Purpose of the Bill

The purpose of this bill is to allocate funds to children's museums in Minnesota in order to support their interactive exhibits and outreach programs focused on arts and cultural heritage.

Main Provisions

• The bill appropriates $1,525,000 for both fiscal years 2026 and 2027 from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
• The funds will be distributed as grants to various children's museums across Minnesota.
• The goal of these grants is to enhance interactive exhibits and conduct outreach programs aimed at educating children in arts and cultural heritage.

Specific Allocations

The bill specifies the allocation of funds as follows:

1. $175,000 each year for The Works in Bloomington.
2. $125,000 each year for the WonderTrek Children's Museum in Brainerd/Baxter.
3. $100,000 each year for the Children's Discovery Center in Breckenridge.
4. $125,000 each year for the Duluth Children's Museum.
5. $100,000 each year for the Otter Cove Children's Museum in Fergus Falls.
6. $100,000 each year for the Children's Discovery Museum in Grand Rapids.
7. $100,000 each year for the Wheel and Cog Children's Museum in Hutchinson.
8. $175,000 each year for the Children's Museum of Southern Minnesota in Mankato.
9. $175,000 each year for the Great River Children's Museum in St. Cloud.
10. $100,000 each year for The Village Children's Museum in Willmar.
11. $100,000 each year for the Mini Sota Ag Museum in Benson.
12. $150,000 each year for the SPARK Children's Museum in Rochester.

Eligibility Criteria

• Organizations must be exempt entities as defined by the Internal Revenue Service, specifically under activity code A52, which applies to children's museums.

Significant Changes

This bill doesn't propose significant changes to existing laws but rather provides ongoing financial support targeted at enhancing children's museums' educational content related to arts and culture.

Relevant Terms

children's museums, arts and cultural heritage fund, interactive exhibits, outreach programs, fiscal year 2026, fiscal year 2027, IRS activity code A52, nonprofit organizations.