House Education stalls over funding for anonymous reporting system bill

House Education Policy Committee members across the aisle agree on the importance of anonymous reporting systems.

The devil is in the details, however, or in the case of the committee Tuesday, the funding.

Sponsored by Rep. Danny Nadeau (R-Rogers), HF3764, as amended, would encourage school districts and charter schools to implement a local anonymous threat reporting system.

Rep. Danny Nadeau

“This is about preventing suicide. This is about preventing bullying. That’s what this bill is about,” Nadeau said.

The bill failed on a 7-7 party line vote.

DFL members worried about the bill’s financial impact on the Department of Education, which would be required to submit annual reports on local anonymous reporting systems starting in 2029 and provide to schools a list of third parties that provide anonymous reporting systems that meet statutory requirements, all using existing funding.

“We know this bill will have a fiscal impact and asking MDE to take that cost does not make it go away,” Rep. Sydney Jordan (DFL-Mpls) said.

“There is no fiscal cost to the Legislature,” countered Rep. Peggy Bennett (R-Albert Lea).

Several parents of students attending Annunciation Catholic School wrote in support of the bill, including Anne Betzer who said, “Our children deserve knowing that adults have approached this crisis with the seriousness it deserves. Anonymous reporting systems have been shown to be effect in preventing potential mass casualty events in other states.”

“We have to stop letting the perfect get in the way of the good,” Nadeau said.