SF 4807
1st Engrossment - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)
Posted on 04/15/2026 09:13 a.m.
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A bill for an act
relating to state government; modifying the amount of pay for commissioned
officers and enlisted members engaged in state active service; establishing standards
for use of competitive grants issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs;
modifying eligibility for burial in state veterans cemeteries; requiring a report;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 197.231; Minnesota Statutes 2025
Supplement, sections 192.49, subdivision 1; 197.236, subdivisions 8, 9; proposing
coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 196; repealing Minnesota
Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 192.49, subdivision 2.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Section 1.
Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 192.49, subdivision 1, is amended
to read:
Subdivision 1.
Officersnew text begin and enlisted membersnew text end .
Every commissioned officer new text begin and enlisted
member new text end of the military forces deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end receive from the state, while engaged in state active
service as defined in section 190.05, subdivision 5a, pay and allowances at the rate now or
hereafter paid or allowed by law to officersnew text begin or enlisted membersnew text end of the same grade and
length of service in the armed forces of the United States, but new text begin basic pay must new text end not new text begin be new text end less
than deleted text begin $130 a daydeleted text end new text begin basic pay of an E-5 pay grade according to the military basic pay tables
maintained by the federal Defense Finance and Accounting Servicenew text end .
Sec. 2.
new text begin
[196.055] REQUIREMENTS FOR LEGISLATIVELY DIRECTED
COMPETITIVE AND DIRECT GRANTS.
new text end
new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end
new text begin Definitions. new text end
new text begin
(a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have
the meanings given.
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new text begin
(b) "Active service member" means a person currently serving in the uniformed services
of the United States:
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(1) on active duty who is a resident of the state or stationed in the state; or
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(2) in a reserve component who is a resident of the state.
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(c) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of veterans affairs.
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(d) "Dependent child" means a child under the age of 22 who is a biological or adopted
child of a veteran.
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(e) "Immediate family member" means a spouse or dependent child of a veteran.
new text end
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(f) "Veteran" means a person who is a resident of Minnesota and who served in the
armed forces of the United States of America.
new text end
new text begin Subd. 2. new text end
new text begin Grantee eligibility. new text end
new text begin
(a) To be eligible to receive a legislatively directed
competitive or direct grant administered by the commissioner, the grantee must:
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(1) be a Minnesota-based nonprofit organization that has been operating for at least five
years;
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(2) be in good standing with the Office of the Attorney General; and
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(3) have a current federal tax form 990 on file with the federal Internal Revenue Service.
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(b) Grants made by the commissioner pursuant to sections 190.19, subdivision 2a,
paragraph (a), clauses (5) and (6), 197.608, and 197.61 are exempt from the requirements
of this section.
new text end
new text begin Subd. 3. new text end
new text begin Limitations on use of grant money. new text end
new text begin
(a) A grantee may only use grant money
subject to this section to provide services to:
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(1) Minnesota veterans;
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(2) active service members;
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(3) immediate family members of a Minnesota veteran or active service member; and
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(4) immediate family members of a deceased Minnesota veteran who died in the line of
duty.
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(b) When there are insufficient resources to serve all eligible applicants, a grantee must
prioritize serving veterans with a service-connected disability.
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new text begin Subd. 4. new text end
new text begin Grant application scoring system. new text end
new text begin
The commissioner must develop a grant
application scoring system that evaluates grant applications based upon an applicant's
demonstrated history of serving veterans. The scoring system must include measurable
outcomes for veterans previously served by the applicant.
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new text begin Subd. 5. new text end
new text begin Grant amounts. new text end
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The commissioner shall determine the amount of each
legislatively directed competitive grant awarded based on the results of the scoring system
developed pursuant to subdivision 4. The commissioner may not use a grantee's request for
a designated grant amount as a factor to determine the amount of the grant awarded to the
grantee.
new text end
new text begin Subd. 6. new text end
new text begin Suspension of grant money. new text end
new text begin
The commissioner may withhold amounts awarded
to a grantee if the commissioner determines that the grantee has committed fraud, is under
criminal investigation, has conducted itself in a manner that brings the state of Minnesota
or the Department of Veterans Affairs into disrepute, or is incapable of delivering the services
required under the grant agreement.
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new text begin Subd. 7. new text end
new text begin Reports. new text end
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(a) Beginning in 2027, by February 15 of each year a grantee must
submit a report to the commissioner that includes the following information:
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(1) a summary of the purpose of the grant;
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(2) the grant amount provided to the grantee;
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(3) the amount of previous grants issued by the commissioner to the grantee;
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(4) the amount of other state and federal grants received by the grantee in the most recent
fiscal year;
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(5) the number of veterans, active service members, and immediate family members
served by the grantee;
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(6) the number of veterans, active service members, and immediate family members
who successfully completed the grantee's programming and the criteria used to determine
successful completion of the program; and
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(7) the grantee's charitable giving ratio.
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(b) The commissioner may require a grantee to report information in addition to the
required information under paragraph (a) if specified in the grantee's grant agreement with
the state.
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(c) Beginning in 2027, by March 1 of each year the commissioner must submit a report
on grantees that received legislatively directed competitive or direct grants from the agency
in the preceding year to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative
committees with jurisdiction over veterans affairs policy and finance. The report must
summarize the information and aggregate the data provided by grantees under paragraph
(a).
new text end
new text begin Subd. 8. new text end
new text begin Administrative costs. new text end
new text begin
The commissioner may retain up to five percent of the
amount appropriated for legislatively directed competitive and direct grants to fund
administrative and compliance monitoring costs related to the grants.
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new text begin Subd. 9. new text end
new text begin Interaction with other law. new text end
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Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the
requirements for grants established in this section are in addition to the applicable grants
management requirements imposed under sections 16B.97 to 16B.991.
new text end
Sec. 3.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 197.231, is amended to read:
197.231 HONOR GUARDS.
The commissioner of veterans affairs shall pay, within available funds and upon request
by a local unit of a congressionally chartered veterans organization or its auxiliary, up to
$50 to the local unit for each time that local unit provides an honor guard detail at the funeral
of anew text begin :
new text end
new text begin (1)new text end deceased veterannew text begin ;
new text end
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(2) veteran of the secret war in Laos, as defined in section 197.448, subdivision 1; or
new text end
new text begin (3) member of a reserve component of the armed forces, and any member of the Army
National Guard or the Air National Guard, as defined in section 197.236, subdivision 8,
paragraph (a), clause (2)new text end .
If the local unit provides a student to play "Taps," the local unit may pay some or all of the
$50 to the student.
Sec. 4.
Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 197.236, subdivision 8, is amended
to read:
Subd. 8.
Eligibility.
new text begin (a) new text end Cemeteries must be operated solely for the burial of new text begin the following
persons:
new text end
new text begin (1) new text end service members who die on active duty, eligible veterans, and deleted text begin their spouses and
dependent children,deleted text end new text begin other personsnew text end as defined in United States Code, title 38, section 2402,
paragraph (a), subparagraphs 1 to deleted text begin 5deleted text end new text begin 4, 7,new text end and deleted text begin 7.deleted text end new text begin 10;
new text end
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(2) members of a reserve component of the armed forces, and any member of the Army
National Guard or the Air National Guard, when:
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(i) the member completed at least one full term of service and the member received an
honorable discharge; or
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(ii) the member's death occurs while a member in good standing with the member's
assigned component and was not due to the member's willful misconduct; and
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(3) spouses, surviving spouses, minor children, or unmarried adult children of a person
as defined in United States Code, title 38, section 2402, paragraph (a), subparagraphs 1 to
4 and 7, or clause (2) of this subdivision. For purposes of this section:
new text end
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(i) a surviving spouse includes a surviving spouse who had a subsequent remarriage;
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(ii) a minor child means an unmarried child under 21 years of age, or under 23 years of
age if pursuing a full-time course of instruction at an approved educational institution; and
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(iii) an unmarried adult child means a child who became permanently physically or
mentally disabled and incapable of self-support before reaching 21 years of age, or before
reaching 23 years of age if pursuing a full-time course of instruction at an approved
educational institution.
new text end
new text begin
(b) An honorable discharge for purposes of this section does not include a general (under
honorable conditions) characterization of service.
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new text begin
(c) Willful misconduct for purposes of this section means an act involving conscious
wrongdoing or known prohibited action as described in United States Code, title 38, section
3.1, paragraph (n).
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new text begin
(d) Applicants with convictions under United States Code, title 18, section 704, are not
eligible for burial in state veterans cemeteries. By January 1, 2027, the commissioner shall
establish a process to verify that applicants for burial have not been convicted of stolen
valor.
new text end
Sec. 5.
Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 197.236, subdivision 9, is amended
to read:
Subd. 9.
Burial fees.
(a) The commissioner of veterans affairs shall establish a fee
schedule, which may be adjusted from time to time, for the interment of deleted text begin eligible spouses
and dependent childrendeleted text end new text begin qualified persons under subdivision 8, paragraph (a), clauses (2)
and (3)new text end . The fees shall cover as nearly as practicable the actual costs of intermentdeleted text begin , excluding
the value of the plotdeleted text end .
(b) Upon application, the commissioner may waive or reduce the burial fee for an indigent
eligible person. The commissioner shall maintain a policy, eligibility standards, and
application form for requests to waive or reduce the burial fee to indigent eligible applicants.
(c) No plot or interment fees may be charged for the burial of service members who die
on active duty or eligible veterans, as defined in United States Code, title 38, section 2402,
paragraph (a), subparagraphs 1 to 4 and 7.
Sec. 6. new text begin REPEALER.
new text end
new text begin
Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 192.49, subdivision 2,
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new text begin
is repealed.
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APPENDIX
Repealed Minnesota Statutes: S4807-1
192.49 PAY AND ALLOWANCES OF OFFICERS AND ORGANIZATIONS.
Subd. 2.
Enlisted persons.
When called into state active service by the governor, other than for encampment or maneuvers, including the time necessarily consumed in travel, each enlisted person of the military forces shall be paid by the state the pay and the allowances, when not furnished in kind, provided by law for enlisted persons of similar grade, rating, and length of service in the armed forces of the United States, or $130 a day, whichever is more.