HF 2

as introduced - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 01/10/2019 11:56am

A bill for an act
relating to education finance; increasing funding for school-linked mental health
services grants; providing funding for full-service community schools; extending
funding for support our students grants; funding the homework starts with home
program; increasing funding for the collaborative urban educator program;
appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 245.4889,
subdivision 1, by adding a subdivision.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 245.4889, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Establishment and authority.

(a) The commissioner is authorized to
make grants from available appropriations to assist:

(1) counties;

(2) Indian tribes;

(3) children's collaboratives under section 124D.23 or 245.493; or

(4) mental health service providers.

(b) The following services are eligible for grants under this section:

(1) services to children with emotional disturbances as defined in section 245.4871,
subdivision 15, and their families;

(2) transition services under section 245.4875, subdivision 8, for young adults under
age 21 and their families;

(3) respite care services for children with severe emotional disturbances who are at risk
of out-of-home placement;

(4) children's mental health crisis services;

(5) mental health services for people from cultural and ethnic minorities;

(6) children's mental health screening and follow-up diagnostic assessment and treatment;

(7) services to promote and develop the capacity of providers to use evidence-based
practices in providing children's mental health services;

(8) school-linked mental health services, including transportation for children receiving
school-linked mental health services when school is not in session;

(9) building evidence-based mental health intervention capacity for children birth to age
five;

(10) suicide prevention and counseling services that use text messaging statewide;

(11) mental health first aid training;

(12) training for parents, collaborative partners, and mental health providers on the
impact of adverse childhood experiences and trauma and development of an interactive
website to share information and strategies to promote resilience and prevent trauma;

(13) transition age services to develop or expand mental health treatment and supports
for adolescents and young adults 26 years of age or younger;

(14) early childhood mental health consultation;

(15) evidence-based interventions for youth at risk of developing or experiencing a first
episode of psychosis, and a public awareness campaign on the signs and symptoms of
psychosis;

(16) psychiatric consultation for primary care practitioners; and

(17) providers to begin operations and meet program requirements when establishing a
new children's mental health program. These may be start-up grants.

(c) Services under paragraph (b) must be designed to help each child to function and
remain with the child's family in the community and delivered consistent with the child's
treatment plan. Transition services to eligible young adults under this paragraph must be
designed to foster independent living in the community.

(d) As a condition of receiving grant funds, a grantee must obtain all available third-party
reimbursement sources, if applicable.

EFFECTIVE DATE.

This section is effective July 1, 2019.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 245.4889, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

Subd. 1a.

School-linked mental health services grants.

(a) An eligible applicant for
school-linked mental health services grants under subdivision 1, paragraph (b), clause (8),
is an entity that is:

(1) certified under Minnesota Rules, parts 9520.0750 to 9520.0870;

(2) a community mental health center under section 256B.0625, subdivision 5;

(3) an American Indian health service facility or facility owned and operated by a tribe
or tribal organization operating under United States Code, title 25, section 5321;

(4) a provider of children's therapeutic services and supports as defined in section
256B.0943; or

(5) enrolled in medical assistance as a mental health or substance use disorder provider
and employs at least two full-time equivalent mental health professionals as defined in
section 245.4871, subdivision 27, clauses (1) to (6), or two alcohol and drug counselors
licensed or exempt from licensure under chapter 148F who are qualified to provide clinical
services to children and families.

(b) Allowable grant expenses include transportation for children receiving school-linked
mental health services when school is not in session, and may be used to purchase equipment,
connection charges, on-site coordination, set-up fees, and site fees in order to deliver
school-linked mental health services defined in this subdivision via telemedicine, consistent
with section 256B.0625, subdivision 3b.

EFFECTIVE DATE.

This section is effective the day following final enactment.

Sec. 3. APPROPRIATIONS; COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION.

Subdivision 1.

Department of Education.

The sums indicated in this section are
appropriated from the general fund to the Department of Education in the fiscal year
designated.

Subd. 2.

Children's school-linked mental health services grants.

(a) For transfer to
the Department of Human Services for children's school-linked mental health services grants
under Minnesota Statutes, section 245.4889, subdivision 1, paragraph (b), clause (8),
including the delivery of school-linked mental health services by telemedicine:

	$	5,120,000	.....	2020
	$	5,120,000	.....	2021

(b) This appropriation is in addition to any other amount specifically appropriated for
this purpose.

(c) Any balance in the first year does not cancel but is available in the second year.

Subd. 3.

Support our students grants.

(a) For support our students grants under Laws
2016, chapter 189, article 25, section 56:

$

12,133,000

.....

2020

(b) Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 16A.28, this appropriation is available
until June 30, 2025. Any balance remaining after June 30, 2025, cancels to the general fund.

Subd. 4.

Full-service community schools.

(a) For full-service community schools under
Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.231:

	$	15,000,000	.....	2020
	$	15,000,000	.....	2021

(b) Any balance in the first year does not cancel but is available in the second year.

Subd. 5.

Homework starts with home.

(a) For transfer to the Department of Minnesota
Housing for the collaborative effort among the Minnesota Departments of Education,
Housing, and Human Services, the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness, and
the Heading Home Minnesota Funders Collaborative:

	$	4,000,000	.....	2020
	$	4,000,000	.....	2021

(b) Any balance in the first year does not cancel but is available in the second year.

Subd. 6.

Collaborative urban and greater Minnesota educators of color program
grants.

(a) For collaborative urban and greater Minnesota educators of color program grants:

	$	6,000,000	.....	2020
	$	6,000,000	.....	2021

(b) Grants of $195,000 per year must be awarded to each of the following programs:
the Southeast Asian Teacher program at Concordia University, St. Paul; the Collaborative
Urban Educator program at the University of St. Thomas; the Center for Excellence in
Urban Teaching at Hamline University; and the East Africa Student to Teacher program at
Augsburg University.

(c) The remaining grants must be awarded through a competitive process. Any program,
including a program listed in paragraph (b), may apply for a grant in the form and manner
specified by the commissioner.

(d) The commissioner must establish a competitive grant process to award not less than
$220,000 each year to Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board-approved
teacher preparation programs, including alternative teacher preparation programs. The
competitive process must award grants based on program benchmarks, including licensure
rates, participation rates, and on-time graduation rates.

(e) By January 15 of each year, each institution shall prepare for the legislature a detailed
report regarding the funds used to recruit, retain, and induct teacher candidates who are of
color or who are American Indian. The report must include the total number of teacher
candidates of color, disaggregated by race or ethnic group, who are recruited to the institution,
are newly admitted to the licensure program, are enrolled in the licensure program, have
completed student teaching, have graduated, and are licensed and newly employed as
Minnesota teachers in their licensure field. The total number of teacher candidates who are
of color or who are American Indian at each stage from recruitment to licensed teaching
must be reported as a percentage of total candidates seeking the same licensure at the
institution. The report must include the graduation rate for each cohort of teacher candidates,
the placement rate for each graduating cohort of teacher candidates, and the retention rate
for each graduating cohort of teacher candidates, among other program outcomes.

(f) Any balance in the first year does not cancel but is available in the second year.

Subd. 7.

Grow Your Own pathways to teacher licensure.

(a) For grants to school
districts for Grow Your Own new teacher programs:

	$	8,500,000	.....	2020
	$	8,500,000	.....	2021

(b) Each year, at least $3,000,000 of the grants are for school districts with more than
30 percent students of color for established and effective Professional Educator Licensing
and Standards Board-approved nonconventional teacher residency programs. The programs
must provide tuition scholarships or stipends to enable school district employees or
community members affiliated with a school district who seek an education license to
participate in a nonconventional teacher preparation program. School districts that receive
funds under this subdivision must have a program to recruit and retain candidates of color
and American Indian candidates to participate in the Grow Your Own new teacher programs.
Districts or schools providing financial support may require a commitment as determined
by the district to teach in the district or school for a reasonable amount of time that does
not exceed five years.

(c) Each year, at least $3,000,000 is for grants for schools or districts where more than
25 percent of students are students of color or are American Indian. The grants are to provide
financial assistance, mentoring, and experiences to enable persons who are of color or who
are American Indian and who are working or living in the local community to become
teachers. Districts or schools providing financial support may require a commitment as
determined by the district to teach in the district or school for a reasonable period of time
that does not exceed five years. Grants under this paragraph may be used for:

(1) tuition scholarships or stipends to eligible teaching assistants, cultural liaisons, or
other nonlicensed employees who are of color or who are American Indian enrolled in any
teacher preparation program approved by the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards
Board; and

(2) supporting the development of innovative residency programs and any school, district,
or cooperative, as defined under Minnesota Statutes, section 123A.24, subdivision 2, for
persons who are of color or are American Indian seeking an education license through a
school-based, board-approved program.

(d) Each year, at least $500,000 is for grants to school districts and charter schools to
develop innovative expanded Grow Your Own programs that encourage secondary school
students to pursue teaching, including developing and offering dual-credit postsecondary
course options in schools for "Introduction to Teaching" or "Introduction to Education"
courses consistent with Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.09, subdivision 10, and supporting
future teacher clubs involving middle and high school students who are of color or who are
American Indian to have experiential learning, support the success of younger students, and
pursue a teaching career.

(e) A school district must apply for a grant in the form and manner specified by the
commissioner. The commissioner must review all grant applications by September 15 and
notify grant recipients of the amount of the grant by September 30 of each year.

(f) Programs must annually report to the commissioner by the date determined by the
commissioner on their activities under this section, including the number of participants,
the percentage of participants who are of color or who are American Indian, and an
assessment of program effectiveness, including participant feedback, areas for improvement,
the percentage of participants continuing to pursue teacher licensure, and the number of
participants hired in the school or district as teachers after completing preparation programs.

(g) The department may retain up to three percent of the appropriation amount to monitor
and administer the grant program.

(h) A grant recipient must spend any amounts received under this section within 18
months of the grant award.

(i) Any balance in the first year does not cancel but is available in the second year.

EFFECTIVE DATE.

This section is effective July 1, 2019.