Office of the Revisor of Statutes
HF 2895
Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)
Posted on 04/03/2025 04:27 p.m.
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A bill for an act
relating to education finance; creating an education empowerment account program;
requiring a report; appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota
Statutes, chapter 124D.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Section 1.
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[124D.0905] EDUCATION EMPOWERMENT ACCOUNTS FOR
STUDENTS.
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new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end
new text begin Definitions. new text end
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(a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have
the meanings given.
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(b) "Available federal funds" means federal elementary and secondary aid paid to the
state through a block grant or otherwise not required by federal law to be used for a specific
purpose.
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(c) "Eligible education expenses" include:
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(1) tuition and fees;
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(2) textbooks, curricular materials, and other instructional materials and supplies;
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(3) registration fees for nationally standardized achievement tests, advanced placement
and international baccalaureate tests, and any other examination related to postsecondary
admission;
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(4) educational therapies, including individualized observation and instruction to students
who may be struggling in a specific academic subject area;
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(5) pupil transportation services to and from school, unless transportation is provided
under sections 123B.84 to 123B.87; and
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(6) computer hardware, software, and connectivity devices and expenses necessary for
a student to participate in an educational program.
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(d) "Eligible student" means any student who resides in Minnesota and is eligible to
enroll in a public school for prekindergarten through grade 12 programming.
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(e) "Individual education empowerment account" means an education empowerment
account established on behalf of an eligible student according to subdivision 4.
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(f) "Participating student" means an eligible student who has enrolled in the education
empowerment account program.
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(g) "Postsecondary institution" means an eligible institution under section 124D.09,
subdivision 3, paragraph (a).
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(h) "Student education empowerment amount" means the statewide average general
education revenue per pupil unit under section 126C.10.
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new text begin Subd. 2. new text end
new text begin Education empowerment account program created. new text end
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(a) An education
empowerment account program is created.
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(b) A student qualifies to participate in the program if the student is an eligible student
under subdivision 1, paragraph (d).
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(c) A parent must only use the money deposited in a participating student's education
empowerment account for tuition and fees.
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(d) Upon a participating student's graduation from high school, any money remaining
in a participating student's individual education empowerment account may be applied to
tuition and fees charged for courses taken from a postsecondary institution in the school
year immediately following the year of graduation.
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(e) If, at any time after the creation of a student's individual education empowerment
account, the participating student re-enrolls in a Minnesota school district or charter school,
the student's individual education empowerment account must be closed, and any remaining
money in the student's individual education empowerment account must be returned to the
state general fund.
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new text begin Subd. 3. new text end
new text begin Individual education empowerment account funding. new text end
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(a) The commissioner
must create an individual education empowerment account for each participating student
upon request of the student's parent.
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(b) Each student's education empowerment amount equals the student education
empowerment amount for that school year times grade-level weighting under section 126C.05
for the eligible student's grade.
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(c) On July 30 of each year, the amount determined under paragraph (b) is appropriated
from the general fund to the commissioner for placement into each participating student's
education empowerment account. The amount transferred to each account equals the product
of the pupil's grade-level weighting for that year and the basic formula allowance for that
year.
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new text begin Subd. 4. new text end
new text begin Application information. new text end
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(a) The commissioner must create an application
form, ensure that the application is readily available to interested students and families, and
post the form to the Department of Education's website. The commissioner must provide
information to participating students and families explaining (1) the obligation of the parent
to document the appropriate expenditure of account funds, and (2) the duties of the
commissioner to oversee the spending of the funds. The information must also be made
available on the department's website.
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(b) By October 1 of each year, the commissioner shall annually notify all students who
are eligible to participate in the education empowerment account program of the existence
of the program.
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new text begin Subd. 5. new text end
new text begin Special revenue fund; education empowerment account. new text end
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(a) An account is
established in the special revenue fund known as the "education empowerment account."
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(b) Available federal funds must be deposited into the education empowerment account.
If the commissioner estimates that the available federal funds are in excess of the amount
necessary to fund the educational empowerment accounts, the remaining available funds
may be used as otherwise provided by law.
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(c) State funds appropriated for the education empowerment account must be transferred
to the education empowerment account in the special revenue fund.
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(d) Money in the account is annually appropriated to the commissioner for transfer into
participating students' individual education empowerment accounts.
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new text begin Subd. 6. new text end
new text begin Effect on nonpublic schools. new text end
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Nothing in this section authorizes the Department
of Education or any school district in this state to exercise any additional control or
supervision, other than that set forth in this section, or to impose any additional requirements
or restrictions, other than those set forth in this section, over any nonpublic school, nonpublic
school student, or parent of any nonpublic school student.
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new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end
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This section is effective the day following final enactment and
applies to eligible students enrolling in an eligible school for the 2026-2027 school year
and later.
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Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS; EDUCATION EMPOWERMENT ACCOUNTS.
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new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end
new text begin Department of Education. new text end
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The sums indicated in this section are
appropriated from the general fund to the Department of Education for the fiscal years
designated.
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new text begin Subd. 2. new text end
new text begin Development of education empowerment accounts. new text end
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For development of
education empowerment accounts under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.0905:
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|
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$ new text end |
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....... new text end |
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..... new text end |
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2026 new text end |
new text begin Subd. 3. new text end
new text begin Education empowerment accounts. new text end
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(a) For transfer to the education
empowerment account in the special revenue fund under Minnesota Statutes, section
124D.0905, subdivision 5:
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|
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$ new text end |
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....... new text end |
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..... new text end |
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2027 new text end |
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(b) By March 15 of each year, the commissioner must annually estimate and report to
the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction
over education the state aid, when added to the available federal funds, necessary to fully
fund the education empowerment account for the following school year.
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