This bill introduces significant updates to Minnesota's higher education laws, particularly focusing on sexual misconduct grievance procedures, protections for pregnant and parenting students, and enhanced reporting requirements for student aid and institutional grants. Key provisions include the establishment of comprehensive grievance procedures that ensure impartial investigations and equitable support for all parties involved. The bill also mandates timely communication of grievance outcomes and prohibits retaliation against participants. Additionally, it introduces new definitions and protections for pregnant and parenting students, emphasizing reasonable accommodations and a policy against discrimination based on these statuses.

Moreover, the bill establishes a grant program dedicated to research on spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries, allocating funds equally between the two areas and allowing the commissioner to accept additional funding from various sources. It broadens the eligibility for grant applications to include postsecondary institutions, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit organizations, replacing previous restrictions. The legislation also includes provisions for renumbering certain sections of Minnesota Statutes and repealing outdated statutes and rules, streamlining oversight of educational initiatives. The revisor of statutes is tasked with making necessary cross-reference changes to ensure consistency throughout the law.

Statutes affected:
Introduction: 135A.15, 135A.1582, 136A.246, 136A.87, 136A.901