SF 3596: Onetime emergency rental assistance aid for counties and Tribal governments establishment and appropriation - Minnesota

4th Engrossment → 5th Engrossment · 8 edits · Mar 11, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was updated from the 4th to the 5th engrossment, refining definitions to include 'Tribal land' and clarifying that aid is distributed to eligible households while reserving 5% for compliance monitoring. It expanded the list of entities authorized to administer the rental assistance program to include cities, groups of cities, and community-based nonprofits. The reporting requirements were tightened, requiring monthly data submissions and a specific final report once funds are spent or returned.

Scope change

The scope of eligible administrators was broadened to include cities and community-based nonprofits, and the definition of Tribal land was expanded to cover both on- and off-reservation land under Tribal jurisdiction.

DEFINITION

Added a new definition for 'Tribal land' to include all on- and off-reservation land subject to Tribal civil regulatory jurisdiction.

ELIGIBILITY

Reordered and clarified definitions, ensuring 'Household' and 'Eligible household' are clearly distinguished and 'Commissioner' is explicitly defined as the commissioner of revenue.

REQUIREMENT

Added a requirement that entities administering aid must verify applicant eligibility through documentation rather than relying solely on self-attestation.

Added a new provision allowing 5% of the appropriation to be used for evaluating compliance, detecting misuse, and prosecuting fraud.

Expanded the list of authorized administrators to include cities, groups of contiguous cities, and community-based nonprofits that previously administered homeless prevention programs.

TIMELINE

Changed the reporting schedule from a single submission within three months to monthly submissions starting 45 days after the effective date, with a final report due after all funds are spent or returned.

ENFORCEMENT

Updated the eviction notice language to explicitly state that the 30-day protection period expires when the funding expires, reverting to the standard 14-day notice.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill title and posting dates to reflect the 5th engrossment status.

3rd Engrossment → 4th Engrossment · 3 edits · Mar 5, 2026

MINOR

The bill was re-engrossed from the 3rd to the 4th version, updating the posting date to March 11, 2026. A substantive policy change was added prohibiting counties, tribal governments, and program administrators from retaining any portion of received funds for administrative costs, ensuring all funds go directly to program purposes.

Scope change

The bill's scope of fund usage was narrowed by adding a restriction on administrative costs for specific government entities.

FISCAL

Added a prohibition preventing counties, tribal governments, and program administrators from keeping any funds intended for administrative expenses.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill title and header from '3rd Engrossment' to '4th Engrossment' and changed the posting date from March 5 to March 11, 2026.

Added new line numbers 4.30 and 4.31 to the bill's text structure.

2nd Engrossment → 3rd Engrossment · 4 edits · Mar 4, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was re-engrossed with a significant addition of a new section extending the time landlords have to wait before filing eviction actions for nonpayment of rent. This change allows landlords to proceed with eviction if a tenant fails to correct rent delinquency within 30 days of receiving a notice, provided the local law does not mandate a longer notice period. The bill also updated the title to reflect this new authority and adjusted the effective date of the new provision to apply to cases filed after enactment.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include a temporary extension of the timeline for correcting rent delinquency before eviction proceedings can begin.

TIMELINE

Added a new section allowing landlords to file eviction actions for nonpayment of rent if the tenant fails to correct the delinquency within 30 days of receiving notice, unless local law requires a longer notice period.

The new eviction timeline provision is set to expire on the last day of the fourth month following the month of the bill's effective date.

SCOPE

Updated the bill's title to explicitly include the temporary extension of the time period to correct delinquent rent.

TECHNICAL

Changed the document version from '2nd Engrossment' to '3rd Engrossment' and updated the posting date.

1st Engrossment → 2nd Engrossment · 7 edits · Mar 4, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was updated from the 1st to the 2nd Engrossment, changing the title to reflect new provisions for returning unused funds and canceling a prior appropriation. The core emergency rental assistance funding was reduced from $66 million to $40 million for counties and $9 million to $4.8 million for Tribal governments. The spending deadline was shortened from six months to four months, and new rules were added to exclude this assistance from income calculations for other state benefits.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include a mechanism for returning and canceling the appropriation of unused funds from a previous tax-forfeited settlement, in addition to the original rental assistance aid.

FISCAL

Total appropriation for emergency rental assistance was reduced from $75 million to $44.8 million, with specific reductions for both county and Tribal government allocations.

TIMELINE

The deadline for counties and Tribal governments to spend the aid was shortened from the end of the sixth month to the end of the fourth month following the effective date.

REQUIREMENT

New requirements mandate that the claims administrator return up to $40 million of unused funds from a prior tax-forfeited settlement to the general fund for cancellation.

The bill now explicitly states that emergency rental assistance does not count as income, assets, or personal property when determining eligibility for other state public assistance programs.

Reporting requirements were updated to include demographic data on how many households include at least one minor and the minimum, median, and maximum assistance amounts distributed.

DEFINITION

New definitions were added for 'Eligible household' and 'Emergency rental assistance,' clarifying that aid covers up to two months of prospective rent/utilities or arrears incurred after August 31, 2025.

ELIGIBILITY

A new eligibility criterion requires households to have experienced financial hardship after August 31, 2025, such as loss of income or unemployment.

Introduction → 1st Engrossment · 5 edits · Feb 23, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was amended from its introduction to its first engrossment version, increasing the total funding for emergency rental assistance and changing the spending deadline. The appropriation for counties rose from $44 million to $66 million, and the allocation for Tribal governments increased from $6 million to $9 million. Additionally, the deadline for spending the funds was extended from a fixed 180 days to the last day of the sixth month following the effective date, and a new requirement was added for counties and Tribal governments to submit detailed usage reports to the state.

Scope change

The scope was expanded to explicitly include Tribal governments in the requirement to submit usage reports, alongside counties.

FISCAL

The total appropriation for counties increased from $44,000,000 to $66,000,000, and the appropriation for Tribal governments increased from $6,000,000 to $9,000,000.

TIMELINE

The deadline for spending the aid was changed from a fixed 180 days after receipt to the last day of the sixth month following the month the bill becomes effective.

REQUIREMENT

A new reporting requirement was added, mandating that recipients submit data on the number of households assisted, demographic characteristics, and average assistance amounts within three months of the spending deadline.

DEFINITION

The definition of eligible recipients was updated from 'eligible recipients' to 'eligible households' to clarify the target population.

TECHNICAL

The payment timeline for the commissioner of revenue was adjusted to allow 15 business days instead of 15 calendar days.

Onetime emergency rental assistance aid for counties and Tribal governments establishment and appropriation

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