State Board of Civil Legal Aid funding provided, and money appropriated.
HF1373 is an appropriations bill for civil legal services in Minnesota. It provides $42.997 million in fiscal year 2026 and $54.675 million in fiscal year 2027 from the general fund to the State Board of Civil Legal Aid, which then distributes the money to legal services programs under Minnesota Statutes, section 480.242. The bill also establishes higher funding base levels for the following biennium, setting the base at $68.512 million in fiscal year 2028 and $84.498 million in fiscal year 2029.
In practical terms, the bill increases state support for civil legal aid organizations that assist low-income Minnesotans with noncriminal legal matters such as housing, family law, consumer issues, and other civil disputes. It does not amend the underlying eligibility rules or program structure in the cited statute, but it does change state spending levels and future budget baselines for these services.
The bill affects state law primarily through appropriations rather than substantive policy changes. It directs general fund dollars to the State Board of Civil Legal Aid for distribution to legal services programs under Minnesota Statutes, section 480.242, and it raises the funding base for future fiscal years, which can influence subsequent budget planning and appropriations. The main affected parties are civil legal aid providers and the low-income residents who rely on them for representation and advice in civil matters.
There is no recorded committee discussion or vote history in the provided materials, so no direct sentiment can be measured from debate or roll calls. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears straightforward and supportive of civil legal aid funding, with no visible opposition or amendment controversy in the available record.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided transcript or voting history. If debate occurred, likely areas of disagreement would have centered on the size of the appropriation, competing general fund priorities, or the appropriate level of state support for civil legal services, but none of those concerns are reflected in the materials provided.