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HOUSING The omnibus housing bill includes $1 billion to support construction, acquisition, and preservation of housing, including nearly $300M in direct appropriations to cities and new and existing grant opportunities for cities to support local housing efforts, including: • Workforce Housing: – $95M one-time increase to the Economic Development & Challenge Fund Grant Program (for a total of $120.85M for FY 24-25) – $35M one-time increase to the Greater Minnesota Workforce Housing Development Program – Additional $20M for the Workforce Homeownership Program (in addition to $40M for the program authorized in the omnibus tax bill, for a total of $60.25M) • Preservation and Rehabilitation: – $50M for public housing rehabilitation – $90M in community stabilization funding for naturally occurring affordable housing • Direct Local Housing Aid: – 0.25% metro sales tax to be distributed via formula to metro-area cities over 10,000 in population – $4.5M formula housing aid distribution to greater Minnesota cities authorized in omnibus tax bill INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT (IIJA) • The transportation bill provides $216 million for matching grants and creates a program within the Minnesota Department of Transportation for technical assistance grants for local units of government. • Establishment of $115M state competitiveness fund for federal matching funds, grant development assistance, and technical assistance for IIJA/IRA- funded energy projects. • $240M to replace private and public lead service line drinking water connections. • Passage of required matching funds for state access to IIJA federal resources supporting roads and bridges, transit, water, cybersecurity, energy, and transportation. JUNETEENTH • Juneteenth was officially added as a state holiday to recognize the date on which slavery was ended in the United States. • On June 19, 2023, and on June 19 each year after, public business cannot be conducted in observance of the holiday. LOCAL GOVERNMENT AID (LGA) • $80M annual increase • Formula updates will help make more cities eligible for LGA and replaces antiquated variables with more intuitive factors. OPEN MEETING LAW • The state and local government bill authorizes officials to participate in a meeting via interactive technology from a nonpublic location up to three times a year if advised by a health care professional against being in a public place for personal or family medical reasons. PAID FAMILY & MEDICAL LEAVE • The new law creates a state-administered paid family and medical leave insurance program beginning Jan. 1, 2026 that all employers will be required to participate in. • All employers will pay into an insurance program established under DEED, in which employees can apply for up to 12 weeks of paid medical or family leave, or up to 20 weeks combined, annually. PENSIONS • $170M in one-time direct state aid to the PERA General Employees Retirement Plan • $19.4M to the PERA Police and Fire Retirement Plan PUBLIC SAFETY • $210M in one-time public safety aid to all cities. The aid can be spent on fire, police, emergency medical, or other public safety needs. • The public safety duty disability bill contains mental injury prevention and treatment measures and provides $104 million to pay for related costs. The bill also provides full reimbursement to employers for the continued health insurance requirement for disabled employees. • A new law imposes criminal penalties for possession of a used catalytic converter that is not attached to a vehicle and prohibits a scrap metal dealer from purchasing a catalytic converter that is not attached to a vehicle unless the seller can document proof of ownership. • The omnibus public safety bill contains provisions pertaining to youth intervention, carjacking, body camera footage release, police accountability, and law enforcement job recruitment.