Minnesota SF 869: Higher education provisions modifications

Bill Text

1.1 A bill for an act​
1.2 relating to higher education; providing for certain policy changes, including​
1.3 restrictions on limiting student access to transcripts and modifications to certain​
1.4 grant and loan programs, school accountability provisions, and college savings​
1.5 plans; amending Minnesota Statutes 2020, sections 136A.121, subdivision 2;​
1.6 136A.125, subdivision 2; 136A.1703; 136A.1704; 136A.246, subdivisions 1, 2,​
1.7 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, by adding a subdivision; 136A.63, subdivision 2; 136A.645; 136A.653,​
1.8 subdivision 5; 136A.675; 136A.68; 136A.822, subdivision 12; 136A.8225;​
1.9 136A.823, by adding a subdivision; 136A.827, subdivisions 4, 8; 136G.05,​
1.10 subdivision 10; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 135A;​
1.11 repealing Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 136A.823, subdivision 2; Minnesota​
1.12 Rules, parts 4830.9050; 4830.9060; 4830.9070; 4830.9080; 4830.9090; 4850.0011,​
1.13 subparts 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 11a, 12, 12a, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21,​
1.14 22, 23, 24, 24a, 25, 26, 26a, 28a, 28b, 28c, 28d, 28e, 28f, 29, 30.​
1.15 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:​
1.16 Section 1. [135A.144] TRANSCRIPT ACCESS.​
1.17 Subdivision 1.Definitions.(a) The terms defined in this subdivision apply to this section.​
1.18 (b) "Debt" means any money, obligation, claim, or sum, due or owed, or alleged to be​
1.19 due or owed, from a student. Debt does not include the fee, if any, charged to all students​
1.20 for the actual costs of providing the transcripts.​
1.21 (c) "School" means any public institution governed by the Board of Trustees of the​
1.22 Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, private postsecondary educational institution​
1.23 as defined under 136A.62 or 136A.821, or any public or private entity, responsible for​
1.24 providing transcripts to current or former students of an educational institution. Institutions​
1.25 governed by the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota are requested to comply​
1.26 with this section.​
1​Section 1.​
21-00180 as introduced​02/04/21 REVISOR EB/RC​
SENATE​
STATE OF MINNESOTA​
S.F. No. 869​NINETY-SECOND SESSION​
(SENATE AUTHORS: TOMASSONI)​
OFFICIAL STATUS​D-PG​DATE​
Introduction and first reading​323​02/11/2021​
Referred to Higher Education Finance and Policy​
See First Special Session 2021, HF7​

2.1 (d) "Transcript" means the statement of an individual's academic record, including​
2.2 official transcripts or the certified statement of an individual's academic record provided​
2.3 by a school, and unofficial transcripts or the uncertified statement of an individual's academic​
2.4 record provided by a school.​
2.5 Subd. 2.Prohibited practices.A school must not:​
2.6 (1) refuse to provide a transcript for a current or former student because the student owes​
2.7 a debt to the school if any of the following are true:​
2.8 (i) the debt owed is less than $1,000;​
2.9 (ii) the student has entered into a payment plan with the school;​
2.10 (iii) the transcript request is made by a prospective employer for the student;​
2.11 (iv) the student has graduated from the institution in the program during which the debt​
2.12 was incurred; or​
2.13 (v) the school has sent the debt to collections for repayment;​
2.14 (2) condition the provision of the release of a transcript on the payment of a debt, other​
2.15 than a fee charged to provide the transcript;​
2.16 (3) charge a higher fee for obtaining a transcript or provide less favorable treatment of​
2.17 a transcript request because a student owes a debt to the originating school; or​
2.18 (4) use transcript issuance as a tool for debt collection before all other possible options​
2.19 have been attempted and exhausted.​
2.20 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 136A.121, subdivision 2, is amended to read:​
2.21 Subd. 2.Eligibility for grants.(a) An applicant is eligible to be considered for a grant,​
2.22 regardless of the applicant's sex, creed, race, color, national origin, or ancestry, under sections​
2.23 136A.095 to 136A.131 if the office finds that the applicant:​
2.24 (1) is a resident of the state of Minnesota;​
2.25 (2) is a graduate of a secondary school or its equivalent, or is 17 years of age or over,​
2.26 and has met all requirements for admission as a student to an eligible college or technical​
2.27 college of choice as defined in sections 136A.095 to 136A.131;​
2.28 (3) has met the financial need criteria established in Minnesota Rules;​
2.29 (4) is not in default, as defined by the office, of any federal or state student educational​
2.30 loan; and​
2​Sec. 2.​
21-00180 as introduced​02/04/21 REVISOR EB/RC​

3.1 (5) is not more than 30 days in arrears in court-ordered child support that is collected or​
3.2 enforced by the public authority responsible for child support enforcement or, if the applicant​
3.3 is more than 30 days in arrears in court-ordered child support that is collected or enforced​
3.4 by the