SF3811

Purpose

• The bill aims to restrict how certain topics are taught in public schools and to change how physical education could include outdoor activities. It also seeks to fund and structure these changes through new programs and required reporting.

Main Provisions

• Prohibition on certain classroom instruction:

  • In public schools, individuals or groups providing classroom instruction must not discuss or provide instruction about sexual orientation or gender identity to students in kindergarten through grade 8.
  • The state education commissioner must provide schools with guidelines to implement and enforce this prohibition.

• Parental notification:

  • The bill requires parental notification related to the topics covered by the prohibition and related instructional content.

• Grant program for PE with firearms safety and outdoor activities:

  • Establishes a grant program to include firearms safety, trap shooting, archery, hunting, and angling in school physical education courses.

• Reporting and funding:

  • Requires a report related to these provisions.
  • Appropriates money to fund these changes and programs.
  • Includes language to codify the new requirements into Minnesota law (Minnesota Statutes chapters 120B and 121A).

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Adds a specific prohibition on classroom discussion or instruction about sexual orientation or gender identity in public schools for students in kindergarten through grade 8.
• Creates an obligation for the education commissioner to issue guidelines to implement and enforce the prohibition.
• Introduces a new grant program to expand or modify physical education to include firearms safety and certain outdoor activities (trap shooting, archery, hunting, angling).
• Requires parental notification regarding the related instructional content and mandates a reporting process.
• Returns these changes to formal statute language by codifying them in Minnesota Statutes (chapters 120B and 121A).

Terminology and Concepts Used in the Bill

• sexual orientation
• gender identity
• public school
• kindergarten through grade 8 (K-8)
• classroom instruction / classroom discussion
• guidelines
• commissioner
• parental notification
• grant program
• firearms safety
• trap shooting
• archery
• hunting
• angling
• physical education courses
• report
• appropriation / appropriating money
• Minnesota Statutes chapters 120B and 121A

Relevant Terms - sexual orientation - gender identity - public school - kindergarten through grade 8 - classroom instruction - guidelines - commissioner - parental notification - grant program - firearms safety - trap shooting - archery - hunting - angling - physical education - report - appropriation - Minnesota Statutes - 120B - 121A