1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education finance; providing funding for a voluntary school social 
1.3 	worker aid program; appropriating money;proposing coding for new law in 
1.4 	Minnesota Statutes, chapter 124D.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [124D.99] SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS.
1.7 		Subdivision 1.School social workers.  A school district or charter school may receive 
1.8 	school social worker aid under this section by notifying the commissioner of education of 
1.9 	the school district's or charter school's desire for state aid by June 1 of the year preceding 
1.10 	the year the aid is provided.
1.11 		Subd. 2.Local plan.  The school board or the board of directors of a charter school 
1.12 	receiving aid under this section must adopt a written plan to provide sufficient school social 
1.13 	workers for its students. The plan must establish timelines for meeting the goal of at least 
1.14 	one full-time social worker for each 250 pupils in average daily membership.
1.15 		Subd. 3.Aid amount. School social worker aid equals the greater of $20,000 or $200 
1.16 	times the school district's or charter school's pupil units for that year.
1.17 		Subd. 4.Maintenance of effort. A school district or charter school receiving aid under 
1.18 	this section must not reduce the number of school social workers employed by the district 
1.19 	or charter school in the current year to a number below the level of school social workers 
1.20 	employed by the school district or charter school in the fiscal year preceding the first year 
1.21 	of aid under this section.
2.1 		Subd. 5.Contracting. A school district or charter school may contract for school social 
2.2 	work services to meet the school social-worker-to-student ratio established in the local plan 
2.3 	adopted under subdivision 2.
2.4 		Subd. 6.Reserve account. State aid received under this section must be reserved and 
2.5 	spent only for the salary, benefit, material, and contract costs of school social workers.

2.6 	Sec. 2. SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS; APPROPRIATION.
 2.7 	$....... in fiscal year 2018 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of 
2.8 	education for payment of school social worker aid under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.99.