1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; extending the maximum number of e-learning days; modifying 
1.3 	school year start date for 2020-2021 school year; requiring the commissioner of 
1.4 	human services to apply for the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant 
1.5 	authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act; requiring 
1.6 	the commissioner of education to apply for the Education Stabilization 
1.7 	Fund-Rethink K-12 Education Models Grant authorized under the Coronavirus 
1.8 	Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act;amending Minnesota Statutes 2018, 
1.9 	sections 120A.41; 120A.414, subdivision 1.
1.10 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.11 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 120A.41, is amended to read:
1.12 	120A.41 LENGTH OF SCHOOL YEAR; HOURS OF INSTRUCTION.
1.13 	(a) A school board's annual school calendar must include at least 425 hours of instruction 
1.14 	for a kindergarten student without a disability, 935 hours of instruction for a student in 
1.15 	grades 1 through 6, and 1,020 hours of instruction for a student in grades 7 through 12, not 
1.16 	including summer school. The school calendar for all-day kindergarten must include at least 
1.17 	850 hours of instruction for the school year. The school calendar for a prekindergarten 
1.18 	student under section 124D.151, if offered by the district, must include at least 350 hours 
1.19 	of instruction for the school year. A school board's annual calendar must include at least 
1.20 	165 days of instruction for a student in grades 1 through 11 unless a four-day week schedule 
1.21 	has been approved by the commissioner under section 124D.126.
1.22 	(b) A school board's annual school calendar may include plans for up to five have an 
1.23 	unlimited number of e-learning days of instruction provided through online instruction due 
1.24 	to inclement weather or an infectious disease outbreak. The inclement weather plans must 
1.25 	be developed according to section 120A.414.

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

2.2 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 120A.414, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
2.3 		Subdivision 1.Days. "E-learning day" means a school day where a school offers full 
2.4 	access to online instruction provided by students' individual teachers due to inclement 
2.5 	weather. A school district or charter school that chooses to have e-learning days may have 
2.6 	up to five an unlimited number of e-learning days in one school year due to inclement 
2.7 	weather.  E-learning days may be used in the event that the governor authorizes the 
2.8 	commissioner of education to alter school schedules, curtail school schedules, or order 
2.9 	schools closed under section 12.21 due to an infectious disease outbreak. An e-learning day 
2.10 	is counted as a day of instruction and included in the hours of instruction under section 
2.11 	120A.41. A superintendent or charter school may decide to close a school due to an infectious 
2.12 	disease outbreak in the community and use as many e-learning days as necessary. The school 
2.13 	district or charter school must report the closure due to infectious disease outbreak, including 
2.14 	its length, to the commissioner.

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

2.16 	Sec. 3. 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR START.
 2.17 	Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 120A.40, a school district or charter school 
2.18 	may start the school year as early as August 3, 2020, if they exclusively use distance learning 
2.19 	or e-learning days to provide instruction to their students during the first four weeks of the 
2.20 	school year.

2.21 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2020.

2.22 	Sec. 4. FEDERAL GRANT APPLICATION REQUIRED.
 2.23 	The commissioner of human services must apply for the Distance Learning and 
2.24 	Telemedicine Grant authorized under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic 
2.25 	Security Act. The application must propose to use the grant to fund additional children's 
2.26 	school-linked mental health grants under Minnesota Statutes, section 245.4901. The 
2.27 	Department of Human Services may use no more than three percent of the grant award to 
2.28 	administer the program under this section.

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

3.1 	Sec. 5. RETHINK K-12 EDUCATION MODELS GRANT APPLICATION.
 3.2 	The commissioner of education must apply for the Education Stabilization Fund-Rethink 
3.3 	K-12 Education Models Grant authorized under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and 
3.4 	Economic Security Act. The application must propose to use the grant to establish and fund 
3.5 	a partnership with an online school provider whose online course instruction substantially 
3.6 	aligns with Minnesota academic standards and offers a comprehensive curriculum for 
3.7 	kindergarten through grade 12. A student's participation in a course offered through or in 
3.8 	partnership with an online school provider is counted in average daily membership under 
3.9 	Minnesota Statutes, section 126C.05, subdivision 8, and excluded from revenue calculations 
3.10 	under Minnesota Statutes, sections 124D.095, subdivision 8; 124D.096; and 126C.05, 
3.11 	subdivision 19. Participation in this program does not reduce the amount of state aid a school 
3.12 	would otherwise generate. A school or student must not be charged a fee for participation 
3.13 	in a course offered through or in partnership with an online school provider funded under 
3.14 	this grant.

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