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HF 3495

School safety grant eligibility expanded to nonpublic and Tribal contract schools, and money appropriated.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Ben Bakeberg and 3 co-sponsors

HF 3495 expands state school safety grants to include nonpublic and tribal contract K-12 schools, funding safety upgrades, threat assessment, and related programs.

Introduction and first reading, referred to Education Finance
#education-k-12 #safety
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Bill Summary · HF 3495

Summary of HF 3495 (Minnesota, 2025-2026)

Purpose and intent

HF 3495 expands eligibility for state school safety grants beyond traditional public district and charter schools to include nonpublic (private) schools and tribal contract schools. The bill also makes a related appropriation to fund these expanded grants. The overarching goal is to improve safety infrastructure and programs across a broader range of Minnesota’s K-12 educational providers.

Key provisions

  • Expanded eligibility for school safety grants

    • Current recipients: Public schools (districts/charter schools) typically qualify for state school safety grants.
    • New recipients: Nonpublic (private) schools and tribal contract schools would be eligible to apply for and receive safety grants under the program.
    • The expansion aims to ensure a wider array of students and staff benefit from safety investments, including threat assessment, security improvements, and related programs.

  • Funding and appropriation

    • The bill includes an appropriation to support the expanded eligibility, specifying the total amount and any per-school or per-student grant formulas (details such as exact dollar figures, matching requirements, or funding cycles would be defined in the fiscal provisions or later amendments).
    • Potential allocations may cover security hardware (secure entrances, surveillance), personnel (safety staff or consultants), training, and programmatic components like threat assessment or trauma-informed practices.

  • Program administration and oversight

    • The bill would outline how grants are administered, including application processes, evaluation criteria, and reporting requirements.
    • There may be criteria to ensure funds are used for eligible safety purposes and to monitor outcomes for effectiveness and adherence to grant terms.

  • Compliance and reporting

    • Recipients would likely be required to comply with state reporting on grant use, safety outcomes, and program metrics.
    • Possible alignment with existing state safety standards or model policies, with periodic audits or reviews.

Who would be affected

  • Eligible new recipients:
    • Nonpublic (private) K-12 schools in Minnesota.
    • Tribal contract schools operating under tribal or state contracts.
  • Existing recipients:
    • Public school districts and public charter schools that already participate in the school safety grant program may continue to receive funding as authorized.
  • Other stakeholders:
    • School administrators and safety coordinators, state education officials, and local law enforcement partners involved in school safety planning and implementation.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Legislative status: Introduced and referred to the Education Finance committee on 2026-02-19.
  • Sponsor list:
    • Primary and co-sponsors include Ron Kresha, Patty Mueller, Bidal Duran, and Ben Bakeberg.
  • Next steps in process:
    • Committee hearings to consider fiscal impact, detail the grant formulas, and refine eligibility.
    • Possible amendments to specify application windows, matching requirements (if any), grant caps, and reporting timelines.
    • Floor action and potential passage by the Legislature, followed by approval or veto considerations and an eventual signing by the Governor (subject to the legislative timeline).

Notes for readers

  • Specific dollar amounts, grant formulas (per-school caps, per-student funding, or matching requirements), and exact eligibility criteria are not fully detailed in the provided summary. These will be clarified in committee amendments and the fiscal note accompanying the bill.
  • The expansion aligns school safety investments with a broader set of Minnesota educational institutions, potentially increasing access to funding for safety improvements across more school settings.

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

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