Onetime emergency rental assistance aid for counties established, and money appropriated.

Housing

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Kozlowski, Agbaje, Rehrauer, Xiong, Lee, F., Hussein, Momanyi-Hiltsley, Jones, Kraft, Johnson, P.
Last action: Final Acti
Official status: See Senate file in House SF3596
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Emergency Rental Help for Counties

The bill provides one-time emergency rental assistance funding to counties and Tribal governments in Minnesota, with specific requirements on how the money must be used.

What This Bill Does

Provides $44 million from the state's general fund to help counties give rental aid to people who need it.
Gives $6 million to Tribal governments for similar rental assistance programs.
Requires that this money is given out within 15 days of the bill becoming law using a specific formula based on population and other factors.
Sets rules about who can get help, such as needing to earn less than 200% of the federal poverty level and being at risk of homelessness.
Limits how long counties and Tribal governments have (180 days) to spend this money before returning any leftover funds.

Who It Names or Affects

Counties in Minnesota that can use the funding for rental assistance programs.
Tribal governments in Minnesota that opt to receive aid for similar purposes.
People who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless and meet income requirements.

Terms To Know

Emergency Rental Assistance: Money given by the government to help people pay rent when they face financial difficulties.
Tribal Government: A Native American tribal entity with governmental powers and responsibilities over its members and territory, as defined in Minnesota law.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if counties or Tribal governments do not use the funds within the required timeframe.
It is unclear how many people will actually receive help from this funding based on current need levels and eligibility criteria.

Bill History

Final Acti House
See Senate file in House SF3596
2026-05-13 House
Author added Johnson, P.
2026-03-23 House
Author added Kraft
2026-03-12 House
Author added Jones
2026-03-09 House
Author added Momanyi-Hiltsley
2026-02-19 House
Authors added Agbaje; Rehrauer; Xiong; Lee, F.; and Hussein
2026-02-17 House
Introduction and first reading, referred to Housing Finance and Policy

Official Summary Text

Onetime emergency rental assistance aid for counties established, and money appropriated.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

A bill for an act

relating to taxation; local government aids; establishing a onetime emergency

rental assistance aid for counties; appropriating money.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.
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APPROPRIATION; EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE AID.
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(a) $44,000,000 in fiscal year 2026 is appropriated from the general fund to the

commissioner of revenue for aid payments to counties as provided under this section.

$6,000,000 in fiscal year 2026 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner

of revenue for aid payments to Tribal governments as provided under this section. These

are onetime appropriations.

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(b) No later than 15 days after the effective date of this section, the commissioner of

revenue must pay aid to counties using the county distribution formula in Minnesota Statutes,

section 477A.30, subdivision 3. For the purposes of the calculation, the commissioner must

use the appropriation amount provided in paragraph (a) and the population data and

distribution factors used to certify aids payable in 2026 under Minnesota Statutes, section

477A.30. No later than 15 days after the effective date of this section, the commissioner of

revenue must pay an equal share of the aid provided in paragraph (a) for Tribal governments

to each Tribal government that chose to receive a distribution of aid under Minnesota

Statutes, section 477A.30, subdivision 3a.

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(c) Counties and Tribal governments must use the money received under this section

only for rental assistance to eligible recipients.

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(d) To be eligible for receipt of rental assistance under this section, the household must:

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(1) have income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level;

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(2) be Minnesota residents; and

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(3) be homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness and in need of financial assistance

due to a housing crisis.

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(e) Counties and Tribal governments must spend aid received under this section within

180 days of receipt. After 180 days from receipt, counties and Tribal governments must

return unspent money to the commissioner of revenue. Any unspent money is canceled to

the general fund.

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(f) Rental assistance funded under this section may be administered by the same entities

allowed to administer family homeless prevention and assistance projects or programs under

Minnesota Statutes, section 477A.30, subdivision 4, paragraph (a).

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(g) For purposes of this section, "Tribal government" has the meaning given in Minnesota

Statutes, section 477A.30, subdivision 1, clause (4).

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EFFECTIVE DATE.

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This section is effective the day following final enactment.

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