Legislation was heard to provide more information about Minnesota students and their study abroad experiences. The legislation would require school districts, charter schools, and student travel abroad program providers to report where students died or were hospitalized while in a study abroad program. The program providers must then provide the data required about their programs to the districts and charter schools with enrolled students participating in the programs.
This legislation will better help students understand the risks of study abroad programs and allow changes to be made to potentially unsafe programs. The Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner must submit an evaluation of the pilot program to the legislature by September 1, 2017 and to work with the Minnesota Secretary of State to annually post the student travel abroad data. (S.F. 1541)
