This bill repeals a previous requirement that assumed a $250 million reduction in special education funding for the 2027-2028 biennium and subsequent years. Under the new provisions, the state commissioner of management and budget will no longer be required to forecast this specific funding cut when preparing revenue and expenditure forecasts. The legislation also removes the mandate that the legislature must identify enacted provisions from the Blue Ribbon Commission on Special Education to offset the assumed funding reduction. If savings from those provisions fall short of $250 million, the commissioner of education would no longer be required to reduce the special education cross subsidy aid factor to make up the difference. The changes take effect the day following final enactment of the bill.
This bill modifies the powers of the Lake City port authority by allowing it to be established with limited capabilities, specifically prohibiting it from issuing debt, bonds, or exercising eminent domain powers. It also changes the term length for appointees to the Red Wing Port Authority from three years to six years, effective January 1, 2011. Additionally, the bill provides a mechanism for Lake City to validate prior actions taken under a previous 2021 law through a resolution by January 1, 2027. These changes affect local government structures in Lake City and Red Wing, Minnesota, by altering how their port authorities operate and how their members serve.
This bill modifies data requirements and definitions for the Direct Care and Treatment program, which serves civilly committed sex offenders and other individuals under Minnesota's welfare system. The legislation clarifies how challenges to the accuracy of sex offender program data must be submitted and defines specific categories of data, such as medical records and directory information, to establish clearer boundaries for what information is protected. Additionally, the bill updates definitions for terms like "welfare system" and "mental health data" to ensure consistency across various state agencies and programs. These changes aim to improve data management practices without altering the core services provided to individuals receiving state support.
This bill amends Minnesota's gross receipts tax law to explicitly include hospitals and health care providers as taxable entities while excluding licensed chiropractors from the list of providers subject to the tax. The legislation defines "health care provider" to include various medical service providers such as doctors, dental professionals, and ambulance services, while listing specific exclusions like pharmacies, nursing homes, and home health agencies. A new provision adds licensed chiropractors to the list of excluded providers, clarifying that they will not be required to pay the gross receipts tax on their services. The changes will take effect for gross revenues received after December 31, 2026, and apply to the state's existing gross receipts tax framework.
This bill modifies how Minnesota counties share costs for mental health and substance use services, specifically exempting economically distressed counties from certain financial responsibilities. A county qualifies as economically distressed if more than 15% of its population lives in poverty and over 70% of its land is exempt from property taxes. The legislation also allocates funding for opioid response efforts, including grants for antagonist distribution, traditional healing practices for American Indians, safe recovery sites, and child protection services affected by addiction. These provisions aim to adjust financial burdens on struggling counties while directing state resources toward specific public health initiatives.
This bill appropriates $4,700,000 from Minnesota's general fund to support senior nutrition programs in fiscal year 2027. The funding is designated for the commissioner of human services to administer nutrition assistance for older adults under existing state statutes. This is a one-time appropriation intended to provide financial resources for meal services and related nutrition initiatives for seniors. The legislation does not create new programs but allocates existing funds to maintain current nutrition services.
This bill establishes a task force within Minnesota's Department of Veterans Affairs to address mental health service access for veterans living in rural areas. The task force will be responsible for identifying challenges and developing recommendations to improve how these veterans receive mental health care. Funding is allocated from the state's general fund to support the task force's operations over three fiscal years, starting in 2027. The legislation directly affects the Department of Veterans Affairs and rural veterans who may face barriers to accessing mental health services.
This bill expands survivor benefits in Minnesota to include public safety officers who die from exposure-related cancers linked to their work. It defines specific cancers covered, such as lung, breast, and leukemia, and establishes criteria requiring exposure to occur during duty with a minimum five-year service period before diagnosis and a maximum 15-year window after leaving active service. The legislation creates a legal presumption that such deaths result from line-of-duty exposure unless medical evidence proves otherwise, while also defining carcinogens based on international research classifications. These changes directly affect public safety officers and their families by broadening eligibility for benefits under existing state statutes.
This Minnesota bill creates a $100 million relief program to help small businesses that experienced significant revenue declines between July 2024 and February 2026, which the bill attributes to federal enforcement activity. The program provides grants to operators of indoor retail or food market spaces with at least 25 small tenant businesses, requiring that most funds be used to offer rent forgiveness to existing tenants. To qualify, businesses must be Minnesota-based, have fewer than 50 employees, operate from a physical location, and show at least a 20 percent drop in revenue or sales during the specified period. Grant applications will be processed through a lottery system, with funds usable for payroll, rent, utilities, inventory, and other operational expenses, and the state must report on the program's outcomes by December 2026.
This bill allocates $1.75 million from the state's general fund in fiscal year 2027 to help develop and implement a unified 911 center awareness platform. The money will be given to the Metropolitan Emergency Services Board to create a system that enables 911 centers to communicate and coordinate emergency responses across different jurisdictional boundaries in real time. The grant also covers two years of maintenance costs for the platform. This legislation directly affects public safety officials and emergency response centers by providing funding for improved communication infrastructure.
This bill creates a new Human Services Systems Steering Committee to oversee and improve the information technology systems used by Minnesota's human services agencies, including the Departments of Human Services, Children, Youth, and Families, and county governments. The committee will be composed of representatives from these agencies and county organizations, who will meet at least quarterly to review system goals, allocate resources, and make recommendations on major system changes. Before any new major system changes or new systems are implemented, the relevant commissioners must receive the committee's recommendations and consult with counties. The committee must also provide public testimony opportunities during meetings and submit annual reports to legislative committees, which will hold public hearings on those reports. Additionally, the bill appropriates funding to update county information technology systems and expand certain data tools to all interested counties and Tribal Nations.
This bill, known as the Minnesota Foraging Act, authorizes individuals to harvest edible plants like mushrooms, berries, and nuts on state-owned lands for personal, household, or cultural use without profit. It creates a legal framework that recognizes foraging as a legitimate recreational and cultural activity while giving the commissioner of natural resources authority to establish rules about where and how much can be harvested. The commissioner may designate certain plants as prohibited, restrict foraging in specific areas, or require permits with quantity limits when necessary to protect natural resources, human health, or federal funding requirements. The bill also mandates that any permitting process be clear, accessible, and available electronically, and it requires the commissioner to report on foraging activities.
