HF4088 (Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026))
Persons convicted of a crime of violence made ineligible for MFIP, medical assistance and food support, and MinnesotaCare.
Related bill: SF4389
AI Generated Summary
Purpose
- Establishes rules that would make people convicted of a crime of violence ineligible for certain public assistance programs (MFIP, medical assistance, and MinnesotaCare).
- Updates rules around medical assistance for inmates and certain in-prison situations.
- Repeals an older provision that set vendor-payment requirements tied to drug-offense records, removing that prior framework.
Main Provisions
Disqualification from MFIP
- Adds a new Subdivision to define that a person convicted of a crime of violence (as defined by state law or equivalent out-of-state/federal statutes) is disqualified from receiving MFIP benefits.
Medical Assistance (MA) for inmates and in-prison rules
- Creates conditions under which MA can be paid for an inmate who is conditionally released if they are not in a secured detention facility and live in an approved halfway house or similar setting.
- If a person is incarcerated for less than 12 months, MA eligibility is suspended during incarceration and automatically reinstated upon release (without reapplication) if otherwise eligible.
- Inmates who are considered “public institutions” and who meet MA eligibility rules are not eligible for MA except for inpatient services while in a medical institution.
- A person convicted of a crime of violence is explicitly not eligible for MA.
MA and MinnesotaCare ineligibility for violence offenses
- Adds that a person convicted of a crime of violence is ineligible for MA (Section 256B.055 Subd.18).
- Adds that a person convicted of a crime of violence is ineligible to receive benefits under the related MA-like programs in this chapter (Section 256D.024 Subd.5).
- Adds that a person convicted of a crime of violence is not eligible for MinnesotaCare (Section 256L.04 Subd.15).
Repeal of prior drug-offense vendor-payment provisions
- Repeals the prior section that required certain vendor payments and drug-testing rules for applicants/participants with drug-offense convictions (the “ineligible vendor payments” provision).
How this changes current law
- Expands ineligibility to public assistance programs (MFIP, MA, and MinnesotaCare) for individuals convicted of violence-related crimes.
- Adds new MA-related rules for inmates, including conditional-release eligibility and automatic reinstatement after non-violent incarceration, while still excluding violent offenders from MA eligibility.
- Removes an older, separate set of requirements about vendor payments tied to drug-offense convictions.
Implementation and Definitions
- Defines “crime of violence” to use the criteria in 624.712 subdivision 5 (and includes equivalent statutes from other states or the U.S.).
- Applies across multiple programs (MFIP, MA, MinnesotaCare) and uses cross-references to existing MA eligibility rules and “public institution” definitions.
Potential Impacts (summary)
- Reduces access to key public supports for people with violence-related convictions.
- Alters how inmates may access medical care during incarceration or after release, potentially increasing responsibility on the releasing entity and institutions for certain costs.
- Removes the prior drug-offense vendor-payments framework, shifting those considerations away from the vendor-payment model.
Relevant Terms - crime of violence - MFIP - medical assistance (MA) - MinnesotaCare - ineligible / disqualified - inmate / incarceration - conditional release - reinstatement - public institution (42 CFR 435.1010) - inpatient services - 624.712 subdivision 5 - cross-state/foreign statutes - vendor payments (drug offenses)
Bill text versions
- Introduction PDF PDF file
Actions
| Date | Chamber | Where | Type | Name | Committee Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 09, 2026 | House | Action | Introduction and first reading, referred to | Human Services Finance and Policy |
Citations
[
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Subd.6: disqualification from receiving MFIP for persons convicted of a crime of violence as defined in section 624.712 subdivision 5 or equivalent."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Adds Subd.6 disqualifying persons convicted of a crime of violence from MFIP.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "142G.18",
"subdivision": "Subd.6"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amends medical assistance provisions related to inmate detention and release, including conditional release and reinstatement of MA eligibility.",
"modified": [
"Subd.14: clarifies MA eligibility for inmates and scenarios involving detention, conditional release, and inmate housing arrangements."
]
},
"citation": "256B.055",
"subdivision": "Subd.14"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Adds a subdivision making individuals convicted of a crime of violence ineligible for medical assistance.",
"modified": [
"Subd.18: ineligibility for medical assistance for persons convicted of a crime of violence as defined in section 624.712 subdivision 5 or equivalent."
]
},
"citation": "256B.055",
"subdivision": "Subd.18"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Ineligibility for benefits under this chapter for persons convicted of a crime of violence.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "256D.024",
"subdivision": "Subd.5"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Not eligible for MinnesotaCare for persons convicted of a crime of violence.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "256L.04",
"subdivision": "Subd.15"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Federal regulation cited regarding inpatient medical coverage; used to define coverage limitations for inmates.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "42 CFR 435.1010",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Defines crime of violence used to determine MFIP and MA eligibility restrictions under the bill.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "624.712",
"subdivision": "Subd.5"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cites a subdivision (2.5) of section 624.712 referenced in the bill in defining violence.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "624.712",
"subdivision": "Subd.2.5"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [
"Repeals Subd.1 of 142G.18."
],
"summary": "Repeals Minnesota Statutes 142G.18 Subd.1 as part of the repealer.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "142G.18",
"subdivision": "Subd.1"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cross-reference to inmate release-related provisions cited in the bill.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "241.26",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cross-reference to detention/release provisions associated with inmate medical coverage.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "244.065",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cross-reference to detention and incarceration contexts within MA eligibility framework.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "631.425",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Appendix references to drug-offense provisions (152.021 to 152.025, 152.0261, 152.0262, 152.096, 152.137) cited in the repealed portion.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "152.021",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Appendix drug-offense cross-references (continued).",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "152.025",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Appendix drug-offense cross-references (continued).",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "152.0261",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Appendix drug-offense cross-references (continued).",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "152.0262",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Appendix drug-offense cross-references (continued).",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "152.096",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Appendix drug-offense cross-references (continued).",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "152.137",
"subdivision": ""
}
]Progress through the legislative process
In Committee