This bill authorizes the commissioner of education to award school safety facility grants aimed at enhancing safety for students and staff in qualifying schools, which include school districts, charter schools, cooperative units, Tribal contract schools, and nonpublic schools. The grants, which can be up to $500,000 per school, are intended for security improvements and require schools to provide information on additional funding sources for their safety projects. The commissioner will prioritize grant applications, ensuring that at least half of the funds are allocated to schools located outside the seven-county metropolitan area.

To fund these grants, the bill appropriates $25 million from the general fund for fiscal year 2027, which will be available until June 30, 2028. Additionally, it cancels a previously allocated $25 million for the Northern Lights Express intercity passenger rail project to redirect those funds towards school safety initiatives. The bill stipulates that no construction funds will be disbursed until all necessary bids and documentation are submitted, ensuring that projects can be fully completed with the available funding. The provisions of this bill will take effect the day after it is enacted.