1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; requiring school district policies to address child sexual 
1.3 	abuse; establishing an advisory task force on preventing child sexual abuse;
1.4 	proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 121A.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [121A.24] ERIN'S LAW; SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICY TO ADDRESS 
1.7 	CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE.
1.8 		Subdivision 1.Citation. This section may be cited as "Erin's Law."
1.9 		Subd. 2.District policy to address child sexual abuse. School districts must adopt 
1.10 	and implement a policy to prevent and address child sexual abuse. The policy may include:
1.11 	(1) age-appropriate curriculum for children in prekindergarten through grade 5;
1.12 	(2) staff development training on child sexual abuse;
1.13 	(3) parent information on the warning signs of child sexual abuse and available 
1.14 	resources in the student handbook;
1.15 	(4) counseling and other assistance for children affected by sexual abuse;
1.16 	(5) emotional and educational support for an abused child to succeed in school;
1.17 	(6) methods to increase teacher, student, and parent awareness of child sexual abuse, 
1.18 	including likely warning signs that a child may be a victim of sexual abuse;
1.19 	(7) actions that a child who is a victim of sexual abuse should take to obtain 
1.20 	assistance and intervention; and
1.21 	(8) counseling options available to children affected by sexual abuse.

1.22 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for the 2015-2016 school year and 
1.23 	later.

2.1 	Sec. 2. ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON PREVENTING CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE.
 2.2 		Subdivision 1.Creation; membership. An advisory task force on preventing child 
2.3 	sexual abuse is established to recommend to the legislature how to reduce child sexual 
2.4 	abuse throughout Minnesota. The task force includes the following members:
2.5 	(1) one member of the majority party and one member of the minority party who 
2.6 	serve on a committee having jurisdiction over criminal justice and one public member, 
2.7 	appointed by the speaker of the house;
2.8 	(2) one member of the majority party and one member of the minority party who 
2.9 	serve on a committee having jurisdiction over criminal justice and one public member 
2.10 	appointed by the Subcommittee on Committees of the senate Committee on Rules and 
2.11 	Administration;
2.12 	(3) the commissioner of education or the commissioner's designee;
2.13 	(4) the commissioner of human services or the commissioner's designee;
2.14 	(5) the commissioner of health or the commissioner's designee;
2.15 	(6) the commissioner of public safety or the commissioner's designee;
2.16 	(7) a representative of Education Minnesota, appointed by that organization;
2.17 	(8) a representative of the Minnesota Elementary School Principals Association, 
2.18 	appointed by that organization;
2.19 	(9) a representative of the Minnesota School Boards Association, appointed by 
2.20 	that organization; and
2.21 	(10) a representative of the Minnesota Chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America, 
2.22 	appointed by that organization.
2.23 	Members appointed to the task force must be actively interested in child welfare or 
2.24 	preventing child abuse and neglect.
2.25 		Subd. 2.Procedures. The advisory task force shall adopt procedures to govern its 
2.26 	conduct and shall select a chair from among its members. The task force shall meet at 
2.27 	the call of the chair. Task force members serve without compensation and shall not be 
2.28 	reimbursed for their expenses.
2.29 		Subd. 3.Duties. (a) The advisory task force must recommend to the commissioner 
2.30 	of education and the legislature how schools under Minnesota Statutes, section 121A.24, 
2.31 	and other circumstances can help reduce child sexual abuse in Minnesota. The 
2.32 	recommendations may include specific statutory changes and other changes to foster 
2.33 	cooperation between schools and state and local agencies and governments. In developing 
2.34 	its recommendations, the advisory task force at least must:
2.35 	(1) gather information about child sex abuse throughout Minnesota;
3.1 	(2) receive reports and testimony from individuals, schools, state and local agencies, 
3.2 	community-based organizations, and other public and private organizations actively 
3.3 	interested in child welfare or preventing child abuse and neglect; and
3.4 	(3) identify goals for a state policy to prevent child sexual abuse.
3.5 	(b) The commissioners of education, human services, health, and public safety must 
3.6 	assist the advisory task force upon request.
3.7 		Subd. 4.Report. The advisory task force must submit its recommendations in 
3.8 	writing to the education commissioner and the education and criminal justice committees 
3.9 	in the legislature by February 15, 2016.
3.10 		Subd. 5.Expiration. The task force expires on February 16, 2016.

3.11 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.