Bill HF3261, SF3333

1.1          A bill for an act
1.2          relating to education finance; providing for programs to support teacher candidates
1.3          performing student teaching; appropriating money.
1.4          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5          Section 1. APPROPRIATION; STUDENT TEACHERS.
 1.6        (a) $20,000,000 in fiscal year 2026 is appropriated from the general fund to the
1.7          commissioner of education to create programs to support teacher candidates performing
1.8          student teaching. The Department of Education must award a grant to a nonprofit organization
1.9          to disburse stipends to all teacher candidates performing at least 12 weeks of student teaching
1.10       at all teacher preparatory programs approved by the Professional Educator Licensing and
1.11       Standards Board. Stipends must be awarded per student, per licensure program.
1.12       (b) Eligible grantees must have experience in handling sensitive and personally
1.13       identifiable information. Consideration must be given to the length of student teaching and,
1.14       to the extent practicable, grants awarded to students must provide compensation of $15 per
1.15       hour or higher. The stipend must be paid directly to the student from the grantee and must
1.16       not affect the student's financial aid package. Stipends must be awarded per student, per
1.17       licensure program. Up to five percent of the grant is available for the awardee to use for
1.18       grant administration.
1.19       (c) Of the amount in paragraph (a), up to five percent is available to the department for
1.20       grant administration.
1.21       (d) This is a onetime appropriation.