SF3969

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)