined under Code of Federal Regulations, title 
12.15 	34, sections 668.16(e), 668.32(f), and 668.34, except that a student with an intellectual 
12.16 	disability as defined in Code of Federal Regulations, title 34, section 668.231, enrolled 
12.17 	in an approved comprehensive transition and postsecondary program under that section 
12.18 	is subject to the institution's published satisfactory academic process standards for that 
12.19 	program as approved by the Office of Higher Education.

12.20 	Sec. 2. STATE UNIVERSITIES; PILOT PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS WITH 
12.21 	INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.
 12.22 		Subdivision 1.Pilot program created. (a) The Board of Trustees of the Minnesota 
12.23 	State Colleges and Universities must offer a pilot academic program as described in 
12.24 	this section for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The pilot is for 
12.25 	students entering the program in the 2017-2018 academic year. The program must be 
12.26 	offered at a total of four state university or college campuses that have the ability to offer 
12.27 	a robust program using existing facilities, including residential facilities. The campuses 
12.28 	selected must, to the extent possible, be located in different geographic regions of the state.
12.29 	(b) In designing the pilot program, the Board of Trustees must consult with PACER 
12.30 	Center, Inc., the Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities, Arc 
12.31 	Minnesota, and other interested stakeholder groups. The board must also consult with 
12.32 	administrators of similar programs at other postsecondary institutions.
13.1 		Subd. 2.Program enrollment and admission. The enrollment goal for each 
13.2 	campus's pilot program must be at least ten incoming students per academic year. Students 
13.3 	must be admitted based on an application process that includes an in-person interview; 
13.4 	an independent assessment of an applicant's interest, motivation, and likelihood of 
13.5 	success in the program; and any other eligibility requirements established by the board. 
13.6 	Upon successful completion, a student must be awarded a certificate, diploma, or other 
13.7 	appropriate academic credential.
13.8 		Subd. 3.Program curriculum and activities. (a) The pilot program must provide 
13.9 	an inclusive, two-year full-time residential college experience for students with intellectual 
13.10 	and developmental disabilities. The required curriculum must include core courses 
13.11 	that develop life skills, financial literacy, and the ability to live independently; rigorous 
13.12 	academic work in a student's chosen field of study; and an internship, apprenticeship, or 
13.13 	other skills-based experience to prepare for meaningful employment upon completion 
13.14 	of the program.
13.15 	(b) In addition to academic requirements, the program must offer participating 
13.16 	students the opportunity to engage fully in campus life. Program activities must include 
13.17 	but are not limited to (1) the establishment of on-campus mentoring and peer support 
13.18 	communities and (2) opportunities for personal growth through leadership development 
13.19 	and other community engagement activities.
13.20 	(c) A participating campus may tailor its program curriculum and activities to 
13.21 	highlight academic programs, student and community life experiences, and employment 
13.22 	opportunities unique to that campus or the region of the state where the campus is located.
13.23 		Subd. 4.Progress reports to legislature. The board must submit progress reports 
13.24 	on the pilot program required by this section to the chairs and ranking minority members 
13.25 	of the committees in the house of representatives and the senate with jurisdiction over 
13.26 	higher education finance and policy and human services finance and policy as follows:
13.27 	(1) no later than January 15, 2017, a report describing plans for implementation of 
13.28 	the program and recruitment of applicants, including identification of anticipated program 
13.29 	needs that cannot be filled using existing campus or system resources; and
13.30 	(2) no later than January 15, 2019, a report describing program operations, including 
13.31 	information on participation and expected completion rates, the feasibility of program 
13.32 	expansion to other state university campuses, and detail on any unmet program needs.

14.1 	ARTICLE 8
14.2 	MNSCU TRANSFER CURRICULUM

14.3 	Section 1. [136F.306] MINNESOTA TRANSFER CURRICULUM; 
14.4 	AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION.
14.5 	The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities must apply agricultural science 
14.6 	education credits in calculating a student's completion of the Minnesota transfer 
14.7 	curriculum's natural sciences requirement.

14.8 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

14.9 	Sec. 2. MINNESOTA TRANSFER CURRICULUM; OCCUPATIONAL 
14.10 	COURSES.
 14.11 	The Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities must report 
14.12 	by February 1, 2017, to the chairs and ranking minority members of the committees 
14.13 	in the house of representatives and the senate with jurisdiction over higher education 
14.14 	policy concerning the Minnesota transfer curriculum and the board's policy with respect 
14.15 	to accepting courses with an occupational component to satisfy transfer curriculum 
14.16 	requirements. Specifically, and without limitation, the board must report on its policy 
14.17 	of accepting courses that contain more than a 50 percent occupational component and 
14.18 	explain the rationale regarding that policy.

14.19 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

14.20 	ARTICLE 9
14.21 	PUBLIC POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTION EMPLOYEE PRIVACY POLICY

14.22 	Section 1. PUBLIC POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTION; EMPLOYEE 
14.23 	ELECTRONIC DEVICE PRIVACY POLICY.
 14.24 	The Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and the 
14.25 	Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota must report by June 15, 2016, to the 
14.26 	chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over 
14.27 	higher education policy on their policies regarding the privacy of employee-owned cell 
14.28 	phones, computers, and other similar electronic devices that are used, at least in part, by 
14.29 	the employee to perform work duties. The reports must include, without limitation, the 
14.30 	boards' policies regarding their right to inspect these devices.

15.1 	ARTICLE 10
15.2 	STATE GRANT

15.3 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2015 Supplement, section 136A.121, subdivision 7a, 
15.4 	is amended to read:
15.5 		Subd. 7a.Surplus appropriation. If the amount appropriated is determined by the 
15.6 	office to be more than sufficient to fund projected grant demand in the second year of the 
15.7 	biennium, the office may increase the living and miscellaneous expense allowance or the 
15.8 	tuition and fee maximums in the second year of the biennium by up to an amount that 
15.9 	retains sufficient appropriations to fund the projected grant demand. The adjustment may 
15.10 	be made one or more times. In making the determination that there are more than sufficient 
15.11 	funds, the office shall balance the need for sufficient resources to meet the projected 
15.12 	demand for grants with the goal of fully allocating the appropriation for state grants. An 
15.13 	increase in the living and miscellaneous expense allowance under this subdivision does 
15.14 	not carry forward into a subsequent biennium.

15.15 	ARTICLE 11
15.16 	STUDENT LOAN COUNSELING

15.17 	Section 1. Laws 2015, chapter 69, article 3, section 24, subdivision 1, is amended to 
15.18 	read:
15.19 		Subdivision 1.Pilot program created. The commissioner of the Office of Higher 
15.20 	Education shall make a grant to a nonprofit qualified debt counseling organization to 
15.21 	provide individual student loan debt repayment counseling to borrowers who are Minnesota 
15.22 	residents concerning loans obtained to attend a Minnesota postsecondary institution. The 
15.23 	counseling shall be provided to borrowers who are 30 to 60 days delinquent when they 
15.24 	are referred to or otherwise identified by the organization as candidates for counseling. 
15.25 	The number of individuals receiving counseling may be limited to those capable of being 
15.26 	served with available appropriations for that purpose. A goal of the counseling program is 
15.27 	to provide two counseling sessions to at least 75 percent of borrowers receiving counseling.
15.28 	The purpose of the counseling is to assist borrowers to:
15.29 	(1) understand their loan and repayment options; 
15.30 	(2) manage loan repayment; and
15.31 	(3) develop a workable budget based on the borrower's full financial situation 
15.32 	regarding income, expenses, and other debt.

16.1 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment 
16.2 	and is retroactive to July 1, 2015.