One-time funds will help overworked Office of Administrative Hearings

Per its website, “The Office of Administrative Hearings renders justice through fair, timely, and impartial administrative hearings and high-quality dispute resolution services.” That includes fair campaign practice complaints and some data practice matters.

However, its original biennial funding was used up by the first quarter of this year. Effective April 6, 2023, a new law provides a one-time $196,000 General Fund appropriation to help the office maintain timely hearings in campaign and data practice cases for the remainder of the current fiscal year that ends June 30, 2023.

Traditionally the office receives about 25 new filings annually; however, the office expects to quadruple that in fiscal year 2023. The hours expended are on pace to expand from 600 in fiscal year 2022 to 2,000 in fiscal year 2023.

In November 2022, $125,000 was transferred to the office from the General Fund Contingent Account to maintain services, but that funding was quickly depleted.

Rep. Ginny Klevorn (DFL-Plymouth) and Sen. Erin Murphy (DFL-St. Paul) are the sponsors.

HF2033/SF1816*/CH23

SF1816* / HF2033 / CH23