HF 4252: Higher education finance and policy bill. - Minnesota

2nd Unofficial Engrossment → 4th Engrossment · 7 edits · May 17, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was updated from the 2nd to the 4th engrossment, reflecting significant substantive changes to Minnesota's higher education and student support policies. Key modifications include expanding paid blood donation leave to include Minnesota State Colleges and Universities employees, raising the state's postsecondary attainment goal from 70% to 75% by 2040, and prohibiting mandatory student fees for athlete compensation. The bill also adds new protections for pregnant and parenting students, requiring priority registration and reasonable modifications, while simultaneously repealing certain provisions related to the American Indian Scholars program eligibility.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include Minnesota State Colleges and Universities employees for blood donation leave and broadened the definition of protected students to include those at private postsecondary institutions in Minnesota, not just public ones.

ELIGIBILITY

Expanded paid blood donation leave eligibility to include employees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities.

Removed or modified eligibility criteria for the American Indian Scholars program, changing residency and tuition status requirements.

REQUIREMENT

Increased the postsecondary attainment goal from 70% to 75% of Minnesota residents aged 24 to 55 by the end of 2040.

Added new requirements for postsecondary institutions to provide priority registration and reasonable modifications for pregnant and parenting students.

Prohibited the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities from imposing mandatory student fees for student athlete compensation.

Repealed specific statutory provisions related to the American Indian Scholars program and other sections.

DEFINITION

Updated the definition of 'postsecondary institution' to include private institutions offering in-person courses in Minnesota for pregnancy and parenting protections.

1st Unofficial Engrossment → 2nd Unofficial Engrossment · 4 edits · May 11, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was updated from the 1st to the 2nd Unofficial Engrossment, primarily adding new provisions to limit how student fees can be used for athlete compensation and expanding the definition of 'postsecondary institution' to include private schools. The text also clarifies that priority registration for pregnant and parenting students must be automatic and not require a separate petition.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include private postsecondary institutions in the requirements for priority registration for pregnant and parenting students, whereas the previous version only applied to public institutions.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new section prohibiting the use of mandatory student fees or tuition increases to compensate student athletes at the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.

Added specific requirements that priority registration for pregnant and parenting students must be automatic, granted without a separate petition, and include annual notifications to all students.

DEFINITION

Expanded the definition of 'postsecondary institution' to include private institutions offering in-person courses in Minnesota, broadening the reach of student protection provisions.

ELIGIBILITY

Revised the definition of 'parenting student' to apply to students at the newly included private institutions, not just public colleges and universities.

3rd Engrossment → 1st Unofficial Engrossment · 6 edits · May 7, 2026

MODERATE

This bill updates Minnesota's higher education laws to expand student support and clarify reporting requirements. It raises the state's postsecondary attainment goal from 70% to 75% and adjusts the target age range for residents. The legislation also expands paid blood donation leave to include employees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and adds new protections and registration rights for pregnant and parenting students at public and private institutions.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of paid blood donation leave to cover employees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and broadens the definition of eligible institutions for pregnancy and parenting student protections to include private postsecondary institutions.

REQUIREMENT

Raised the state's postsecondary attainment goal from 70% to 75% and changed the target demographic from residents ages 25-44 to ages 24-55.

Added specific requirements for postsecondary institutions to provide priority registration for pregnant and parenting students, including automatic assignment of early registration windows.

Required postsecondary institutions to adopt policies prohibiting discrimination against students based on pregnancy or parenting status.

Mandated that institutions provide reasonable modifications and accommodations for pregnant students related to health and safety.

ELIGIBILITY

Expanded paid blood donation leave eligibility to include employees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities.

DEFINITION

Added a definition for 'parenting student' to include students who are parents or legal guardians of children under 18.

2nd Engrossment → 3rd Engrossment · 3 edits · May 4, 2026

MINOR

The bill was renumbered from the 2nd to the 3rd Engrossment and updated with a new posting date. The substantive text describing the bill's purpose and the specific statutes it amends was removed in this version, suggesting the detailed policy language may have been reorganized or the diff provided captures only the structural updates to the bill's metadata and section numbering.

Scope change

The scope appears unchanged in terms of subject matter, but the document structure was significantly reorganized, resulting in the removal of the original summary and enactment text while adding new section numbers.

TECHNICAL

Removed the original bill summary and the 'BE IT ENACTED' clause text.

Added new section numbers (44.18 through 44.25) and updated the bill title to reflect the 3rd Engrossment.

Updated the posting date from April 28, 2026, to May 16, 2026.

1st Engrossment → 2nd Engrossment · 4 edits · Apr 28, 2026

MODERATE

This bill updates the legislative title and version from the 1st to the 2nd Engrossment, reflecting recent amendments. It also adjusts the posting date and reorders the list of statute sections to be amended, ensuring the legal citations align with the latest version of the bill.

Scope change

The bill's substantive scope, applicability, funding, and eligibility criteria remain unchanged; the modifications are primarily technical and organizational.

TECHNICAL

The bill title and version were updated from '1st Engrossment' to '2nd Engrossment' to reflect the latest legislative iteration.

The posting date was changed from April 22 to April 28, 2026, indicating a new review cycle.

The list of Minnesota Statutes sections to be amended was reordered, moving section 41.3 and 41.10 to new positions and inserting new section numbers (41.33, 41.25) to reflect structural changes in the statute.

Several sections in the statute list (44.18 through 44.25) were removed from the amendment list, while new sections were added, indicating that the bill no longer proposes changes to those specific areas.

Introduction → 1st Engrossment · 6 edits · Apr 22, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was updated from its initial introduction to its first engrossment, reflecting significant substantive changes including the addition of new sections and the deletion of others. Key policy updates include expanding protections for parenting students, modifying eligibility criteria for various aid programs, and standardizing reporting requirements across multiple higher education statutes.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include additional sections addressing parenting student accommodations and updated reporting mechanisms, while some previous sections were removed or consolidated.

REQUIREMENT

Added new sections providing specific accommodations for parenting students, including excused absences for child healthcare needs and reasonable modifications to academic requirements.

Updated reporting requirements to mandate annual submission of comprehensive data disaggregated by socioeconomic status and family type.

ELIGIBILITY

Modified eligibility criteria for several student aid programs to clarify residency requirements and update the definition of eligible institutions.

TECHNICAL

Removed specific reporting deadlines and detailed data breakdowns that were replaced by a standardized reporting requirement referencing a new section.

DEFINITION

Added a new definition for 'parenting student' and expanded the definition of 'postsecondary institution' to include private institutions offering in-person courses in Minnesota.

ENFORCEMENT

Strengthened enforcement by requiring postsecondary institutions to adopt specific anti-discrimination policies for pregnancy and parenting and to post contact information for Title IX coordinators.

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