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HF 5097

Advisory Council on Community Collaboration, Stability, and Preparedness and a Minnesota Common Ground Task Force created; capacity for dispute resolution increased; reports required; civil health dashboard established; and money appropriated.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Dave Baker and 5 co-sponsors

The bill creates formal bodies and funding to improve civil collaboration, reduce polarization, and boost dispute resolution and civic health across Minnesota.

Introduction and first reading, referred to State Government Finance and Policy
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Bill Summary · HF 5097

Summary of HF 5097 (2025-2026) – Advisory Council, Minnesota Common Ground Task Force, and Civil Health Initiatives

This summary outlines the main purpose, key provisions, affected Parties, and notable timeline aspects of HF 5097, introduced in the Minnesota House for the 2025-2026 session. The bill creates new advisory and task force bodies, expands dispute resolution capacity, and establishes civil health data initiatives, with appropriations to support implementation.

1) Purpose and Intent

  • Establish an Advisory Council on Community Collaboration, Stability, and Preparedness to foster proactive collaboration between trusted community leaders and public officials and to improve preparedness for civil unrest and political instability in Minnesota.
  • Create the Minnesota Common Ground Task Force to develop policy recommendations aimed at increasing common ground and resilience to polarization and social division, and to bolster bipartisan civics within the legislature.
  • Increase statewide capacity for dispute resolution, improve civil health indicators related to civic life, and appropriate funds to support these efforts.
  • Require annual reporting on council activities and a targeted report from the task force on policy recommendations.

2) Key Provisions and Changes

A. Advisory Council on Community Collaboration, Stability, and Preparedness (New Minnesota Statutes, §16B.363)

  • Membership: A diverse body including representatives from counties and cities, public safety leadership, behavioral health professionals, mediation/conflict resolution practitioners, diplomacy/violence prevention experts, community organizations focused on safety and de-escalation, communications/public messaging experts, civil liberties legal expertise, and a multifaith leader. Key appointing bodies include the governor, with various sector-specific appointments.
  • Support: Office of Collaboration and Dispute Resolution provides meeting space and research/administrative support.
  • Leadership: Chair and vice-chair elected from among members at the first odd-year meeting.
  • Duties: Develop and submit findings/recommendations to the legislature and governor on topics such as:
    • Shared principles and best practices for collaboration during unrest.
    • Gaps/opportunities in statewide civil unrest preparedness planning.
    • Trust-building/communication between officials, law enforcement, community leaders, and the public.
    • Toolkits for community leaders on effective response, de-escalation, and coordination.
  • Meetings: Public, governed by Minnesota Open Meeting laws (chapter 13D).
  • Reporting: Annual report due by February 1 detailing activities and accomplishments (for the prior year).
  • Expiration: Provision expires June 30, 20XX (exact year cut off appears truncated in the text).

B. Minnesota Common Ground Task Force (New)

  • Membership:
    • 2 House members (one speaker-appointed, one minority leader-appointed)
    • 2 Senate members (one majority leader-appointed, one minority leader-appointed)
    • 1 member from the Association of Minnesota Counties
    • 1 member from the League of Minnesota Cities
    • 1 school districts representative (appointed by the governor)
    • 7 members appointed by the governor with expertise in civil education, youth leadership, urban-rural bridging, bipartisanship, civil discourse, interfaith understanding, and media/storytelling
  • Timing: Appointments due by August 15, 2026; first meeting by October 15, 2026.
  • Support: Office of Collaboration and Dispute Resolution provides space and research support.
  • Leadership: Chair and vice-chair elected from among members at the first meeting.
  • Duties:
    • Develop specific policy recommendations to increase common ground and resilience to polarization.
    • Review current legislative policies and practices to promote civility and effective bipartisan governance.
  • Meetings: Public and open to input from the public (per 13D).
  • Reporting: A report with policy recommendations due to the legislature and governor by January 15, 2028.
  • Expiration: January 16, 2028, or the day after the report is submitted, whichever comes first.
  • Effective Date: The section becomes effective the day after final enactment.

C. Study and Civil Health Initiatives (Budget and Reports)

  • Sec. 3: Study on Economic Impacts of Polarization and Social Division
    • One-time general fund appropriation (exact amount not specified in the text) in FY 2027 to study economic impacts like lost productivity and workplace absenteeism due to uncivil behavior.
    • Report due by February 1, 2028.
  • Sec. 4: Civil Health Dashboard
    • One-time general fund appropriation in FY 2027 to the Office of Collaboration and Dispute Resolution to create and maintain a public dashboard tracking civic health metrics (polarization, social cohesion, political violence, bipartisanship, etc.).
  • Sec. 5: Increased Capacity for OCDR
    • One-time general fund appropriation in FY 2027 to expand conflict-resolution capacity, including:
    • K-12 conflict-resolution education and skill-building.
    • Expanded support for local governments in dispute resolution and training for staff/elected officials.
    • Expanded community mediation and low-cost access statewide.
    • Creation of a mediation position for disputes under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act.
  • Sec. 6: Strengthened Community Mediation and ADR Infrastructure
    • One-time general fund appropriation in FY 2027 to the State Court Administrator to strengthen mediation/ADR infrastructure and funding statewide under Minnesota Statutes, ch. 494.

Note: Several appropriations are listed as “$.......” indicating placeholders in the provided text; exact dollar amounts are not specified here.

3) Who/What is Affected

  • State agencies: Office of Collaboration and Dispute Resolution, Commissioner of Administration, State Court Administrator.
  • Local governments: Counties, cities, school districts, and other local entities involved in dispute resolution and civil governance.
  • Professional groups: Law enforcement associations, mediation/conflict resolution practitioners, behavioral health professionals, civil liberties legal experts, and faith communities.
  • Public: Minnesota residents who are stakeholders in civil discourse, bipartisan governance, and civic health metrics.
  • Legislative bodies: Minnesota House and Senate, with specific appointment processes for members and ongoing reporting obligations.

4) Procedural and Timeline Highlights

  • Introduction and referral: April 28, 2026.
  • Appointments for the task force due by August 15, 2026; first task force meeting by October 15, 2026.
  • First advisory council meeting and annual reporting cycle begin soon after enactment.
  • Task force reporting deadline: January 15, 2028.
  • Expiration: Advisory council provisions expire June 30 of the ending year; task force expires January 16, 2028 or upon submission of its report, whichever comes first.
  • Overall effective date: The section governing the task force and related provisions becomes effective the day after final enactment.

5) Implications

  • The bill seeks to institutionalize collaboration and reduce polarization through structured, publicly accessible processes.
  • It creates formal pathways for civil discourse, de-escalation, and dispute resolution between government, communities, and law enforcement.
  • It prioritizes data-driven monitoring of civic health and polarization, potentially informing future policy adjustments.
  • Financial appropriations target education, local government support, mediation infrastructure, and civil health data tools, though exact dollar figures are not specified in the provided text.

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison with current law (Minnesota Statutes) or draft a one-page briefing for policymakers and stakeholders.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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