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HF 204

A bill for an act relating to robotics extracurricular activities, including requiring the department of education to provide technical assistance to school districts related to chartering career and technical student organizations related to robotics and authorizing high school athletic organizations to sponsor interscholastic contests related to robotics.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Tom Moore

Expands K-12 robotics by requiring the state DE to provide CTSO resources and tech assistance, and allows school athletic groups to sponsor interscholastic robotics contests.

Withdrawn.
#athletics #extracurricularactivities #schooldistricts #schools #science #students
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Bill Summary · HF 204

HF 204 — Summary

An overview of the bill as introduced, its main provisions, who it affects, and its legislative trajectory.

Purpose and intent

  • HF 204 addresses robotics as an extracurricular area by expanding support and formal opportunities for robotics-related activities in K-12 settings.
  • The bill would require the Department of Education (DE) to provide educational resources and technical assistance to school districts for chartering career and technical student organizations (CTSOs) that align with federal Perkins Act requirements, including robotics CTSOs, robotics teams, and competitions.
  • It would also authorize high school athletic organizations to sponsor or administer interscholastic robotics contests, expanding permissible venues for robotics competition under school-supported programs.

Key provisions

  1. DE technical assistance and resources (256.9; new subsection 69)

    • DE would provide educational resources and technical assistance to school districts.
    • Focus areas include chartering CTSOs that comply with the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 (as amended) and state board rules.
    • Explicitly covers CTSOs related to robotics, robotics teams, and robotics competitions.

  2. High school athletic organizations and robotics (Section 280.13D; new section)

    • An organization that receives funds from a school district to pay dues or membership fees, or funds from a nonpublic school originating from the state to pay dues or membership fees, may sponsor or administer interscholastic contests or competitions related to robotics.
    • “Organization” is defined to have the same meaning as in section 280.13.
    • The section clarifies that sponsoring robotics contests is not intended to prohibit other interscholastic contests or competitions.

Affected parties

  • School districts and their administrators (funding flows for CTSO dues/membership and for district-sponsored activities)
  • DE (Minnesota Department of Education) - responsible for providing resources and technical assistance
  • CTSOs related to robotics (including robotics teams and competitions)
  • High school athletic organizations (as potential sponsors/hosts of robotics contests)
  • Students participating in robotics programs and competitions
  • Nonpublic schools whose funds may support membership dues for robotics activities

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Introduced: February 3, 2025
  • Subcommittee actions: February 6–13, 2025 (subcommittee recommended passage)
  • Committee actions: February 18, 2025 (committee vote: Yeas 22, Nays 0, Excused 1) and February 20, 2025 (renumbered as HF 514)
  • Legislative history: Committee report approved; bill renumbered HF 514
  • Status: Withdrawn on March 7, 2025
  • Primary sponsor: Moore

Additional notes

  • The bill’s explanatory text reiterates its dual focus: bolstering robotics extracurricular activities through DE-provided resources and allowing athletic organizations to sponsor robotics contests.
  • The renumbering to HF 514 indicates a procedural shift in the legislative process, though HF 204 itself was withdrawn.

This summary captures the bill’s intended changes to support robotics CTSOs and competitions, the roles of DE and athletic organizations, who would be affected, and the key procedural milestones up to withdrawal.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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