SF 1404

1st Engrossment - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)

Posted on 07/09/2025 02:02 p.m.

A bill for an act
relating to education; modifying American Indian mascot exemption requirements;
establishing a process for schools to apply for mascot replacement assistance;
appropriating money for mascot replacement assistance; amending Minnesota
Statutes 2024, section 121A.041, subdivisions 2, 3.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 121A.041, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Prohibition on American Indian mascots.

(a) Starting September 1, 2026, a
public school may not have or adopt a name, symbol, or image that depicts or refers to an
American Indian Tribe, individual, custom, or tradition to be used as a mascot, nickname,
logo, letterhead, or team name of the school, district, or school within the district, unless
the school has obtained an exemption under subdivision 3.

(b) The prohibition in paragraph (a) does not apply to a public school located within the
reservation of a federally recognized Tribal Nation in Minnesota, where at least 95 percent
of students meet the state definition of American Indian student.

(c) A school district with a prohibited American Indian mascot according to paragraph
(a), that has not received an exemption according to subdivision 3, must report to the chairs
and ranking minority members of the legislative committees having jurisdiction over
kindergarten through grade 12 education policy new text begin and education finance new text end by February 14,
2025, and again by February 1, 2026, on the district's progress to comply with this section;
and the district must submit copies of the reports to the Legislative Reference Library. The
reports must include the following:

(1) confirmation that the district has removed the American Indian mascot, nickname,
logo, letterhead, or team name from the district website;

(2) confirmation that the board of the district has approved a new mascot, nickname,
logo, letterhead, or team name;

(3) a summary of the district's progress on removing the American Indian mascot,
nickname, logo, letterhead, or team name from uniforms, equipment, signs, elements of
facilities, and other district items; and

(4) a summary of resources necessary to comply with the prohibition in paragraph (a)
and the district's plan to raise and allocate any necessary funds.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for reports submitted after June 30, 2025.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 121A.041, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Exemption.

A public school may seek an exemption to subdivision 2 by
deleted text begin submitting a request in writing to all 11 federally recognized Tribal Nations in Minnesota
and to the Tribal Nations Education Committee by September 1, 2023. The exemption is
denied if any of the 11 Tribal Nations or the Tribal Nations Education Committee oppose
the exemption by December 15, 2023 deleted text end new text begin requesting a letter of consent from the Tribal Nation
located nearest to the public school new text end . A public school whose request for deleted text begin an exemption deleted text end new text begin consent
from a Tribal Nation new text end is denied must comply with subdivision 2 deleted text begin by September 1, 2026 deleted text end .

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin APPROPRIATION; MASCOT REPLACEMENT ASSISTANCE.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Department of Education. new text end

new text begin The sum indicated in this section is
appropriated from the general fund to the Department of Education in the fiscal year
designated.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Mascot replacement assistance. new text end

new text begin (a) For assistance to public schools seeking
to comply with Minnesota Statutes, section 121A.041:
new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin ....... new text end

new text begin ..... new text end

new text begin 2026 new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner of education must establish a process for a public school to apply
to the commissioner for reimbursement of costs incurred to meet the requirements of
Minnesota Statutes, section 121A.041, subdivision 2, including the costs of replacing a
prohibited name, symbol, or image on uniforms, signs, paintings, equipment, gym floors,
websites, and other school property, including supplies and other building surfaces. The
application must be in the form and manner determined by the commissioner.
new text end

new text begin (c) For costs incurred after June 30, 2024, but before July 1, 2025, the commissioner
may reimburse up to 100 percent of the public school's costs.
new text end

new text begin (d) For costs incurred after June 30, 2025, the costs must be included in a work plan and
budget submitted by the public school to the commissioner and approved by the
commissioner to be eligible for reimbursement. The commissioner may reimburse up to
100 percent of the costs under this paragraph.
new text end

new text begin (e) This is a onetime appropriation and is available until June 30, 2027.
new text end