Bill > HF4135

This bill mandates that by July 1, 2028, all elementary, middle, and secondary schools in Minnesota must implement an anonymous reporting system that is available 24/7 via a mobile app and a multilingual crisis center staffed by trained professionals. This system must promptly forward reports to school teams, coordinate responses with 911 and law enforcement when public safety is a concern, and ensure school-based teams are trained to handle reports. The bill defines "evidence-based" as programs or practices with statistically significant positive outcomes or a strong research-based rationale, and requires schools to conduct evidence-based student violence prevention training. Schools can either develop their own system or use a statewide one managed by the Department of Education, which will also maintain a list of third-party providers and compile data on school-based teams. By December 15, 2028, and annually thereafter, the commissioner of education will report to the legislature on the number and types of reports received, how schools responded, and demographic information of students involved in disciplinary actions. Additionally, existing reporting requirements for school boards to the commissioner of education will be amended to include whether disciplinary actions are related to reports from these new anonymous systems. The bill also allows schools and the Department of Education to accept public and private funds to support these safety initiatives, with an effective date of July 1, 2026.