SF 1298

as introduced - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 02/14/2019 04:12pm

A bill for an act
relating to education finance; appropriating money for school safety grants.

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

Section 1. new text begin SCHOOL SAFETY GRANTS; APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin (a) $250,000,000 in fiscal year 2020 and $250,000,000 in fiscal year 2021 are
appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of education for school safety
facility grants for improvements related to violence prevention and facility security.
new text end

new text begin (b) A school district may apply for a school safety facility grant in the form and manner
specified by the commissioner of education.
new text end

new text begin (c) After consultation with the Department of Public Safety's Minnesota School Safety
Center, the commissioner of education may award a school safety facility grant to a school
district of no more than $500,000 for each qualifying school building. The commissioner
must award grants for projects that meet the requirements of this subdivision on a first-come,
first-served basis, except that for grants in fiscal year 2020, the commissioner must give
priority to districts that previously applied for, but were not awarded, a grant under Laws
2018, chapter 214, article 1, section 4, subdivision 3.
new text end

new text begin (d) Grants may be used to predesign, design, construct, furnish, and equip school facilities,
including renovating and expanding existing buildings and facilities.
new text end

new text begin (e) Before a grant is approved, the district must provide documentation acceptable to
the commissioner of education on how the grant will be used.
new text end

new text begin (f) No money for construction may be distributed by the commissioner of education to
the recipient school district until bids have been received and documented on 100 percent
of the construction project, and satisfactory documentation has been submitted to the
commissioner of education indicating the project can be fully completed with money available
for the project.
new text end