House passes bills on affordability, fraud, accountability and more
ST. PAUL – The 2026 legislative session finished Monday after a flurry of weekend activity where Rep. Jeff Dotseth, R-Silver Township, said House Republicans delivered major victories on affordability, fighting fraud, and increasing accountability in state programs.
Dotseth said House Republicans have focused heavily on combating fraud, providing property tax relief, improving school safety, cutting car tab fees, delivering relief for counties, and modernizing government systems. They passed bills addressing each of those priorities this session, including approximately $400 million in tax relief, with $125 million in property tax cuts and $250 million in car tab fee reductions approved over the weekend.
“From day one, fellow House Republicans and I prioritized car tab relief, property tax cuts, and cracking down on fraud,” Dotseth said. “We delivered real results in each of those areas, while also strengthening rural hospitals and easing burdens on counties. Local residents and Minnesotans across the state will benefit from the big wins House Republicans secured this year.”
A $1.2 billion infrastructure package also received House approval, funding projects locally and throughout the state. Dotseth said he is pleased the final package funds essential sewer and water projects in Moose Lake, Thompson Township and Wrenshall.
“This really dovetails nicely off all the local wins we had last year,” Dotseth said. “That includes last year’s legislation we passed providing more funding for school mergers to help Wrenshall and Carlton combine.”
Last weekend, the House also approved federal tax conformity legislation that helps Minnesota businesses by extending the pass-through entity tax provision, providing hundreds of millions of dollars in relief at no cost to the state. In addition, the House delayed PFAS reporting requirements for nine months through the end of the 2027 session, giving Minnesota businesses temporary relief from costly compliance mandates.
On fraud, the House adopted Medicaid work requirements included in the federal One Big Beautiful Bill to create long-term savings, strengthen accountability, and help combat fraud, Dotseth said. He noted that the measure builds on the House’s recent passage of legislation creating a new Office of the Inspector General and implementing additional anti-fraud reforms aimed at protecting taxpayer dollars and restoring trust in government.
“Minnesotans have had enough of their hard-earned tax dollars being stolen and wasted on reckless programs and projects,” Dotseth said. “Enough is enough. With all the fraud and wasteful spending, imagine how much more tax relief we could provide by cleaning house in our state programs and government in general.”
Relief for hospitals across Minnesota also came late in the session, with the House creating an uncompensated care fund and a new hospital stabilization fund to help facilities facing dire financial situations. The new fund is backfilled by expected cancellations of the Blue Line and Northern Lights Express rail projects.
Medical Assistance reimbursement rates also will increase for rural and critical access hospitals under legislation passed by the House late in the session. Dotseth said the change will help place those hospitals on more equal footing with Twin Cities facilities.
The House also passed major investments in technology updates for counties that Dotseth said is critical to protecting taxpayers, strengthening accountability and making sure benefits go to the Minnesotans who truly qualify instead of fraudsters.
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