SF 4580

as introduced - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 05/08/2020 07:47am

A bill for an act
relating to education; establishing a distance learning broadband access grant
program; requiring the commissioner to equitably distribute the state education
agencies reserve portion of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency
Relief Funds; requiring school districts and charter schools to use Elementary and
Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds for certain purposes; requiring school
districts and charter schools to use the September 2020 permanent school fund
apportionment for certain purposes; appropriating money.

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

Section 1. new text begin DISTANCE LEARNING BROADBAND ACCESS GRANT PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Definition. new text end

new text begin For the purposes of this section, "commissioner" means the
commissioner of education.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Establishment. new text end

new text begin A distance learning broadband access grant program is
established in the Department of Education to provide temporary wireless or wire-line
broadband access to students currently lacking Internet access so that the students may
participate in distance learning offered by school districts and charter schools during the
peacetime public health emergency period that relates to the infectious disease known as
COVID-19.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Eligible expenditures. new text end

new text begin A grant awarded under this section may be used to:
new text end

new text begin (1) provide a student with a data card, USB modem, or other mobile or temporary
broadband device that enables the student to access learning materials available on the
Internet through a mobile or temporary wireless or wire-line broadband connection;
new text end

new text begin (2) reimburse a school district or charter school for actual costs incurred to provide
emergency distance learning wireless or wire-line broadband access during the 2019-2020
school year; and
new text end

new text begin (3) reimburse a school district or charter school for the cost of wireless or wire-line
broadband Internet access for households with students that did not otherwise have Internet
access before March 13, 2020, for the 2019-2020 school year.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Eligible applicants. new text end

new text begin A Minnesota school district or charter school may apply
for a grant award under this section.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Application review. new text end

new text begin (a) An applicant for a grant under this section must file
an application with the commissioner on a form developed by the commissioner. The
commissioner may consult with the commissioner of employment and economic development
when developing the form.
new text end

new text begin (b) An application for a grant under this subdivision must describe a school district's or
charter school's approach to identify and prioritize access for students unable to access the
Internet for distance learning and may include a description of local or private matching
grants or in-kind contributions.
new text end

new text begin (c) A school district or charter school may develop its application in cooperation with
the school district's or charter school's community education department, the school district's
or charter school's adult basic education program provider, a public library, an Internet
service provider, or other community partner.
new text end

new text begin (d) The commissioner must award grants under this section on a first-come, first-served
basis.
new text end

new text begin (e) The commissioner must develop administrative procedures governing the application
and grant award process.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Grant amount. new text end

new text begin The commissioner must establish a maximum per-pupil amount
for grants awarded under this section based on (1) the number of districts and charter schools
that apply for a grant, and (2) the availability of federal money for a similar purpose.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL EMERGENCY RELIEF
FUND; STATE EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES RESERVE.
new text end

new text begin The commissioner of education must equitably distribute to school districts and charter
schools on a per pupil basis the state education agencies reserve portion of the Elementary
and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund authorized under the federal Coronavirus
Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, estimated at $14,013,725. A school district or
charter school must use the funds to provide mental health services and support for students
or to purchase educational technology for students, including hardware, software, or
connectivity.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin PERMANENT SCHOOL FUND; SEPTEMBER 2020 APPORTIONMENT.
new text end

new text begin Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, a school district or charter school must use the
September 2020 permanent school fund apportionment under Minnesota Statutes, section
127A.33, to provide mental health services and support for students or to purchase
educational technology for students, including hardware, software, or connectivity.
new text end

Sec. 4. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $8,000,000 in fiscal year 2020 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner
of employment and economic development for transfer to the commissioner of education
for emergency distance learning wireless or wire-line broadband access for student grants
for school districts and charter schools under section 1. Up to five percent of the appropriation
under this paragraph may be used to reimburse reasonable costs incurred by the Department
of Education to administer section 1. This is a onetime appropriation. Any funds that remain
unexpended on September 30, 2020, are transferred to the border-to-border broadband fund
account established in Minnesota Statutes, section 116J.396. By December 1, 2020, the
commissioner of education must report to the legislature regarding the number of districts
and charter schools that received grants under section 1 and the number of students that
were provided Internet access. The report must also identify the costs to administer the grant
program and the amount transferred to the border-to-border broadband fund.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end