HF3487

Purpose

• Establish and require an anonymous reporting system for threats and safety-related concerns in Minnesota elementary, middle, and high school settings.
• Promote timely reporting, coordinated responses, and safety for students, staff, and school communities.
• Align school safety practices with evidence-based methods and maintain privacy protections.

Key Provisions

• Subdivision 1 – Evidence-based definition

  • Defines what counts as evidence-based in this context: strong, moderate, or promising evidence from well-designed studies, or a credible rationale from high-quality research, with ongoing evaluation.

• Subdivision 2 – Local anonymous reporting system (threat reporting system)

  • By July 1, 2028, every school must either:
  • Use the Department of Public Safety’s statewide anonymous threat reporting system, or
  • Implement a local anonymous reporting system that meets specified requirements.
  • Local system requirements include:
  • 24/7 anonymous reporting via at least a mobile app and a multilingual crisis center.
  • Crisis centers staffed by personnel with evidence-based counseling and crisis intervention training.
  • Quick forwarding of reports to the school-based team.
  • Supported, coordinated responses with schools, 911, and law enforcement when appropriate.
  • Training for the school-based team to receive notices of reports.
  • Public awareness and education about the system before launch.
  • Student violence prevention training to help identify warning signs, understand reporting importance, and show how to report.
  • Data practices in line with privacy laws (state and federal).
  • Optional for nonpublic schools to implement but not required to follow the same local-system rules.
  • If a local system is used, the party supplying it must create a website educating students and a toll-free hotline for anonymous tips about dangerous or potentially harmful activity.

• Subdivision 3 – Statewide system (for schools not using a local system)

  • Schools must still share information about the statewide DPS system with students, families, staff, and the community.
  • Minimum requirements: post information on the school website, include it in the student handbook, and notify parents annually about the statewide system.

• Subdivision 4 – Department of Education (DOE) duties

  • DOE, with the Department of Public Safety, will provide a list of third-party anonymous reporting systems that meet requirements (including free or low-cost options).
  • By January 1, 2027, DOE must compile and maintain the school-based team information reported to the department.
  • By December 15, 2028 (and annually thereafter), the DOE must report to legislative committees with:
  • The total number of reports received through local systems in the prior year.
  • Disaggregated data for all reports since July 1, 2026 by school site, including report type, method, and number of false reports.

• Subdivision 5 – Funding sources

  • DOE and schools can accept funds from public and private sources, including state or federal funding, to support the anonymous reporting system and school safety initiatives.

How this changes and expands existing law

• Creates a new, compulsory framework for anonymous threat reporting in all Minnesota K-12 schools.
• Establishes a dual path: districts can use the state DPS system or build/maintain their own local system with specified features.
• Adds required school-based teams (minimum three school employees) to handle incoming reports and coordinate responses.
• Introduces formal data collection, reporting, and transparency requirements to the Legislature.
• Inserts privacy and data-practices protections (and references FERPA) for handling reports.
• Enables external funding and third-party system options to support implementation.

Implementation Timeline Highlights

• By September 1, 2026: Each school establishing a local system must form a school-based team (minimum three employees) and designate a primary contact person to report to the DOE.
• By July 1, 2028: All elementary, middle, and high schools must either use the DPS statewide system or have a compliant local system in place.
• By January 1, 2027: DOE to compile and maintain school-based team information.
• By December 15, 2028 (and annually thereafter): DOE must publish an annual, disaggregated report on local system activity and overall report metrics.

Agencies Involved

• Department of Public Safety (statewide anonymous threat reporting system)
• Department of Education (DOE) (policy, data collection, reporting, and coordination)
• School-based teams (staff inside each school)
• Local crisis centers and providers (if a local system is used)

Data Privacy and Reporting

• Reports must comply with data practices under Minnesota law and FERPA protections.
• Data collection includes totals, types of reports, methods of receipt, and false reports, with disaggregated school-by-school data in annual reports.

Funding and Implementation Support

• Schools and the DOE may accept public or private funds to support the systems.
• Third-party providers may be listed by the DOE as compliant options, including free or low-cost choices.

Relevant Terms

• anonymous reporting system
• anonymous threat reporting system
• Department of Public Safety (DPS)
• Department of Education (DOE)
• school-based team
• crisis center
• evidence-based
• 24/7 reporting
• multilingual crisis center
• crisis intervention training
• data practices (privacy)
• FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)
• reporting methods (mobile app, toll-free hotline)
• 911 telecommunicators
• sworn law enforcement
• local vs statewide system
• true vs false reports
• student violence prevention training
• school safety funding
• third-party reporting system providers

Relevant Terms - anonymous reporting - threat reporting - school safety - data reporting - privacy compliance - evidence-based practice - district vs state system - school-based team - crisis center - mobile app - toll-free hotline - stakeholders (students, families, staff) - public safety coordination - annual report