Metropolitan Mosquito Control District public health lab capital improvements funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Leigh Finke

The bill would provide $2.5 million in state bonds to fund capital improvements to the MMCD public health laboratory in St. Paul, boosting safety, testing capacity, and modernized

Introduction and first reading, referred to Capital Investment

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Overview

Bill number and session: HF 5100, 94th Legislature (2025–2026)

Jurisdiction: Minnesota

Committee action so far: Introduced and referred to the Capital Investment committee (as of 2026-04-30)

Sponsor: Primary sponsor not listed; co-sponsor: Leigh Finke

Short title: Capital investment for improvements to the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District public health laboratory; bond issuance and appropriation

Purpose and intent

HF 5100 authorizes state funding in the form of a grant and authorizes issuing state bonds to finance capital improvements at the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District (MMCD) public health laboratory located in St. Paul. The core aim is to upgrade and modernize the laboratory to enhance safety, increase testing capacity, and modernize testing procedures for mosquito-related public health work.

Key provisions and changes

Section 1 — Appropriation for capital improvements

Amount appropriated: $2,500,000

Source of funds: Bond proceeds fund

Recipient: Metropolitan Council, for a grant to the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District

Purpose of funding: Predesign, design, construction, and furnishing of capital improvements and betterments to the MMCD public health laboratory.

Projects financed include:

Addressing safety concerns at the lab
Expanding testing capacity
Modernizing testing procedures

Section 2 — Bond sale authorization

Bond authority: Up to $2,500,000 in state bonds

Authority and process: Bonds to be sold and issued by the Commissioner of Management and Budget in accordance with:

Minnesota Statutes, sections 16A.631 to 16A.675
Minnesota Constitution, article XI, sections 4 to 7

Purpose of bonds: To provide the funding appropriated in Section 1

Effective date

The act (or section) becomes effective the day after final enactment.

What would be affected

Metropolitan Mosquito Control District (MMCD) public health laboratory in St. Paul: Receives funding and bond authority to undertake capital improvements.

Public health laboratory operations: Anticipated improvements in safety, testing capacity, and modernized workflows, potentially impacting mosquito-borne disease surveillance and response capabilities.

State financing: Uses the bond proceeds fund to finance the appropriation, with repayment planned through state bonds issued under existing debt statutes and constitutional provisions.

Procedural and timeline notes

Legislative status: Introduction and first reading, referred to Capital Investment on 2026-04-30.

Timeline implications: As a capital investment bill, enactment would create a one-time appropriation and debt issuance trigger for MMCD improvements. Bond proceeds would be leveraged per statutory requirements, with follow-up activities including project planning (predesign and design), construction, and furnishing.

Summary in plain terms

HF 5100 proposes a one-time state investment of $2.5 million, financed by state bonds, to fund capital improvements at the MMCD public health laboratory in St. Paul. The funds would support predesign through construction and outfitting of the lab, with emphasis on safety, expanded testing capacity, and updated testing procedures. The bill also formalizes the sale of up to $2.5 million in state bonds to finance this appropriation, under existing bond statutes and constitutional authority. Effective date is the day after final enactment.

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