Bills: SB1192, SB1264, SB1284, SB1810, SB1921

Keywords: substance abuse, counseling, assessment fees, mental health, alcohol and drug programs, domestic violence, domestic abuse, assault and battery, assault, battery, strangulation, dangerous weapon, family or household member, intimate partner, pregnant woman, great bodily injury, batterers intervention program, batterers' intervention, anger management, victim safety

Transcript Highlights:

• We have the worst, you know, fraud in the country here in Minnesota.
• We still have no idea what the exact—I mean, we all want to stop fraud, we know that, right?
• <00:41:06.480> in urge us as we think about fraud in urge us as we think about fraud in Minnesota
• My goal is always to prevent fraud, and you and I've had that conversation.
• My goal is always to prevent fraud, and you and I've had that conversation.

Bills: HF1, HF1754, HF1809, HF1478

Keywords: Office of Inspector General, inspector general, legislative audit, fraud prevention, waste and abuse, public funds, grant oversight, state grants, grant management, whistleblower protection, retaliation, subpoena power, data practices, government transparency, accountability, law enforcement referrals, sanctions, debarment, payment withholding, public assistance fraud

Transcript Highlights:

• It also develops and creates a fraud reporting hotline, conducts investigations, and reports suspected
• fraud reporting hotline cond creates a fraud reporting hotline cond conducts<00:04:08.519> investigations
• We mentioned DEED fraud.
• DEED deals with insurance fraud and then we have our financial fraud unit over at the BCA.
• job is to do insurance fraud job is to do insurance fraud investigations<00:18:09.120> which<

Bills: HF1, HF1384

Keywords: Office of Inspector General, inspector general, legislative audit, fraud prevention, waste and abuse, public funds, grant oversight, state grants, grant management, whistleblower protection, retaliation, subpoena power, data practices, government transparency, accountability, law enforcement referrals, sanctions, debarment, payment withholding, public assistance fraud

Transcript Highlights:

• That pertains to House File 2354, Representative Norris' bill for Medicaid fraud.
• Auditor and one being from Representative Norris for the Attorney General's Office to enhance Medicaid fraud

Bills: HF2783

Keywords: state government finance, biennial budget, appropriations, Minnesota Management and Budget, Healthy Aging Subcabinet, Office of Healthy Aging, older adults, aging policy, long-term care, caregivers, public health, Medicaid fraud, medical assistance fraud, attorney general subpoena power, fraud enforcement, business filing fraud, Secretary of State, deceptive mailings, consumer protection, certified public accountant

Transcript Highlights:

• Section 7 deals with medical assistance fraud and other theft.
• 16, 17, and 18, so we're now on what pages 31 through 36 have to do again with medical assistance fraud
• This also overlaps with the governor's package on anti-fraud proposals.
• revenue system continues to provide expected service levels, state revenues, and safeguards against fraud
• The support for tax processing also weakens our ability to prevent fraud and build trust to support the

Bills: HF2783

Keywords: state government finance, biennial budget, appropriations, Minnesota Management and Budget, Healthy Aging Subcabinet, Office of Healthy Aging, older adults, aging policy, long-term care, caregivers, public health, Medicaid fraud, medical assistance fraud, attorney general subpoena power, fraud enforcement, business filing fraud, Secretary of State, deceptive mailings, consumer protection, certified public accountant

Transcript Highlights:

• We've got a lot of fraud bills on one.
• Something that we fraud indicators.
• Uh the fraud and a lawsuit from Iowa.
• completely disagree with that fraud completely disagree with that fraud statistic.<00:32:07.039>
• > this number one targets for fraud in this number one targets for fraud in this sector.<00:55

Bills: HB2227, HB1775, HB1560, HB1642, HB1647, HB2003, HB1640, HB2198

Keywords: eviction, housing stability, tenant screening, court records, writ of possession, foreclosures, public sale, eligible bidders, housing, downpayment, judicial foreclosure, digital financial assets, consumer protection, financial kiosks, refunds, transaction security, HB1642, Hawaii, cryptocurrency ATM, crypto ATM

Summary: The committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce met on February 5, 2026, and heard testimony on several bills, beginning with HB 227 relating to eviction records. Supporters, including the Public First Law Center and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, argued the bill would help people who prevail in eviction cases avoid long-term housing harm from online court records, while the Public First Law Center said keeping records off eCourt Kokua would not violate the First Amendment because the records would still be available in person. Members discussed access-to-justice concerns, and a witness said legal aid attorneys could still access the records through the attorney-only Jeff’s system and the court’s access-to-justice room. The chair also asked about precedent, and a witness cited a Hawaii Supreme Court case as supporting removal from the online database rather than sealing records entirely. The committee then took up HP 1775 relating to foreclosures, but the transcript only shows in-person opposition comments from the Hawaii State Bar Association Collection Law Section, the Hawaii Credit Union League, and the Hawaii Bankers Association. The credit union and banking groups said they had concerns about broader negative impacts on mortgage lending and other requirements, but no detailed discussion or action was captured before the committee moved on. The next measure, HB 1560 relating to consumer protection, drew support from the Office of Consumer Protection and cryptocurrency companies including Coinflip and America Digital, which said they already use wallet-pinning and other safeguards to prevent fraud. AARP Hawaii did not take a formal position but said the bill addressed a real problem, noting that Hawaii residents, especially in Kona, had lost more than $920,000 in 2024 to cryptocurrency ATM scams and arguing that stronger oversight was needed. The committee also heard HB 1642, which would ban cryptocurrency kiosks. The Office of Consumer Protection supported the ban as the best way to protect consumers from fraud, while Coinflip, Bitcoin Depot, and America Digital opposed it, arguing kiosks provide cash-based access to crypto, especially for unbanked or underbanked consumers, and that targeted regulation would be better than an outright ban. AARP Hawaii took no formal position but strongly emphasized the harm caused by scams, saying victims are often frightened into acting quickly and that kiosk transactions currently lack enough friction or intervention. Finally, HB 1647, also on consumer protection, would impose liability on host businesses that provide space for crypto kiosks. The Office of Consumer Protection warned small businesses might not understand the liability, while Coinflip, Bitcoin Depot, and America Digital opposed the bill, saying it would unfairly shift enforcement duties to host stores and could discourage businesses from hosting kiosks, effectively creating a de facto ban. No votes or final committee actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• combat fraud. combat fraud.
• The BCA investigates all types of fraud, child care fraud, food fraud, other things.
• The BCA investigates all types of fraud, child care fraud, food fraud, other things.
• The BCA investigates all types of fraud, child care fraud, food fraud, other things.
• The BCA investigates all types of fraud, child care fraud, food fraud, other things.

Bills: HF2354, HF3621, HF3429, HF3483

Keywords: medical assistance, fraud prevention, subpoena authority, criminal penalties, consumer protection, fraud, payment withholding, withheld payments, program integrity, public funds, state agency, program participant, credible allegation of fraud, administrative reconsideration, contested case, chapter 14, data practices, confidential data, protected nonpublic data, anti-fraud

Summary: The committee approved the minutes from March 5 by voice vote and welcomed new member Representative Van Binsbergen. It then took up House File 2354, which Chair Liebling moved to re-refer to the Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee. Representative Norris presented the bill as an updated version of the Medical Assistance Protection Act, aimed at strengthening the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, closing loopholes, equalizing fraud penalties, and increasing penalties for large-scale Medicaid fraud. Attorney General Ellison said the bill would add 18 specialized staff to the unit, moving it from 32 to 50 positions, and argued the federal-state matching structure makes the Attorney General’s office the proper home for the funding because the unit is dedicated to Medicaid fraud work. Nick Wonka, director of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, explained the bill’s provisions affecting committee jurisdiction: expanded subpoena authority to obtain financial account contents in provider-fraud investigations, conforming legal representation language to preserve the unit’s authority, venue changes to allow charging in counties where parts of the offense occurred, and a restitution change to let courts order restitution for related conduct in the same scheme. He said the subpoena change would speed investigations and align the Attorney General’s authority with other agencies, and that the restitution change would help recover more fraudulently obtained Medicaid funds. No public testimony was offered. Members questioned why the funding should go to the Attorney General’s office rather than the BCA, whether the new records authority was federally required, how the venue language would work across state lines, and whether the added FTEs indicated the fraud problem was larger than expected. Ellison and Wonka responded that the federal grant requires the work to stay within the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, that the unit’s investigators are specialized and work with, but separate from, law enforcement, and that the venue provision applies only within Minnesota while out-of-state matters would be referred to the appropriate authorities. The amendment that had been posted was withdrawn and not offered.

Transcript Highlights:

• And that pertains to House File 2354, Representative Norris's bill for Medicaid fraud, and that can be
• There are anti-fraud and legislative oversight provisions.
• Auditor, and one being from Representative Norris for the Attorney General's office to enhance Medicaid fraud

Bills: HF2783

Keywords: state government finance, biennial budget, appropriations, Minnesota Management and Budget, Healthy Aging Subcabinet, Office of Healthy Aging, older adults, aging policy, long-term care, caregivers, public health, Medicaid fraud, medical assistance fraud, attorney general subpoena power, fraud enforcement, business filing fraud, Secretary of State, deceptive mailings, consumer protection, certified public accountant

Transcript Highlights:

• Section seven is dealing with medical assistance fraud and other theft.
• with medical assistance fraud. with medical assistance fraud.
• <00:08:19.440> And filing fraud and deceptive mailings.
• And filing fraud and deceptive mailings.
• This also overlaps with the governor's package on anti-fraud proposals.

Bills: HF2783

Keywords: state government finance, biennial budget, appropriations, Minnesota Management and Budget, Healthy Aging Subcabinet, Office of Healthy Aging, older adults, aging policy, long-term care, caregivers, public health, Medicaid fraud, medical assistance fraud, attorney general subpoena power, fraud enforcement, business filing fraud, Secretary of State, deceptive mailings, consumer protection, certified public accountant

Bills: SB302, SB1335, SB1734, SB1760, SB1975, SB2127

Keywords: probate court, statutory judge, reimbursement, court costs, court proceedings, judicial assignments, judge assignment, cost reimbursement, judicial expenses, estate management, statutory requirement, court expenses, estates, inheritance, representative duties, court authority, personal representative, real property, deed fraud, title fraud

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 1734 addresses the growing issue of deed fraud.
• documents or commits fraud on a notary to file real property documents.
• Senate Bill 1734 is a self-help bill for victims of deed fraud.
• We see this as a good mechanism to further reduce and address property fraud.
• that they create to continue the fraud.

Bills: SB302, SB1335, SB1734, SB1760, SB1975, SB2127

Keywords: probate court, statutory judge, reimbursement, court costs, court proceedings, judicial assignments, judge assignment, cost reimbursement, judicial expenses, estate management, statutory requirement, court expenses, estates, inheritance, representative duties, court authority, personal representative, real property, deed fraud, title fraud

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 1734 addresses the growing issue of deed fraud.
• Under current law, resolving deed fraud can be a costly, complicated, and time consuming matter.
• We see this as a good mechanism so that we can further reduce and address property fraud, and I thank
• And this one, and of course with property fraud, as soon as you think you have it nailed down, there's
• another, there's they come up with it, they create another opportunity to continue the fraud and so

Bills: SB 302, SB 1335, SB 1734, SB 1760, SB 1975, SB 2127

Keywords: probate court, statutory judge, reimbursement, court costs, court proceedings, judicial assignments, judge assignment, cost reimbursement, judicial expenses, estate management, statutory requirement, court expenses, estates, inheritance, representative duties, court authority, personal representative, real property, deed fraud, title fraud

Transcript Highlights:

• General's fraud hotline operations.
• Instead, the agency will focus on more advanced, data-driven and fraud detection methods.
• Now, what are the most common types of fraud that we need? that result in these recoveries?
• Well, we had, last week we had some testimony in our opening. meeting about some of the frauds that they
• , what is the fraud that's going on that we need to address.

Bills: HB26, HB140, HB141, HB142, HB215, HB26, HB140, HB141, HB142, HB215

Keywords: Medicaid, nutrition support, maternal health, chronic conditions, pilot program, DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, child protective services, child abuse investigations, child neglect, child exploitation, advisory committee, Family and Protective Services Council, council abolition, foster care, due process, investigative procedures, child welfare, parental rights, family preservation services

Transcript Highlights:

• Provide the necessary authority to respond to various types of financial fraud such as check fraud fraud
• , wire fraud, and organized crime. crime fraud schemes in general.
• . fraud and losses.
• Financial fraud, by and large, is organized crime, financial fraud many times.
• And lower the financial losses as banks often absorb the financial impact of check fraud. fraud, so stricter

Bills: SB1281, SB1300, SB1379, SB1451, SB1497, SB1498, SB1499

Keywords: mail theft, postal theft, package theft, identity theft, negotiable instrument, check theft, mail receptacle key, mailbox lock, postal key, delivery service, courier, USPS, United States Postal Service, fraud, property crime, elderly victims, disabled victims, identity information, rebuttable presumption, felony enhancement

Transcript Highlights:

• deed fraud is when someone, through fraudulent means, fake documents, or committing fraud on a notary
• Under current law, resolving deed fraud can be a costly, complicated, and time-consuming matter.
• And so we wanted this to be a mechanism that addressed property fraud.
• We see this as a good mechanism so that we can further reduce and address property fraud.
• is another—they come up with it, they create another opportunity to continue the fraud.

Bills: SB302, SB1335, SB1734, SB1760, SB1975, SB2127

Keywords: probate court, statutory judge, reimbursement, court costs, court proceedings, judicial assignments, judge assignment, cost reimbursement, judicial expenses, estate management, statutory requirement, court expenses, estates, inheritance, representative duties, court authority, personal representative, real property, deed fraud, title fraud

Summary: The committee heard several probate, family law, judicial, property, and contract-related bills. Senate Bill 1335, relating to decedents’ estates, would remove outdated references to a clerk’s certificate, allow courts to remove personal representatives on their own motion with notice by qualified delivery method, and add independent administrators to provisions that referenced only independent executors; an estate-planning attorney testified in support, and the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 1760, concerning guardianship transfer fees and procedures, was described as setting a $45 filing fee for transferred guardianship cases and clarifying completion and dismissal procedures; it received no testimony and was left pending. Senate Bill 2127 would shorten the eligibility period for retired judges to serve as visiting judges from eight years to six, restrict practice in their assigned region for two years, and require conflict-related certification; it also was left pending without testimony. Senate Bill 302 would shift the cost of a traveling probate judge to the requesting estate or parties rather than the county; one witness registered in favor, no one testified, and the bill was left pending. The committee then considered a committee substitute for Senate Bill 252, which would clarify the parental presumption in conservatorship cases, require non-parents seeking relief against a parent to file an affidavit showing significant impairment to the child if relief is denied, require courts to state specific findings when overcoming the presumption, confirm the clear-and-convincing standard, and clarify that agreed prior orders do not defeat the presumption. The substitute was explained as consensus language from a work group, public testimony was reopened, and the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 1734, on deed fraud, would create a streamlined ex parte process for property owners to have fraudulent deeds declared void, modeled on the fraudulent lien statute; county clerk and title association representatives testified that it would provide a low-cost self-help remedy for a growing problem, and the bill was left pending subject to the chair. Senate Bill 1975 would prevent Texas contractors from being forced to litigate disputes in foreign jurisdictions and require disputes to be handled in the county where the project is located; it was presented as a repeat of a previously vetoed bill and was left pending. Finally, the committee took up a substitute for Senate Bill 1940, concerning transfer-on-death style beneficiary designations for manufactured homes. The substitute would allow one or more beneficiaries instead of only one, transfer the interest to surviving designated beneficiaries who survive by 120 hours, extend the application period for transfer to 365 days, void the designation if not timely filed, and require mailing by certified or registered mail with return receipt requested. The substitute was adopted without objection. The committee then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Bills: HB19

Keywords: real property, theft, fraud, criminal offense, elderly, disabled, restitution, recording requirements

Transcript Highlights:

• We have combined the last civil deed fraud work we need to do.
• According to the National Association of Realtors 2025 deed and Title fraud survey.
• It's um despicable, and uh I hope this bill will will go far in in eliminating the property fraud and
• Right now deed fraud is, is, is prosecuted under traditional theft statutes.
• And by creating these, these specific charges relative to deed fraud, you get 4 things.

Bills: SB15

Keywords: real property, fraud, theft, elderly, disabled, statute of limitations, criminal offense, property rights

Transcript Highlights:

• First, we must continue and augment our traditional anti-fraud efforts.
• Consider the staggering costs of fraud.
• For example, we know that there's often fraud in procedures.
• Those funds went out at the time, but it left it ripe for fraud.
• You know, within, how do you, you know, so we're talking about really fraud, because fraud is where you

Keywords: artificial intelligence, waste reduction, fraud prevention, government efficiency, improper payments, data reliability, oversight

Summary: The meeting was chaired by Chairman Schweikert and involved a comprehensive discussion on how to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) for reducing waste, fraud, and improper payments within federal programs. Key witnesses, including Mr. Andrew Canarsa from the Council of the Inspectors General, provided insights on the potential of AI in enhancing government efficiency. The committee emphasized the importance of reliable data and thorough examination of AI application to avoid unintended consequences while addressing the estimated $162 billion in improper payments reported by the federal government. Concerns were raised regarding the recent firing of inspectors general and the impacts that could have on oversight and accountability processes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
• efforts to combat fraud. efforts to combat fraud.
• fraud, than tax fraud, of<01:08:16.520> course.
• In fraud, and that is mainly fraud.
• of potential fraud of potential fraud of<01:18:33.719> potential<01:18:34.240> fraud

Bills: HF1338

Keywords: Inspector General, Office of the Inspector General, state oversight, government accountability, fraud, waste, abuse, audit, investigation, subpoena, whistleblower, public integrity, transparency, state agencies, executive branch, public funds, taxpayer funds, law enforcement oversight, public safety programs, advisory council

Transcript Highlights:

• It's not about rewriting Minnesota fraud laws. It does one practical thing.
• It gives prosecutors more time in complex public fraud cases by extending the statute of limitations
• It's not about rewriting Minnesota fraud laws. It does one practical thing.
• It gives prosecutors more time in complex public fraud cases by extending the statute of limitations
• Superintendent Evans. people accountable when those frauds people accountable when those frauds might

Bills: HF4371, HF4317, HF2817, HF3496, HF4151, HF3826, HF4425, HF3990

Keywords: HF4371, Minnesota background checks, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, BCA, Office of the Legislative Auditor, Legislative Auditor, criminal history records, national criminal history record information, public safety, statutory amendment, section 299C.76, requesting agency, state audit, oversight, background screening, criminal records, county agencies, MNsure, Department of Revenue, Department of Human Services