SF3969
Licensing boards reporting requirement provision and grooming criminal offense establishment provision
Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026)
Related bill: HF3489
AI Generated Summary
Purpose
- To improve student safety during field trips and expand protections against inappropriate conduct by adults involved with students. The bill also creates a new crime related to grooming and updates related education and child-protection laws.
Main Provisions
Field trip supervision policy: A school employee, independent contractor, or volunteer must not be alone with a student during a field trip, including a field trip with an overnight stay. This establishes strict supervision rules to prevent inappropriate situations during trips.
Grooming offense: The bill establishes a new criminal offense of grooming, aiming to deter and punish efforts to establish a relationship with a minor for sexual exploitation.
Reporting requirements to licensing boards: The bill requires certain reporting to licensing boards, adding oversight and accountability for professionals who work with students.
Amendments to statutes: The bill amends multiple Minnesota Statutes (including sections in 2024 and references to 2025 Supplement) and adds subdivisions to update related laws. It also proposes coding for a new law in Minnesota Statutes chapter 121A, signaling changes in how these areas are organized within the code.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Introduces a clear prohibition on being alone with a student during field trips, strengthening safety and supervision standards for school settings.
- Creates a new grooming crime, expanding the scope of offenses that prosecutors can pursue in cases involving adults and minors.
- Adds mandatory reporting to licensing boards for relevant professionals, increasing oversight and potential disciplinary actions for misconduct.
- Revisions to several statutory sections (including sections on education and preventive/domestic safety measures) to reflect these new policies and to reorganize the related statutory framework.
Implementation/Enforcement (What this means in practice)
- School districts and partners (employees, independent contractors, volunteers) must ensure field trips have appropriate supervision and cannot schedule or allow unsupervised time with students.
- Law enforcement and prosecutors would have a new grooming offense to prosecute when adults attempt to establish harmful relationships with minors.
- Licensing boards (e.g., teaching, childcare, or related professional boards) would receive new reports, potentially leading to disciplinary actions.
- Updated statutory language and coding may require districts and agencies to adjust policies, trainings, and reporting processes to align with the new requirements.
Relevant Terms - field trips - field trip policy - school employee - independent contractor - volunteer - not be alone with a student - field trip with an overnight stay - grooming (criminal offense) - reporting to licensing boards - Minnesota Statutes (2024, 2025 Supplement) - amendments - subdivisions - Chapter 121A (coding for new law)
Past committee meetings
- Education Policy on: March 16, 2026 12:00
- Judiciary and Public Safety on: March 25, 2026 00:00
- Judiciary and Public Safety on: March 25, 2026 18:30
- Education Finance on: April 08, 2026 08:30
- Education Finance on: April 09, 2026 08:30
Actions
| Date | Chamber | Where | Type | Name | Committee Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 26, 2026 | Senate | Action | Introduction and first reading | ||
| February 26, 2026 | Senate | Action | Referred to | Education Policy | |
| March 02, 2026 | Senate | Action | Author added | ||
| March 11, 2026 | Senate | Action | Author added | ||
| March 18, 2026 | Senate | Action | Comm report: To pass as amended and re-refer to | Judiciary and Public Safety | |
| March 18, 2026 | Senate | Action | Author added | ||
| April 07, 2026 | Senate | Action | Comm report: To pass as amended and re-refer to | Education Finance | |
| April 09, 2026 | Senate | Action | Comm report: To pass as amended and re-refer to | Finance | |
| April 09, 2026 | Senate | Action | Pursuant to Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 6, referred to | Rules and Administration |
Citations
[
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 122A.20 to address the criminal offense of grooming.",
"modified": [
"Adds or clarifies grooming-related provisions under 122A.20."
]
},
"citation": "122A.20",
"subdivision": "subd. 1, subd. 2"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"A subdivision is added under 260E.15 as part of the bill's safety provisions."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 260E.15 by adding a subdivision.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "260E.15",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 260E.28 by adding a subdivision.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "260E.28",
"subdivision": "subd. 1"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 609.352 by adding a subdivision related to grooming or related offenses.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "609.352",
"subdivision": "subd. 1, subd. 4"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"A subdivision is added under 260E.065 (as per the bill)."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement 260E.065 referenced with adding a subdivision.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "260E.065",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement section 260E.20 by adding subdivision 1.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "260E.20",
"subdivision": "subd. 1"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Section 121A.613 establishes field trip safety policy prohibiting a school employee, independent contractor, or volunteer from being alone with a student on field trips, including overnight stays.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "121A.613",
"subdivision": ""
}
]