Purpose

This bill creates a state-funded program to improve school emergency readiness by installing smart monitored public access safety cabinets on school grounds. Each cabinet includes an AED (automated external defibrillator) and other life-saving components, with the goal of rapid, publicly accessible emergency response.

Main Provisions

• Funding and program creation

  • Establishes a one-time appropriation from the general fund to the Department of Education for a grant program, totaling up to $6.5 million to fund up to 1,400 smart monitored public access safety cabinets.
  • Each cabinet costs up to $4,500.
  • The program includes four years of AED monitoring and full maintenance, plus associated equipment and supplies.

• Equipment and components

  • Cabinets must include fully connected AED units with quick rescue integrated into 911 call centers.
  • Each cabinet package includes a bleeding control kit (American Heart Association kit to stop bleeding) and naloxone.
  • The package is designed to be maintained and operated for four years.

• Vendors and equivalents

  • The program references suppliers such as Power to Save a Life Advocates for Health AED Smart Monitoring LLC and Avive Real Connect AED, or their equivalents.

• Location and access

  • Cabinets must be installed outdoors or in an indoor facility that is always publicly accessible.
  • The land manager (local, state, or federal) where the cabinet is placed must approve the specific location.

• Maintenance obligations

  • Grant recipients must operate and maintain each AED unit for four years from installation without seeking additional state or local funding.
  • Recipients must ensure operation under typical weather and temperature conditions and comply with public access AED requirements.

• Administration and coordination

  • The Minnesota State High School League (MSHL) must administer the grant program in conjunction with the Department of Education.
  • Recipients include school districts, charter schools, and Tribal contract schools.
  • The MSHL is authorized to seek sponsorships and additional public or private funds and in-kind contributions to support the program.

• Application timing and reporting

  • By October 1, 2026, the MSHL must begin accepting applications and determine per-district allocations.
  • By October 1, 2027, the MSHL must report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over K-12 education, detailing grants awarded, money allocated to each district, and the number of AED units installed (as required by statute).

• Compliance and statutory references

  • Recipients must be in compliance with Minnesota Statutes section 403.51 (public access AED requirements).

• Funding duration and administration

  • The appropriation is a one-time funding source available until June 30, 2030.
  • An annual administration appropriation of $50,000 is available for the MSHL to oversee the grant program.

Funding, Administration, and Timeline Highlights

• Four-year maintenance requirement for grant recipients.
• Outdoor or publicly accessible cabinet locations with land-manager approval.
• Fourteen hundred cabinets at $4,500 each, totaling up to $6.5 million.
• Four-year monitoring and maintenance, with no additional state or local funding expected for operations.
• Start accepting applications in 2026; reporting by 2027; onetime appropriation with a sunset (June 30, 2030).

Significance and Potential Impact

• Enhances emergency readiness in schools by increasing publicly accessible AEDs and related lifesaving equipment.
• Establishes a formal, funded process to install and maintain safety cabinets and AED units, linking school sites to 911 systems.
• Requires ongoing maintenance and weather readiness, aiming for reliable operation year-round.
• Creates reporting requirements to inform lawmakers about implementation progress and impact.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Creates a dedicated, state-funded grant program for smart monitored public access safety cabinets with AEDs in schools.
• Ties equipment installation to strict maintenance, accessibility, and compliance requirements, expanding the scope of public access defibrillator readiness on school grounds.
• Introduces a reporting mechanism to legislative committees and sets a sunset date for the appropriation.

What is Not Changed

• This summary does not reflect broader changes to educational funding or unrelated statutory provisions; it focuses on the new grant program and related requirements described in the bill text.

Relevant Terms - smart monitored public access safety cabinets - automated external defibrillator (AED) - public access AED requirements - 911 call centers - outdoor or publicly accessible locations - naloxone - bleeding control kit (American Heart Association kit to stop bleeding) - four years of AED monitoring and maintenance - Power to Save a Life, Advocates for Health AED Smart Monitoring LLC, Avive Real Connect AED - Minnesota State High School League - Department of Education - grant program - per-district allocation - school districts, charter schools, Tribal contract schools - reporting to legislative committees (chairs and ranking minority members) - Minnesota Statutes section 403.51 - one-time appropriation - available until June 30, 2030 - annual administration funding ($50,000)