Open or concealed carry of firearms prohibited within 100 feet of designated polling places.
Summary
HF132 amends Minnesota’s motor vehicle registration tax exemption law to extend relief to active members of volunteer fire departments. Under current law, the exemption applies to certain veterans with a total service-connected disability; this bill adds volunteer firefighters who provide documentation from the fire chief as eligible owners. A qualifying vehicle may be a passenger automobile, one-ton pickup truck, motorcycle, or recreational vehicle, and the exemption covers registration taxes, administrative fees, filing fees and surcharges, and most plate and validation sticker fees.
The bill also clarifies that the exemption applies to vehicles jointly registered by an eligible owner and a spouse or domestic partner, and it limits the benefit to no more than two vehicles at a time per eligible owner. It preserves charges for personalized plates and required special-plate donations or contributions. The bill takes effect the day after final enactment, but the tax exemption applies only to registration periods beginning on or after January 1, 2026.
Impact
HF132 would amend Minnesota Statutes section 168.012, subdivision 13, expanding a vehicle registration tax and fee exemption beyond disabled veterans to include active volunteer firefighters. The change affects state motor vehicle registration revenue and the administration of registration fees, plate fees, and related surcharges for eligible vehicles. It also creates a new documentation requirement tied to the fire department chief and preserves existing limits and exclusions, including the two-vehicle cap and continued payment of personalized plate and special-plate contribution fees.
Sentiment
The available record shows no committee transcript or recorded votes, so there is no direct evidence of debate or opposition in the materials provided. Based on the bill text, the measure appears to be a targeted benefit for volunteer firefighters, suggesting a generally supportive policy rationale centered on recognizing public service and reducing costs for eligible volunteers. The absence of recorded amendments, votes, or hearing discussion limits any stronger conclusion about legislative sentiment.
Contention
The main policy issue is the expansion of a fee exemption that reduces state and potentially local revenue from vehicle registrations. Any concern would likely come from fiscal impacts or from the fairness of extending a benefit originally reserved for totally disabled veterans to another class of eligible owners. The bill addresses possible scope concerns by limiting the exemption to active volunteer firefighters with chief certification and capping the benefit at two vehicles, while also preserving certain plate-related charges and donations.
Surviving spouses of a veteran exemptions from taxes and fees established, including registration taxes, license plates fees, title fees, driver's license and identification card fees, and motor vehicle sales taxes.
Payment rates established for certain substance use disorder treatment services, and vendor eligibility recodified for payments from the behavioral health fund.
Cover Outstanding Vulnerable Expansion-eligible Residents Now Act or the COVER Now Act This bill establishes a demonstration program to allow local governments to provide health benefits to the Medicaid expansion population in states that have not expanded Medicaid. Under the program, local governments may provide coverage for individuals who are newly eligible for Medicaid under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (i.e., the Medicaid expansion population) for a maximum of 10 years, or until their respective states expand Medicaid. The bill provides a 100% federal matching rate for the first three years of program participation. The bill prohibits states from taking certain actions against participating localities, such as withholding funding, increasing taxes, or restricting provider participation. States that violate these requirements are subject to certain funding penalties.