This bill restricts public utilities in Minnesota from including certain expenses in the rates charged to customers. It prohibits utilities from recovering costs related to executive compensation over $300,000 for their ten highest-paid officers, as well as expenses for advertising, lobbying, political contributions, charitable donations, travel, and other specified categories. Utilities must submit detailed annual reports to regulators listing these expenses by category, including dates, amounts, vendors, and business purposes. If a utility violates these rules, regulators can require refunds to customers plus interest and impose penalties equal to 200 percent of the improperly recovered amount. The bill does not limit compensation paid from sources other than ratepayers, such as investor funds.
This bill updates how Minnesota local governments calculate the base amount for property tax levy limits, starting with taxes payable in 2027. It changes the calculation method to use the final certified tax levy from the previous year instead of older levy aid bases, and adjusts how population growth and inflation factors are applied. The new formula allows local governments to increase their tax levy limits based on changes in the implicit price deflator and population, with additional adjustments for years after 2027 that account for differences between certified and final levies. These changes directly affect school districts, cities, counties, and other local taxing units that rely on property taxes to fund their operations.
This bill clarifies the Minnesota Attorney General's role when bringing civil law enforcement actions on behalf of the state, ensuring the Attorney General acts in the public interest rather than as a legal representative for any specific state agency. It establishes that other state departments and agencies are generally not parties to these lawsuits and their records are protected from discovery unless they are specifically named in the case. The legislation also confirms that each state agency remains the sole custodian of its own records and prevents internal sharing of attorney-client privileged information between the Attorney General's prosecution divisions and other parts of the Office. These changes aim to define boundaries between the Attorney General's independent enforcement authority and the operational independence of other state government entities.
This bill directs Minnesota's commissioner of health to conduct a comprehensive study on how the state can support innovations in cell and gene therapies for treating rare diseases. The study will examine current research capacity, healthcare infrastructure, workforce needs, funding options, and access barriers across the state, with input from patients, healthcare providers, industry experts, and other stakeholders. By January 1, 2028, the commissioner must submit a report to the legislature with findings and recommendations for strategic investments, policy changes, and regulatory actions to advance these therapies. The bill also defines key terms such as cell and gene therapy and rare disease to establish a clear framework for the study.
This bill allocates $23 million in one-time funding for fiscal year 2027 to support various mental health programs in Minnesota. The money will be distributed through the Department of Human Services and Department of Health to fund school-linked behavioral health grants, family peer specialist start-up grants, mobile crisis grants, and mental health grants for healthcare professionals. These funds aim to expand access to mental health services for students, families, individuals in crisis, and healthcare workers without changing existing laws or creating new programs.
This bill allocates $800,000 to create a memorial statue honoring Melissa Hortman at the State Office Building site in Minnesota. The funds will be used to design and cast a statue recognizing her historic contributions to the state, along with a memorial garden. The Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board must select the artist through a competitive process while consulting with Hortman's family, and the statue design must include likenesses of her deceased family members. Any leftover funds after the statue is cast can be used for additional landscaping elements at the memorial site, and the money remains available until June 30, 2029.
This bill modifies how Minnesota handles background checks and maltreatment investigations for child care centers. It requires the state commissioner to notify child care license holders when a background study reveals an individual has been responsible for maltreating a minor, even if the person is not disqualified from working with children. Additionally, the bill makes child care center directors and license holders responsible for systemic maltreatment that occurs over more than one month or in more than two instances, requiring written documentation of these findings. The legislation also clarifies notification procedures for when individuals pose risks of harm, specifying different requirements based on the level of risk and whether continuous supervision is needed.
This bill increases the time limit for prosecuting certain financial crimes in Minnesota, specifically targeting medical assistance fraud and theft of government funds. It directly affects prosecutors and law enforcement by extending the window in which they can file charges for these offenses. The key provision adds a 15-year statute of limitations for theft involving public money belonging to the state or local agencies, while also updating time limits for other financial crimes ranging from five to ten years depending on the specific offense. These changes apply to crimes committed on or after August 1, 2026, and to older crimes if the prosecution deadline has not yet passed.
This bill modifies how Minnesota counties contribute to administrative costs for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). It adjusts the state's financial responsibility for covering county administrative expenses related to SNAP operations. The legislation directly affects county agencies that manage SNAP benefits and the state Department of Human Services that oversees the program. By changing the cost-sharing structure, the bill aims to clarify financial obligations between state and local governments for administering this federal assistance program.
This bill requires law enforcement officers to notify a petitioner at least 24 hours before serving a harassment restraining order on the respondent, if requested by the petitioner. The notification must be made through reasonable efforts such as texting, calling, or emailing using available contact information. This change directly affects individuals seeking protection from harassment in Minnesota and law enforcement officers serving restraining orders. The provision adds a new subdivision to Minnesota Statutes 609.748 to establish this notification requirement.
This bill creates a one-time emergency rental assistance fund for counties and Tribal governments in Minnesota to help low-income households facing financial hardship after August 31, 2025. The program would provide financial support for up to two months of prospective rent and utilities, as well as unpaid rent and utility bills and related fines, to households earning at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines who are at risk of eviction or homelessness. Counties and Tribal governments would receive funding based on population and geographic factors, with 95 percent of funds designated for direct assistance and 5 percent for fraud prevention and compliance monitoring. Local governments, cities, nonprofit organizations, or groups of jurisdictions could administer the assistance, and any unused funds must be returned to the state.
This bill prohibits the operation and promotion of online sweepstakes games in Minnesota, which are defined as internet-based games that use a dual-currency payment system allowing players to exchange currency for prizes or cash equivalents while simulating gambling. It directly affects game operators, payment processors, financial institutions, and other service providers by banning them from supporting these activities within the state. The bill also requires the commissioner of public safety and attorney general to deny operations to anyone accepting revenue from these prohibited games and to enforce penalties for violations.
