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Read. Follow. Verify.Minnesota House Bill 61 Mandates Approved Mental Health Curriculum in Schools and Suicide Prevention Training for Youth Sports Programs
Last action · March 20, 2025: Author added GottfriedSponsors: Mary Clardy and 4 others
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What This Bill Proposed
Starting in the 2026-2027 school year, Minnesota school districts and s must use Department of Education-approved curriculum for student mental health instruction. Additionally, organizations running fee-based youth athletic activities must provide coaches and officials with training on mental illness warning signs and suicide prevention. The bill also modifies requirements for the statewide plan on in schools to incorporate strategies for reducing disparities and gathering family input.
Schools and youth sports organizations must change their instructional materials and training programs to comply with state-approved mental health and suicide prevention standards. This affects curriculum planning for districts and mandatory training hours for youth athletic coaches and officials.
- Minnesota statutes regulate school health instruction, youth sports safety protocols, and the use of restrictive procedures such as physical holding and seclusion in schools. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
School districts and charter schools
Schools must ensure their mental health instruction uses curriculum approved by the Department of Education starting in the 2026-2027 school year.
Youth sports organizations
Organizers of fee-based youth athletic activities must provide training on mental illness warning signs and suicide prevention to participating coaches and officials.
Students in grades 4 through 12
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do schools have to start using Department of Education-approved mental health instruction?
What new training requirements apply to youth sports programs?
Does the bill create new legal liabilities for youth sports organizations?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · introduced in the House.
Procedural history
4 actions- Mar 20, 2025HouseAuthor added Gottfried
- Feb 24, 2025HouseAuthor added Johnson, P.
- Feb 13, 2025HouseAuthor added Curran
- Feb 10, 2025HouseIntroducedIntroduction and first reading, referred to Education Policy
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Shift to Mandatory State-Approved Mental Health Curriculum
The bill transitions schools from being encouraged to provide mental health instruction to a strict requirement to use Department of Education-approved curricula starting in 2026-2027.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.revisor.mn.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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