1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education finance; creating a school safety capital grants program for 
1.3 	nonpublic schools; requiring a report; appropriating money.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. NONPUBLIC SCHOOL SAFETY GRANTS.
 1.6 		Subdivision 1.Appropriation. (a) $5,000,000 in fiscal year 2021 is appropriated from 
1.7 	the general fund to the commissioner of education for school safety facility and equipment 
1.8 	grants for improvements related to violence prevention and facility security in nonpublic 
1.9 	schools.
1.10 	(b) Up to five percent of the appropriation is available to the commissioner to administer 
1.11 	the grants.
1.12 	(c) This appropriation is available until June 30, 2023.
1.13 		Subd. 2.Qualifying nonpublic schools. A nonpublic school that receives aid under 
1.14 	Minnesota Statutes, sections 123B.40 to 123B.48, is eligible to apply for a school safety 
1.15 	grant in the form and manner specified by the commissioner of education.
1.16 		Subd. 3.Grant amount and awards. After consultation with the Department of Public 
1.17 	Safety's Minnesota School Safety Center, the commissioner of education may award a 
1.18 	school safety facility grant of no more than $50,000 for each qualifying nonpublic school 
1.19 	building. The commissioner may divide the state into geographic regions and award grants 
1.20 	within each region for projects that meet the requirements of this subdivision on a first-come, 
1.21 	first-served basis. Before a grant is approved, a nonpublic school must provide documentation 
1.22 	acceptable to the commissioner of education specifying how the grant funds will be used.
2.1 		Subd. 4.Matching funds. A nonpublic school must match the state grant funds with 
2.2 	money from nonstate funding sources.
2.3 		Subd. 5.Use of funds. (a) Grant funds may be used to predesign, design, construct, 
2.4 	furnish, and equip school facilities, including renovating and expanding existing buildings 
2.5 	and facilities.
2.6 	(b) Grant funds may be used for any other allowable purpose under Minnesota Statutes, 
2.7 	section 126C.44. A grant for pupil support services must be used for secular, neutral, and 
2.8 	nonideological services.
2.9 		Subd. 6.Payment procedures. Funds for construction may not be distributed by the 
2.10 	commissioner of education to a recipient school until bids have been received on 100 percent 
2.11 	of the construction documents and satisfactory documentation has been submitted to the 
2.12 	commissioner of education indicating the grant funds available are sufficient to fully complete 
2.13 	the project. Grant funds are available when the commissioner of management and budget 
2.14 	determines that sufficient resources have been committed to complete the project, as required 
2.15 	by Minnesota Statutes, section 16A.502.
2.16 		Subd. 7.Reports. At the conclusion of each nonpublic school safety project, the grant 
2.17 	recipient must submit a report to the commissioner of education documenting the school 
2.18 	safety projects undertaken, the amount of grant funds spent, and the safety benefits to the 
2.19 	school's students and staff. By January 15, 2024, the commissioner of education must 
2.20 	summarize each nonpublic school's safety project and submit a report to the chairs and 
2.21 	ranking minority members of the legislative committees having jurisdiction over education 
2.22 	finance.