1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to higher education; providing funding for various Minnesota State Colleges 
1.3 	and Universities appropriations;amending Minnesota Statutes 2021 Supplement, 
1.4 	sections 136F.20, subdivision 4; 136F.202, subdivision 1; Laws 2021, First Special 
1.5 	Session chapter 2, article 1, section 3, subdivision 3.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2021 Supplement, section 136F.20, subdivision 4, is amended 
1.8 	to read:
1.9 		Subd. 4.Mental health awareness program. (a) The board shall implement a mental 
1.10 	health awareness program at each Minnesota state college and university by the start of the 
1.11 	2022-2023 academic year. A mental health awareness program shall include:
1.12 	(1) a web page at each institution that includes links to existing self-assessment resources, 
1.13 	resources connecting students to campus and community-based resources, and emergency 
1.14 	contact information and resources;
1.15 	(2) mandatory mental health first aid training, evidence-based suicide prevention training, 
1.16 	or other similar mental health training for faculty, staff, and students, giving priority to those 
1.17 	who serve in roles that include increased direct contact with students who are experiencing 
1.18 	mental health concerns, such as student housing and campus safety employees. Each college 
1.19 	and university shall identify the appropriate faculty, staff, and students to receive training 
1.20 	based on college or university structure and available funding;
1.21 	(3) a session at each student orientation program that includes information about 
1.22 	maintaining good mental health, the symptoms of mental health conditions common among 
1.23 	college students, and mental health resources and services available to students;
2.1 	(4) a messaging strategy to send students information on available mental health resources 
2.2 	and services at least once per term, and during periods of high academic stress; and
2.3 	(5) distributing the suicide prevention helpline and text line contact information in a 
2.4 	way that increases accessibility and awareness of that information to students.
2.5 	(b) The board shall create and maintain a mental health community of practice including 
2.6 	faculty and staff with subject matter expertise in mental health to identify resources and 
2.7 	best practices to inform campus-based strategies to raise awareness of local and state 
2.8 	resources and implement appropriate training experiences.
2.9 	(c) The board shall make grants to Minnesota State Colleges and Universities to establish 
2.10 	a peer support pilot program designed to assist students with a mental health condition. The 
2.11 	program shall utilize student peers to support students living with mental health conditions 
2.12 	on campus. The peer support program may be housed within the counseling center, wellness 
2.13 	center, or resident assistance programs on campus. The peer support program leaders must 
2.14 	be trained to facilitate discussions on mental health, identify students who may be in crisis, 
2.15 	and refer students to programs for mental health support.
2.16 	(d) The board shall pursue additional centralized mental health resources, training 
2.17 	opportunities, and support that will enhance student mental health capacity on college and 
2.18 	university campuses and in local communities.

2.19 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2021 Supplement, section 136F.202, subdivision 1, is amended 
2.20 	to read:
2.21 		Subdivision 1.Basic needs resources. (a) Each college and university shall create and 
2.22 	maintain a web page that clearly identifies basic needs resources available at the college or 
2.23 	university. This web page shall clearly identify at least one staff member, faculty member, 
2.24 	or department as a point of contact to whom students may direct questions. Each college 
2.25 	and university shall also make the information under this paragraph available on the college 
2.26 	or university mobile application, if possible.
2.27 	(b) The board shall pursue the creation of a centralized basic needs online resource web 
2.28 	page that will raise awareness of campus-based resources available at colleges and 
2.29 	universities and local, state, and national resources that can assist in addressing basic needs 
2.30 	insecurity.
2.31 	(c) The board shall pursue additional centralized basic needs resources, training 
2.32 	opportunities, and support that will enhance student basic needs capacity on college and 
2.33 	university campuses and in local communities.

3.1 	Sec. 3. Laws 2021, First Special Session chapter 2, article 1, section 3, subdivision 3, is 
3.2 	amended to read:

3.43.3
	Subd. 3.Operations and Maintenance
 		753,795,000
		751,295,000
811,295,000
	
3.5 	(a) $25,000,000 in fiscal year 2023 is to 
3.6 	maintain 2021-2022 academic year tuition 
3.7 	rates for the 2022-2023 academic year. The 
3.8 	Board of Trustees must establish tuition rates 
3.9 	as follows:
3.10 	(1) for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 
3.11 	academic years year, tuition rates for 
3.12 	undergraduate students at colleges and 
3.13 	universities must not be increased by more 
3.14 	than 3.5 percent as compared to from the 
3.15 	previous academic year, except that a 
3.16 	university may change base tuition to adjust 
3.17 	for the reduction of online differential charges 
3.18 	provided the change is revenue-neutral; and
3.19 	(2) the student tuition relief may not be offset 
3.20 	by increases in mandatory fees, charges, or 
3.21 	other assessments to the student. Colleges and 
3.22 	universities are permitted to increase 
3.23 	differential tuition charges in fiscal years 2022 
3.24 	and 2023 where costs for course or program 
3.25 	delivery have increased due to extraordinary 
3.26 	circumstances beyond the control of the 
3.27 	college or university. Rates and rationale must 
3.28 	be approved by the Board of Trustees.
3.29 	(b) The Board of Trustees must request 
3.30 	guidance from the United States Department 
3.31 	of Education regarding whether it is 
3.32 	permissible to allocate federal funds received 
3.33 	under section 314 of the Consolidated 
3.34 	Appropriations Act, 2021, as provided by 
3.35 	Public Law 116-260, and section 2003 of the 
4.1 	American Rescue Plan Act, as provided by 
4.2 	Public Law 117-2, to provide a tuition credit 
4.3 	for enrolled students or refund for students 
4.4 	who are no longer enrolled in an amount equal 
4.5 	to the amount of the online differential tuition 
4.6 	rate charged to students for courses moved 
4.7 	online due to the coronavirus pandemic during 
4.8 	the 2020-2021 academic year that were not 
4.9 	offered as online courses during the previous 
4.10 	academic year. If the department advises that 
4.11 	this is a permissible use of the federal funds, 
4.12 	institutions must issue such tuition credits to 
4.13 	enrolled students and must inform students 
4.14 	who are no longer enrolled in the institution 
4.15 	of their eligibility for a refund. In order to 
4.16 	receive a refund, the student must apply for 
4.17 	the refund.
4.18 	(c) $5,700,000 in fiscal year 2022 and 
4.19 	$5,700,000 in fiscal year 2023 are to provide 
4.20 	supplemental aid for operations and 
4.21 	maintenance to the president of each two-year 
4.22 	institution in the system with at least one 
4.23 	campus that is not located in a metropolitan 
4.24 	county, as defined in Minnesota Statutes, 
4.25 	section 473.121, subdivision 4. The board 
4.26 	shall transfer at least $158,000 for each 
4.27 	campus not located in a metropolitan county 
4.28 	in each year to the president of each institution 
4.29 	that includes such a campus.
4.30 	(d) The Board of Trustees is requested to help 
4.31 	Minnesota close the attainment gap by funding 
4.32 	activities which improve retention and 
4.33 	completion for students of color.
4.34 	(e) $4,500,000 in fiscal year 2022 and 
4.35 	$4,500,000 in fiscal year 2023 are for 
5.1 	workforce development scholarships under 
5.2 	Minnesota Statutes, section 136F.38. Of this 
5.3 	appropriation, up to $250,000 is available for 
5.4 	the biennium to administer the program.
5.5 	(f) $2,000,000 in fiscal year 2023 is to address 
5.6 	workforce gaps in high-demand sectors. 
5.7 	High-demand sectors may include advanced 
5.8 	manufacturing, agriculture, health care 
5.9 	services, information technology, early 
5.10 	childhood, transportation, and other areas with 
5.11 	local need. Funds may be used at colleges or 
5.12 	universities for costs including but not limited 
5.13 	to:
5.14 	(1) developing new or sustaining existing 
5.15 	programs in high-growth, high-demand 
5.16 	industries;
5.17 	(2) aligning programming for the Minnesota 
5.18 	Future Together grant program through the 
5.19 	Office of Higher Education to meet the needs 
5.20 	of high-demand sectors; and
5.21 	(3) supporting innovative career, technical, 
5.22 	and professional education programs including 
5.23 	partnerships with local businesses to connect 
5.24 	high school students with in-demand skilled 
5.25 	and technical careers.
5.26 	The base for this appropriation is $2,000,000 
5.27 	in fiscal year 2024 and later.
5.28 	(g) $300,000 in fiscal year 2022 and $300,000 
5.29 	in fiscal year 2023 are for transfer to the Cook 
5.30 	County Higher Education Board to provide 
5.31 	educational programming, workforce 
5.32 	development, and academic support services 
5.33 	to remote regions in northeastern Minnesota. 
5.34 	The Cook County Higher Education Board 
6.1 	shall continue to provide information to the 
6.2 	Board of Trustees on the number of students 
6.3 	served, credit hours delivered, and services 
6.4 	provided to students.
6.5 	(g) (h) This appropriation includes $40,000 in 
6.6 	fiscal year 2022 and $40,000 in fiscal year 
6.7 	2023 to implement the sexual assault policies 
6.8 	required under Minnesota Statutes, section 
6.9 	135A.15.
6.10 	(h) (i) This appropriation includes $8,000,000 
6.11 	in fiscal year 2022 and $8,000,000 in fiscal 
6.12 	year 2023 for upgrading the Integrated 
6.13 	Statewide Record System.
6.14 	(i) (j) This appropriation includes $250,000 
6.15 	in fiscal year 2022 and $250,000 in fiscal year 
6.16 	2023 to implement the Z-Degree program 
6.17 	under Minnesota Statutes, section 136F.305. 
6.18 	The base for this appropriation is $50,000 in 
6.19 	fiscal year 2024 and later.
6.20 	(j) (k) $1,500,000 in fiscal year 2022 is and 
6.21 	$2,000,000 in fiscal year 2023 are for the 
6.22 	mental health awareness program for students 
6.23 	required under Minnesota Statutes, section 
6.24 	136F.20, subdivision 4. Of this amount: 
6.25 	$500,000 in the first year must be used for 
6.26 	training opportunities under Minnesota 
6.27 	Statutes, section 136F.20, subdivision 4, 
6.28 	paragraph (a), clause (2); and $200,000 in the 
6.29 	first year must be used for grants to colleges 
6.30 	and universities to establish peer support pilot 
6.31 	programs in Minnesota Statutes, section 
6.32 	136F.20, subdivision 4, paragraph (c). The 
6.33 	Board of Trustees shall convene a committee 
6.34 	that includes students to review and approve 
6.35 	grant applications. Notwithstanding Minnesota 
7.1 	Statutes, section 16A.28, unencumbered 
7.2 	balances under this paragraph do not cancel 
7.3 	until July 1, 2025.
7.4 	(k) (l) $1,000,000 in fiscal year 2022 is and 
7.5 	$1,000,000 in fiscal year 2023 are for colleges 
7.6 	and universities to comply with the student 
7.7 	basic needs requirements under Minnesota 
7.8 	Statutes, section 136F.202. The Board of 
7.9 	Trustees must use at least 25 percent of this 
7.10 	appropriation for grants to colleges and 
7.11 	universities to comply with Minnesota 
7.12 	Statutes, section 136F.202, subdivision 1, 
7.13 	paragraph (a). The board must use a 
7.14 	consultation and committee process that 
7.15 	includes students to review and approve grant 
7.16 	applications. Notwithstanding Minnesota 
7.17 	Statutes, section 16A.28, unencumbered 
7.18 	balances under this paragraph do not cancel 
7.19 	until July 1, 2025.
7.20 	(l) (m) The total operations and maintenance 
7.21 	base for fiscal year 2024 and later is 
7.22 	$751,095,000 $811,095,000.