Minnesota law funds public facilities, water projects, and roads

The law provides one-time money for public projects and facilities. The money supports projects at Minnesota State campuses and grants for schools, water systems, public safety, transportation, health care, housing, and other public facilities. Before grant money is available, the state budget commissioner must determine that enough money has been committed to complete the project. Grant recipients, except state agencies, must show they can fund the program planned for the facility. Most of this money is for fiscal year 2027 and remains available until the project is finished or abandoned, subject to state law.

The law provides grants for regional drinking water planning and radar projects, and requires a study of unlawful infectious waste shipments. Water grants support local governments planning regional drinking water systems. Radar grants may go to local governments, airport authorities, and airport commissions for surveillance of low airspace and navigable waterways. Water grants may go to counties, cities, or townships planning to establish or expand regional systems. Each recipient must provide matching funds of at least 25 percent of the grant amount. A water grant may not exceed $300,000 per recipient per year. Combined grants for one system may not exceed 60 percent of the funds available that year. The infectious waste study must consider possible fines and unannounced inspections; it does not itself impose fines or require inspections. The health commissioner must set water grant application rules by November 1, 2026, and report by January 15, 2028. The Pollution Control Agency study is due January 15, 2027.

The law specifies uses and deadlines for some earlier project appropriations, cancels certain earlier appropriations, and transfers money to the general fund for a zoo payment. These provisions concern earlier state-funded road, trail, housing, water, and wastewater projects, as well as state workforce and zoo funds. The text specifies allowed work or recipients for some earlier projects and cancels the listed appropriations. The one-time $3.8 million transfer from the workforce development fund accompanies a one-time $3.8 million appropriation to the Minnesota Zoological Board for an operating shortfall. Some project funds are available through December 31, 2028, or December 31, 2029, as specified for each project. The workforce transfer and zoo payment are one-time actions in fiscal year 2026.