SF 1541

as introduced - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 09/16/2015 02:31pm

A bill for an act
relating to education; reporting school and district data on foreign exchange and
study abroad programs; encouraging foreign exchange and study abroad programs
and policies; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 5.

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

Section 1.

new text begin [5.411] DISTRICT AND SCHOOL FOREIGN EXCHANGE AND
STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS; REGISTRATION.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Programs. new text end

new text begin (a) A school district or charter school with enrolled
students who participate in a foreign exchange or study or other travel abroad program
must report to the Department of Education annually by November 1 the following data
from the previous school year:
new text end

new text begin (1) the number of student deaths that occurred while its students were participating
in the foreign exchange or study or other travel abroad program and that resulted from
their participation in the program;
new text end

new text begin (2) the number of student accidents and illnesses that occurred while its students
were participating in the foreign exchange or study or other travel abroad program and
that resulted from their participation in the program; and
new text end

new text begin (3) the name and type of the foreign exchange or study or other travel abroad
program and the city or region where the reported death, accident, or illness occurred.
new text end

new text begin (b) School districts and charter schools must ask but must not require students who
complete a foreign exchange or study or other travel abroad program to disclose the
information under paragraph (a).
new text end

new text begin (c) When reporting the data, a school district or charter school may supplement the
data with a brief explanatory statement. The department annually must aggregate and
publish the reported data on the department Web site in a format that facilitates public
access to the aggregated data and include links to both the United States Department of
State's Consular Information Program that informs the public of conditions abroad that
may affect students' safety and security and publicly available reports on sexual assaults
and other criminal acts affecting students participating in a foreign exchange or study
or other travel abroad program.
new text end

new text begin (d) School districts and charter schools with enrolled students who participate in
foreign exchange or study or other travel abroad programs are encouraged to adopt
policies supporting the programs and to include program standards to ensure students'
health and safety.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Registration; report. new text end

new text begin (a) To be eligible to provide a foreign exchange or
study or other travel abroad program to students enrolled in a school district or charter
school, a program provider must register with the secretary of state in the form and
manner prescribed by the secretary of state. Program providers, annually by August 1,
must provide the data required under subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clauses (1) to (3), to the
districts and charter schools with enrolled students participating in the provider's program.
new text end

new text begin (b) Registration with the secretary of state must not be considered or represented as
an endorsement of the program provider by the secretary of state.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for the 2015-2016 school year and
later.
new text end