Section 1. Purchase of certain equipment. Authorizes a school district to issue bonds for public announcement systems, emergency communications devices, or other equipment related to violence prevention and facility security. Modifies the limit on the amount of required debt service levies to include the district’s safe schools revenue. Makes this section effective July 1, 2018.

Section 2. Safe Schools Revenue

Subd. 1. Safe schools revenue. Modifies the calculation of safe schools revenue. Provides a minimum revenue amount for districts. Provides additional safe schools revenue authority for districts that are members of intermediate districts or other cooperative units and requires that cooperative revenue be transferred to the cooperative unit.

Subd. 2. Safe schools levy. Modifies the calculation of safe schools levy. Equalizes the safe schools levy for fiscal year 2020 and later at 60% of the statewide average adjusted net tax capacity per pupil unit.

Subd. 3. Safe schools aid. Provides that a district’s safe schools aid equals safe schools revenue minus safe schools levy.

Subd. 4. Safe schools revenue for a charter school. Makes charter schools eligible for safe schools revenue. Provides that a charter school may use the revenue for otherwise allowable safe schools purposes or for security-related building lease expenses not funded by building lease aid.

Subd. 5. Uses of safe schools revenue. In addition to the uses allowed under current law, authorizes a district to use safe schools revenue to service bonds issued for facility enhancements under section 123B.61 and 123B.62, and for certain cybersecurity purposes.

Makes this section effective for revenue in fiscal year 2019 and later.

Section 3. Appropriation. Appropriates money from the general fund to the Department of Education for safe schools aid in fiscal year 2019.