HF 4513

Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)

Posted on 03/23/2026 03:21 p.m.

A bill for an act
relating to consumer protection; removing deposit limit on the consumer protection
restitution account; setting distribution limits; amending Minnesota Statutes 2025
Supplement, section 8.37, subdivisions 3, 5.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 8.37, subdivision 3, is amended
to read:

Subd. 3.

Money deposited in the account.

deleted text begin 50 deleted text end new text begin Fifty new text end percent of all money recovered by
the attorney general in a consumer enforcement action that is payable to the state and not
designated as consumer enforcement public compensation or for another specific purpose
deleted text begin up to the first $5,000,000 each fiscal year deleted text end must be deposited into the account. The remaining
50 percent of money recovered by the attorney general in a consumer enforcement action
that is payable to the state and not designated as consumer enforcement public compensation
or for another specific purpose must be deposited into the general fund. For purposes of
this subdivision, the amount of money recovered in a consumer enforcement action that
must be deposited into the fund is determined at the time when the money otherwise would
have been deposited into the general fund.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 8.37, subdivision 5, is amended to
read:

Subd. 5.

Distributions to eligible consumers.

(a) Money in the account may be
distributed to any eligible consumer with an identified amount of unpaid consumer
enforcement public compensation. deleted text begin If the amount of money in the account is insufficient to
pay all distributions to eligible consumers with an identified amount of unpaid consumer
enforcement public compensation, the deleted text end Money must be distributed first to consumers eligible
for unpaid consumer enforcement public compensation based on a consumer enforcement
action with a final order of the oldest date.

deleted text begin (b) If the attorney general projects that there will be insufficient funding to pay all eligible
consumers from the funds available on an ongoing basis, the attorney general may
recommend to the legislature that the legislature prescribe a formula for prorating or capping
payments to eligible consumers so that more eligible consumers will receive payment from
the fund.
deleted text end

new text begin (b) If money is distributed to an eligible consumer, the distribution is limited to:
new text end

new text begin (1) the full identified amount of unpaid consumer enforcement public compensation, up
to $50,000; and
new text end

new text begin (2) 50 percent of the identified amount of unpaid consumer enforcement public
compensation over $50,000, or $50,000, whichever is less.
new text end