Reduction to local government aid to a county or city that uses the incorrect state flag established.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Alex Falconer and 11 co-sponsors

HF 5077 imposes a 10% reduction in local government aid for Minnesota counties/cities that fly a state flag not certified by the State Emblems Redesign Commission, starting aid pay

Author added Kotyza-Witthuhn

#governmentaloperations-local #taxation

Purpose and intent

HF 5077 would establish a financial penalty tied to the use of an incorrect state flag by a county or city in Minnesota. Specifically, it requires a reduction in local government aid (LGA) to any county or city that flies or otherwise uses a state flag-design variant not certified by the State Emblems Redesign Commission. The penalty is a 10% reduction in aid, applied to aid payable in the year following an instance of incorrect flag use. The bill also creates a reporting requirement, mandating annual notification to the Commissioner of Revenue.

Key provisions and changes

Penalty for incorrect flag use:

Subdivision 1 (Penalty): If a county or city uses a state flag other than the design certified by the State Emblems Redesign Commission (as established by Laws 2023, chapter 62, article 2, section 118), the Commissioner of Revenue must reduce the county’s or city’s local government aid by 10%.
The reduction applies to aid payable in the year after an incident of incorrect flag use.

Notification requirement:

Subdivision 2 (Notification): On December 31 of each year, the governing body of every county or city subject to the penalty must notify the Commissioner of Revenue of their use of the incorrect state flag.

Effective date:

The act would take effect beginning with aid payable in 2027.

Legal mechanics and scope:

The measure applies to local government aid under Minnesota Statutes, sections 477A.011 to 477A.03.

Who is affected

Primary beneficiaries/payers:

Minnesota counties and cities that receive local government aid (LGA) from the state.

Administrative bodies involved:

The Minnesota Department of Revenue (Commissioner of Revenue) would implement the penalty and manage notifications.
Local governing bodies (county boards and city councils) must comply with flag-use requirements and annual notification.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Implementation timeline:

Annual flag-use assessment occurs, with violations triggering a penalty in the following year’s LGA payments.
The first year of impact would be aid payable in 2027.

Reporting cadence:

Each December 31, the affected local governments must inform the Commissioner of Revenue about any use of an incorrect state flag.

Relation to existing law:

The penalty is tied to the state’s flag as certified by the State Emblems Redesign Commission, referencing the design established by Laws 2023, chapter 62, article 2, section 118.

Notes and context

The bill emphasizes compliance with the state-approved flag design and introduces a financial incentive for local units of government to adhere to the certified flag design.

The 10% penalty is significant and aimed at ensuring uniform use of the official state flag across counties and cities.

There is no provision in the text for exemptions or appeals; the penalty is described as a straightforward reduction in LGA for violations in the previous year.

If you’d like, I can compare HF 5077 to current law on flag design compliance or provide a brief impact assessment for a specific county or city.

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