Minnesota establishes $20 million cybersecurity grant program for local governments

Original title: State-funded county and city cybersecurity grant program established, report required, and money appropriated.

Last action · February 17, 2025: Author added VirnigSponsors: Kristin Bahner and 5 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

Public stanceCommunity reactions are separate from the official record and reporting.

What This Bill Proposed

Minnesota establishes a state-funded cybersecurity grant program providing up to $1,000,000 per county or city to upgrade IT security, hardware, and software. The legislation appropriates $20 million from the general fund for 2026 and requires annual legislative reporting starting January 15, 2026.

Why it matters

Local governments lacking access to existing federal and state cybersecurity resources can receive state funding for hardware, software, and IT services to secure critical public infrastructure.

Who It Would Have Affected

Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

counties

Counties may apply for state grants to fund cybersecurity infrastructure, software, and IT services, subject to reporting requirements.

Directly affected

cities

Cities may apply for state grants to fund cybersecurity infrastructure, software, and IT services, subject to reporting requirements.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which local governments are eligible for these cybersecurity grants?

Counties and cities that currently lack the resources to directly benefit from other federal and state cybersecurity plans and programs are eligible to apply.

What is the maximum amount of grant money a single county or city can receive?

A county or city may not receive a total of more than $1,000,000 in grant money under this section.

What items or services can a local government purchase with the grant?

Grants can be used for IT services, equipment, storage and backup solutions, secure email hosting, antivirus software, networking hardware like firewalls, and related professional consulting services.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Follow the record

Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · introduced in the House.

Procedural history

3 actions

Feb 17, 2025House
Author added Virnig
Feb 13, 2025House
Author added Hemmingsen-Jaeger
Feb 10, 2025HouseIntroduced
Introduction and first reading, referred to State Government Finance and Policy

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →