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HF 222

Hilltop; new emergency shelter and other municipal improvement funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Erin Koegel

The bill creates an Alternate School Start Date Fund to distribute state tax receipts from late Aug to districts with calendars starting after Labor Day, based on pro rata shares.

Introduction and first reading, referred to Capital Investment
#bonds #citiesandtowns-specific
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Bill Summary · HF 222

Legislative Bill Summary – HF 222

Overview

HF 222, introduced February 6, 2025 and at introduction first read, is a multifaceted bill that, among other topics, creates a funding mechanism linked to school calendars that begin after Labor Day. The bill is primarily focused on establishing an alternate start date fund and directing state-imposed taxes collected in late August through Labor Day to that fund, for distribution to eligible school districts and accredited nonpublic schools.

Primary sponsors: CROKEN, GOSA, and BROWN-POWERS. Related companion: SF 1304.

Current status: Introduced and referred to Education (Feb 6, 2025); on Feb 10, 2025, introduction and first reading was listed as referred to Capital Investment. The bill classifies under bonds and city/town-specific topics in its broader context, though the provisions summarized here focus on the alternate start-date funding mechanism.

Key Provisions (as added to the bill)

Section 279.10 – New Subsection 3 (Alternate Start Date Funding)

  • a) Eligibility: A school district or accredited nonpublic school may receive funds under this subsection if its school calendar begins after Labor Day.
  • b) Hours requirement: If the district/school uses the standard hours-of-instruction model, it must fulfill 1,080 hours of instruction during the calendar year as if it started on August 23, adjusting only for weather-related day additions.
  • c) Establishment of fund: Creates a separate “Alternate School Start Date Fund” in the state treasury, under the control and administration of the Department of Education (DOE). The department distributes funds to eligible districts/schools on a pro rata basis.
  • d) Treatment of funds for districts: Amounts received by a district are deposited into the district’s general fund as miscellaneous income (per section 257.2). However, these funds are not counted as part of the district’s standard cost.
  • e) Rulemaking: DOE shall adopt rules under Chapter 17A to administer this subsection.

Section 423A.5A – New Subsection 7 (Tax Remittance to the Alternate Start Date Fund)

  • The department shall remit the state-imposed tax collected from August 23 through Labor Day in each year to the Alternate School Start Date Fund established in Section 279.10.

Who Is Affected

  • Primary beneficiaries: School districts and accredited nonpublic schools with calendars beginning after Labor Day.
  • Administrative impact: Minnesota Department of Education (DOE) administers the fund, distributes payments on a pro rata basis, and enacts implementing rules.
  • Fiscal impact on districts: Funds received are treated as miscellaneous income, not included in the district’s cost, potentially altering budgeting and revenue categorization for districts with late-start calendars.

Operational and Timeline Considerations

  • Funding mechanism becomes operative upon enactment and rulemaking by the DOE.
  • The distribution relies on annual state-imposed tax receipts collected between August 23 and Labor Day.
  • Districts must meet an 1,080-hour instructional threshold for eligibility if using the standard-hours model, with weather days excluded from adjustments.

Notes

  • The bill’s title references broader municipal improvement funding and bonds, but the provisions summarized here focus on the alternate-start funding mechanism and related state tax allocation.
  • Related bill SF 1304 may contain companion or additional provisions.

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

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