Empowering small Minnesota communities program established, and money appropriated.

HF 1360 establishes the "Empowering Small Minnesota Communities Program" to provide infrastructure project support to small local governments. It appropriates $2.5 million for fiscal year 2026 and $2.5 million for fiscal year 2027 to the University of Minnesota Board of Regents. The program assists communities with populations under 15,000 (or collaborative groups of such communities) that lack capacity to develop infrastructure projects or apply for grants. It funds project analysis, planning, and development through university partnerships, requiring consideration of sustainability, climate resilience, and coordinated infrastructure investments.