AI Generated Summary
Purpose
- The bill provides funding for elections and campaign finance activities by appropriating money from the general fund for the 2026-2027 fiscal years. It designates funds to the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board and the Secretary of State, including money to transfer to a Help America Vote Act (HAVA) account.
Main Provisions
- General-fund appropriations for the 2026-2027 fiscal years are established to support elections administration and campaign finance functions.
- Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board
- A base appropriation of 1,846,000 is set for the board starting in fiscal year 2028 and continuing thereafter.
- Secretary of State
- An appropriation is provided to transfer funds to the Help America Vote Act account established in the bill (Sec. 3). Specific year-by-year amounts are listed for 2026 and 2027 (with amounts shown in the bill), to support HAVA-related activities and compliance.
- Federal match reference
- The bill states that Minnesota Statutes section 5.30 and the associated appropriations are credited to the state match requirement of the federal Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 (Public Law 118-47), linking state funding to federal HAVA matching requirements.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Clarifies and designates general-fund funding for election administration and campaign finance oversight for the 2026-2027 biennium.
- Establishes a formal base funding level for the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board beginning in 2028.
- Ties state funding to federal match requirements under HAVA as implemented by the 2024 federal appropriations act.
- Creates designated transfers to the HAVA account via the Secretary of State, tying Minnesota’s funding to federal election-assistance programs.
Implementation and Availability
- All appropriations originate from the general fund and are available for the fiscal years stated (2026, 2027, and the 2028 onward base for the board).
Agencies Affected
- Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board
- Secretary of State
- The funding supports compliance with federal election-related programs (HAVA).
Relevant considerations - The bill focuses on funding rather than changing election procedures or rules. - It aligns Minnesota funding with federal requirements for election assistance and match funds.
Relevant Terms - general fund - appropriations - fiscal year - Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board - Secretary of State - Help America Vote Act (HAVA) account - state match requirement - Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 - Public Law 118-47 - election funding - transfer to HAVA account
Past committee meetings
- Elections Finance and Government Operations on: April 09, 2025 13:00
- Ways and Means on: April 23, 2025 00:30
- Ways and Means on: April 23, 2025 12:30
- Ways and Means on: April 24, 2025 12:30
Actions
| Date | Chamber | Where | Type | Name | Committee Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 05, 2025 | House | Action | Introduction and first reading, referred to | Elections Finance and Government Operations | |
| March 11, 2025 | House | Action | Author added | ||
| April 21, 2025 | House | Action | Committee report, to adopt as amended and re-refer to | Ways and Means |
Citations
[
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "The bill references Minnesota Statutes section 5.30 in connection with funding and the state match requirement tied to federal appropriations; no changes to Mn Stat. 5.30 itself are enacted.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "Minnesota Statutes section 5.30",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "The bill states that appropriations are credited to the state match requirement of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 (Public Law 11847); it does not modify the federal law itself.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "Public Law 11847",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "The bill references the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) in relation to funding by establishing an account; no changes to HAVA are proposed.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "Help America Vote Act",
"subdivision": ""
}
]Progress through the legislative process
In Committee