Purpose of the Bill

• The bill focuses on providing financial support for truancy crisis response in education.
• It aims to assist children aged eight to 18 in Hennepin County who are involved in truancy and the child protection system, with a specific focus on African American youth.

Main Provisions

• The bill proposes to allocate funds from Minnesota's general fund to the Department of Education for this cause.
• A total grant of $1,500,000 is intended for Hennepin County Community Action Partners.
• The grant is to be exclusively used to create culturally nurturing environments to address truancy.
• Specific interventions include:
  • Establishing mentoring relationships.
  • Re-engaging children with their birth families or other relatives.
  • Preparing youth for meaningful work opportunities.
  • Providing life skills training, focusing on trauma-informed practices and de-escalation skills.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Introduces a targeted financial appropriation for truancy crisis response with specific guidelines on how funds should be utilized.
• This funding initiative is a one-time appropriation, with any remaining funds from fiscal year 2026 being available in fiscal year 2027.

Relevant Terms

• Education Finance
• Truancy Crisis Response
• Grant
• Hennepin County
• African American Youth
• Mentoring
• Trauma-Informed Practices
• Life Skills Training