Claims against the state settlement provided, and money appropriated.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Doron Clark and 1 co-sponsor

authorizes a general fund appropriation to the Department of Corrections for 2027 to settle and pay certain corrections-related claims arising from injuries or permanent injuries.

Effective date 07/01/2026

#appropriations #claims #governmentaloperations-state

Purpose and intent

This bill authorizes the settlement and payment of specific claims against the State of Minnesota related to losses or injuries occurring in state correctional contexts.

It provides a targeted appropriation from the general fund to the Department of Corrections to fund full and final settlements under Minnesota Statutes, sections 3.738 and 3.739.

Key provisions

Appropriation and purpose (Section 1):

Establishes an appropriation authority from the General Fund to the Commissioner of Corrections for fiscal year 2027.
Purpose: to achieve full and final payment of certain claims against the state under:
Minnesota Statutes, § 3.738 (claims arising from losses suffered while incarcerated in a state correctional facility).
Minnesota Statutes, § 3.739 (claims arising from injuries suffered by and medical services provided to persons performing community service or sentence-to-service work for correctional purposes, or while incarcerated in a state correctional facility).
The appropriation is available until June 30, 2027.
The payments are specifically for permanent injuries (the text fragment suggests payment to individuals with permanent injuries, though the exact beneficiaries and processes may be further defined in the statutes referenced).

Who/what is affected

Beneficiaries: Individuals with claims against the state arising from:

Losses suffered while incarcerated in a state correctional facility.
Injuries sustained by individuals performing community service or sentence-to-service work for correctional purposes, or while incarcerated.
Medical services provided in connection with those injuries.

State entity: Department of Corrections, which would administer and finalize settlements under the specified statutes.

Temporal scope: Funding authorized for fiscal year 2027; payments must be completed by June 30, 2027.

Procedural and timeline considerations

Administration: The Department of Corrections is tasked with processing and paying settlements under the statutory framework (§§ 3.738 and 3.739).

Timing: The appropriation is explicitly time-limited, contingent on the 2027 fiscal year, with payments due by June 30, 2027.

Legislative status: The bill was introduced (H. F. No. 5074), first reading on April 27, 2026, and referred to the Ways and Means Committee, indicating it involves a funding decision with fiscal impact.

Notable details and considerations

The bill text mentions “for permanent injuries” as part of the payment scope, indicating a focus on long-term or irreversible injuries, though full eligibility criteria and calculation methods are governed by the cited statutes (3.738 and 3.739) and relevant administrative rules.

The information provided is limited to Section 1. It does not include additional sections that might outline caps, formulas, eligibility criteria, or dispute resolution processes beyond the general authorization for the settlement payments.

If you want, I can pull in the text of Minnesota Statutes § 3.738 and § 3.739 to provide a more detailed mapping of eligibility, calculation methods, and process for approving settlements.

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