HF 2260 Minnesota House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Department of Human Services policy bill sections modified on background studies, fraud prevention, Department of Corrections reconsiderations, illegal remuneration crimes, and appeals division worker protections; and criminal penalties provided.

HF 2260 amends multiple Minnesota statutes to strengthen oversight of child care providers and human services programs. It clarifies administrative disqualification procedures for providers who commit intentional violations like false statements or kickbacks (e.g., exchanging child care assistance benefits for financial gain), with penalties including up to three years of disqualification for first offenses and permanent bans for repeat violations. The bill also adds electronic signature options for required documentation and updates appeal processes for providers facing disqualification. These changes directly affect child care providers receiving state assistance, Human Services staff administering programs, and workers in the appeals division. The bill focuses on fraud prevention and procedural clarity within existing human services frameworks.

Issues: ✓ Criminal Justice

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Mar 12, 2025 Last action Apr 3, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

1st Engrossment → 2nd Engrossment · 5 edits · Apr 3, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was renumbered from the 1st to the 2nd Engrossment, indicating it has been amended and is in a later stage of the legislative process. The most significant substantive change involves the enforcement of child care fraud: the department must now refer suspected criminal violations to law enforcement before taking administrative action, and administrative disqualifications can now occur without a criminal conviction. Additionally, the definition of prohibited conduct was expanded to include 'illegal remuneration' and the specific act of offering, soliciting, or receiving payments for child care assistance.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding child care fraud enforcement was broadened to include new types of prohibited conduct (illegal remuneration) and altered the procedural relationship between administrative and criminal penalties.

ENFORCEMENT

Changed the procedure for child care fraud so the department must refer cases to law enforcement for criminal prosecution before pursuing administrative disqualification, unless the agency chooses not to pursue criminal action.

Removed the requirement that a criminal conviction is necessary before the department can administratively disqualify a child care provider.

DEFINITION

Expanded the definition of intentional program violations to explicitly include 'illegal remuneration' as defined in specific statutes.

REQUIREMENT

Added new provisions prohibiting the hiring of employees who are required to have children receiving child care assistance as a condition of employment, specifically targeting kickback schemes.

Added a specific prohibition against providers, applicants, or participants receiving or providing kickbacks or payments in exchange for child care assistance benefits.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 3, 2025

Lower · Passed

Committee report, to adopt as amended

lower

Mar 24, 2025

Lower · Passed

Committee report, to adopt as amended and re-refer to Public Safety Finance and Policy

lower

Mar 12, 2025

Introduced

Introduction and first reading, referred to Judiciary Finance and Civil Law

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors