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. Walter Hudson, R-Albertville, said House Republicans delivered major victories on affordability, fighting fraud, and increasing accountability in state programs.
Hudson 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.
“House Republicans fought hard this session for meaningful tax relief and stronger anti-fraud measures,” Hudson said. “It’s nice to see we were able to deliver by passing bills that provide lower car tabs, property tax relief, support for rural health care providers, and assistance for counties. These House Republican victories show the good work we can accomplish by focusing on passing bills that actually help all Minnesotans instead of catering to the extreme minority’s radical agenda like we see time and again across the aisle.”
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, Hudson 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.
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 in recent days. Hudson said the change will help place those hospitals on more equal footing with Twin Cities facilities. Hennepin Healthcare will receive $200 million to avoid closure, though significant accountability and governance provisions were also included in the legislation approved by the House.
The House also passed major investments in technology updates for counties that Hudson said is critical to protecting taxpayers, strengthening accountability and making sure benefits go to the Minnesotans who truly qualify instead of fraudsters.
A $1.2 billion infrastructure package also received approval, funding projects throughout the state. It includes critical funding for wastewater treatment improvements in Albertville, St. Michael, and Hanover.
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