HF1864

HF1864 (Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026))

Establish oversight for state-funded acquisitions of real property in fee simple. Repeats that such acquisitions must be approved by both the legislature (in a regular session) and the county board of commissioners where the property is located, ensuring public accountability before the state spends money to buy land.

Prohibition on acquiring real property in fee if paid for with state money unless two approvals are obtained: (1) approval by the Minnesota Legislature during a regular session, and (2) approval by the county board of commissioners for the county where the property is located.
If the property is located in more than one county, the approvals must come from the boards of commissioners of all counties in which the property lies.
As an alternative to the county board's approval, the county may place the question to the voters for a ballot decision under section 375.20.
The provision establishes new law under Minnesota Statutes chapter 16B, specifically for acquiring real property in fee.

Creates a new approval gate for state-funded land purchases: both legislative consent and county-level consent are now required before acquisition can proceed.
Introduces a multi-county approval requirement for properties spanning multiple counties.
Adds a mechanism for direct public input by allowing a ballot vote on the acquisition decision (via section 375.20) instead of or in addition to formal approval by the county board.

Adds potential delays and additional review for real property acquisitions funded with state money.
Increases local and state-level involvement in land purchases, and provides a public voting option for certain acquisitions.

Date	Chamber	Where	Type	Name	Committee Name
March 05, 2025	House		Action	Introduction and first reading, referred to	Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy

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In Committee