SF 4042
Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)
Posted on 03/03/2026 09:22 a.m.
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A bill for an act
relating to education; requiring anonymous reporting systems; requiring a report;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 121A.53; proposing coding for new
law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 121A.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Section 1.
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[121A.036] ANONYMOUS REPORTING SYSTEM.
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new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end
new text begin Definition; evidence-based. new text end
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As used in this section, the term
"evidence-based" means a program or practice that:
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(1) demonstrates a statistically significant effect on relevant outcomes based on:
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(i) strong evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented experimental
study;
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(ii) moderate evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented
quasi-experimental study; or
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(iii) promising evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented
correlational study with statistical controls for selection bias; or
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(2) demonstrates a rationale based on high-quality research findings or positive evaluation
that the program or practice is likely to improve relevant outcomes, and includes ongoing
efforts to examine the effects of the program or practice.
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new text begin Subd. 2. new text end
new text begin School systems. new text end
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(a) By July 1, 2028, each elementary, middle, or secondary
school, as defined in section 120A.05, subdivisions 9, 11, and 13, must implement an
anonymous reporting system that:
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(1) supports anonymous reporting 24 hours a day through, at a minimum, a mobile
application and a multilingual crisis center;
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(2) includes crisis centers staffed by persons with evidence-based counseling and crisis
intervention training;
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(3) promptly forwards reported information to the appropriate school-based team;
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(4) supports a coordinated response by schools, 911 telecommunicators, and sworn law
enforcement to an identified crisis when response by schools and sworn law enforcement
is to be reasonably expected to ensure the public safety and welfare;
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(5) requires and certifies the training of a school-based team in each school to receive
notice of any report submitted through the anonymous reporting system concerning the
school, school personnel, or an enrolled student;
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(6) promotes public awareness and education about the anonymous reporting system
and its reporting methods before launching the system;
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(7) implements an evidence-based student violence prevention training that teaches
students how to identify observable warning signs and signals of an individual who may be
at risk of self-harm, the importance of taking threats seriously and seeking help, and how
to report a person who is at risk using the anonymous reporting system; and
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(8) complies with data practices under chapter 13 and the Family Educational Rights
and Privacy Act of 1974, United States Code, title 20, section 1232g.
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(b) A school may comply with this subdivision by implementing its own anonymous
reporting system, or using a statewide system implemented by the Department of Education
in accordance with subdivision 3. A school that implements its own system may enter into
a contract to develop and implement an anonymous reporting system that meets the
requirements of this subdivision.
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(c) In addition to the system requirements under paragraph (a), a party providing an
anonymous reporting system must establish the following:
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(1) a website to educate students on the availability of the anonymous reporting system
and provide guidance on how and when to use the system; and
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(2) a toll-free hotline that can be used to provide anonymous tips regarding dangerous,
violent, threatening, harmful, or potentially harmful activity that occurs, or is threatened
on, school property or relates to an enrolled student or school personnel.
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(d) By September 1, 2027, a school subject to this subdivision must form a school-based
team comprised of at least three school employees and inform the commissioner of education,
in the form and manner determined by the commissioner, of the primary contact person for
each school-based team.
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(e) A nonpublic school may implement an anonymous reporting system but is not subject
to the requirements of this subdivision.
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new text begin Subd. 3. new text end
new text begin Department of Education. new text end
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(a) The Department of Education must, in
collaboration with the Department of Public Safety, make available to all schools where a
Minnesota resident may fulfill the compulsory instruction requirements under section
120A.22 a list of third parties that provide anonymous reporting systems that meet the
requirements under this section. The list must include third parties who offer free or low-cost
anonymous reporting systems.
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(b) By January 1, 2027, the Department of Education must begin compiling and
maintaining the school-based team information reported to the department under subdivision
2.
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(c) The Department of Education may operate or contract for the development and
operation of a statewide anonymous reporting system that meets the requirements of a
system under subdivision 2.
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new text begin Subd. 4. new text end
new text begin Report. new text end
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By December 15, 2028, and each year thereafter, the commissioner
of education must submit a report to the legislative committees with jurisdiction over
kindergarten through grade 12 education and public safety with the following information:
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(1) the total number of reports received through an anonymous reporting system for the
preceding school year;
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(2) for all reports received through an anonymous reporting system since this section
was enacted, the following information disaggregated by school site:
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(i) the type of reports received;
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(ii) the method by which the report was received; and
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(iii) the number of false reports received; and
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(3) how schools responded to reports received, disaggregated by disciplinary actions,
nondisciplinary actions, and interventions; and
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(4) the gender and race of a student subject to disciplinary action, nondisciplinary action,
or intervention as a result of a report.
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new text begin Subd. 5. new text end
new text begin Funding sources. new text end
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The Department of Education and schools subject to the
requirements of this section may accept funds for the anonymous reporting system required
under this section from public and private sources, including state or federal funding, that
is available to increase school safety.
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new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end
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This section is effective July 1, 2026.
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Sec. 2.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 121A.53, is amended to read:
121A.53 REPORT TO COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION.
Subdivision 1.
Exclusions and expulsions; student withdrawals; physical assaults.
new text begin (a)
new text end Consistent with subdivision 2, the school board must report through the department electronic
reporting system each exclusion or expulsion, each physical assault of a district employee
by a pupil, and each pupil withdrawal agreement within 30 days of the effective date of the
dismissal action, pupil withdrawal, or assault, to the commissioner of education. This report
must include a statement of nonexclusionary disciplinary practices, or other sanction,
intervention, or resolution in response to the assault given the pupil and the reason for, the
effective date, and the duration of the exclusion or expulsion or other sanction, intervention,
or resolution. The report must also include the pupil's age, grade, gender, race, and special
education status.
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(b) The report to the department must state whether the discipline reported is related to
a report received through an anonymous reporting system under section 121A.036.
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Subd. 2.
Report.
(a) The school board must include state student identification numbers
of affected pupils on all dismissal and other disciplinary reports required by the department.
The department must report annually to the commissioner summary data on the number of
dismissals and physical assaults of district employees by a student by age, grade, gender,
race, and special education status of the affected pupils. new text begin The report to the commissioner
must also include summary data on the number of dismissals related to a report received
through an anonymous reporting system under section 121A.036. new text end All dismissal and other
disciplinary reports must be submitted through the department electronic reporting system.
(b) The commissioner must aggregate the district data reported under this section and
include the aggregated data, including aggregated data on physical assaults of a district
employee by a student, in the annual school performance reports under section 120B.36.
new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end
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This section is effective July 1, 2026.
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