HF 2538

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 03/02/2023 02:13pm

A bill for an act
relating to education; requiring student and staff safety measures to be included
in each school district's long-term facilities maintenance school facility plan;
increasing safe schools funding; creating school security systems grants;
appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 123B.595,
subdivision 4.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 123B.595, subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4.

Facilities plans.

(a) To qualify for revenue under this section, a school district
or intermediate district, not including a charter school, must have a ten-year facility plan
adopted by the school board and approved by the commissioner. The plan must include
provisions for implementing a health and safety program that complies with health, safety,
and environmental regulations and best practices, including indoor air quality management
and remediation of lead hazards.

new text begin (b) The facilities plan must also include a safe schools plan for each school site identifying
physical modifications to improve student and staff safety at the school site.
new text end

deleted text begin (b) deleted text end new text begin (c) new text end The district must annually update the plan, submit the plan to the commissioner
for approval by July 31, and indicate whether the district will issue bonds to finance the
plan or levy for the costs.

deleted text begin (c) deleted text end new text begin (d) new text end For school districts issuing bonds to finance the plan, the plan must include a
debt service schedule demonstrating that the debt service revenue required to pay the principal
and interest on the bonds each year will not exceed the projected long-term facilities revenue
for that year.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for plans submitted to the commissioner
on or after August 1, 2023.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION; SCHOOL SECURITY GRANTS.
new text end

new text begin (a) $100,000,000 in fiscal year 2024 is appropriated from the general fund to the
Department of Public Safety for the Office of Justice Programs, in consultation with the
Minnesota School Safety Center, to issue school security grants to school districts and
charter schools.
new text end

new text begin (b) A school district or charter school may apply for a grant in the form and manner
specified by the Office of Justice Programs. The Office of Justice Programs may establish
application timelines for the award of grants and may award grants in more than one round.
Applications for the last round of grants must be received by the Office of Justice Programs
no later than August 1, 2024.
new text end

new text begin (c) Grants may be awarded in an amount not to exceed $300,000 per district. The grants
must be awarded to schools located in all geographic regions of the state and priority must
be given to facilities serving the largest number of students within that geographic region.
new text end

new text begin (d) The Minnesota School Safety Center must prepare a list of vendors authorized to
provide the security services and products listed in this paragraph. A school district or charter
school must use grant funds to contract with an approved vendor for implementation and
installation of a comprehensive, multilayered, integrated security system, including an
evaluation of a school site's current security systems, and training for school staff on using
the security systems. The security systems must include a system to alert local law
enforcement of an immediate security threat within each room in the school. The grants
must be used for one or more of the following purposes:
new text end

new text begin (1) bullet-resistant interior doors and windows;
new text end

new text begin (2) ballistic wall panels;
new text end

new text begin (3) magnetic door-locking systems;
new text end

new text begin (4) remote lock-down activation systems;
new text end

new text begin (5) a mass notification system unified with an emergency communication system;
new text end

new text begin (6) an emergency building access system for first responders including fire, emergency
medical services, and law enforcement personnel;
new text end

new text begin (7) an access control system with remote door-release capabilities;
new text end

new text begin (8) electronic access controls for main distribution frame and independent distribution
frame rooms with a key override;
new text end

new text begin (9) classroom duress alarms linked to a law enforcement and administration notification
system;
new text end

new text begin (10) security system training for staff to initiate emergency protocols;
new text end

new text begin (11) ballistic security glass for interior door vision panels and sidelites;
new text end

new text begin (12) electronic access control systems for primary building entrances; and
new text end

new text begin (13) classroom door installations that optimize safety and security.
new text end

new text begin (e) The Minnesota School Safety Center must identify vendors that provide the services
and systems required under paragraph (d) and provide districts and charter schools with a
list of approved vendors.
new text end

new text begin (f) The Department of Public Safety may retain up to 2.5 percent of the appropriation
for the Office of Justice Programs to administer the grant and for the Minnesota School
Safety Center to provide districts and charter schools technical assistance.
new text end

new text begin (g) By February 15 following each year a grant is awarded under this section, the
Minnesota School Safety Center, Office of Justice Programs, and Department of Public
Safety shall report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees
with jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 education on the number and amount
of grant awards, a description of each grant recipient's purchased items and vendors
contracted for school security systems installation and technical assistance, and considerations
on future school security grant funding, management, and installation.
new text end

new text begin (h) This is a onetime appropriation. This appropriation does not cancel but is available
until June 30, 2026.
new text end