1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to state government; appropriating money to the secretary of state for 
1.3 	certain activities related to election security.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. APPROPRIATION; ELECTION SECURITY.
 1.6 		Subdivision 1.Appropriation. $5,000,000 in fiscal year 2023 is appropriated from the 
1.7 	general fund to the secretary of state to enhance election security. This is a onetime 
1.8 	appropriation. This appropriation may be used for any of the following purposes:
1.9 	(1) improving physical security of polling places and locations administering elections;
1.10 	(2) preparing training materials and training local election officials;
1.11 	(3) implementing physical security improvements for election systems; and
1.12 	(4) funding other activities to improve the security of elections.
1.13 		Subd. 2.Local grants. (a) The secretary of state must administer grants to political 
1.14 	subdivisions to support the activities authorized in subdivision 1. The secretary may make 
1.15 	a grant only after receiving an application from the county auditor or municipal clerk 
1.16 	responsible for administering the election within that political subdivision. The application 
1.17 	must contain the following information:
1.18 	(1) the date the application is submitted;
1.19 	(2) the name of the political subdivision requesting the grant;
1.20 	(3) the name and title of the individual who prepared the application;
2.1 	(4) the citizen voting age population in the political subdivision from the 2020 United 
2.2 	States Census;
2.3 	(5) the total amount of the grant requested;
2.4 	(6) a certified statement by the official responsible for the application that the grant will 
2.5 	be used only for purposes authorized in subdivision 1; and
2.6 	(7) any other information required by the secretary of state.
2.7 	(b) A county is eligible to receive a grant of no less than $30,000. The remaining grant 
2.8 	funds must be distributed based on the citizen voting age population of each political 
2.9 	subdivision. If both a county and political subdivision within the county apply for additional 
2.10 	funds based on citizen voting age population, the secretary of state must award 20 percent 
2.11 	of the funds to the county and 80 percent to the political subdivision.
2.12 	(c) The secretary of state must establish a deadline for receipt of grant applications, a 
2.13 	procedure for awarding and distributing grants consistent with this subdivision, and a process 
2.14 	for verifying the proper use of the grants after distribution. In evaluating an application, the 
2.15 	secretary of state must consider only the information set forth in the application and is not 
2.16 	subject to Minnesota Statutes, chapter 14. If the secretary of state determines that the 
2.17 	application has been fully and properly completed, and there is a sufficient balance available 
2.18 	to fund the grant, either in whole or in part, the secretary of state may approve the application.
2.19 	(d) No later than January 31, 2023, the secretary of state must submit a report to the 
2.20 	legislative committees with jurisdiction over elections policy and state government finance 
2.21 	on the state's use of the funds and identify each jurisdiction receiving a grant and the amount 
2.22 	of each grant awarded.