Minnesota House and Senate to Reconcile Veterans Budget Bills

(KNSI) – The Minnesota House and Senate have approved different visions for funding veterans’ services and will now come together to hammer out the differences before sending it to the governor.

On April 23rd, the Senate passed a Veterans and Military Affairs Omnibus Budget bill with a unanimous vote of 65-0. On Tuesday, the House approved its spending package 126-6.

The legislation includes recognition for Hmong and Lao veterans who served in Special Guerrilla Units during the Secret War in Laos. Both bills also require memorial plaques honoring Gold Star and Blue Star families to be placed in the Court of Honor on State Capitol grounds. Both chambers agree on spending for the Department of Military Affairs to maintain training facilities and general support.

The two sides differ significantly on spending by the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. The House wants to set aside $ 125.8 million in 2026 and $ 126.8 million in 2027. The Senate feels the department should get $141,929,000 in 2026 and $146,700,000 in 2027. That’s a difference of about $16 million more from the Senate. They also differ on how much should be spent on veterans’ health care. The House budgets $100.1 million for 2026 and $101.3 million for 2027. The Senate again advocates for more funding, requesting $111.2 million for 2026 and $115.6 million for 2027. That is around $11 million more than the House proposed.

A conference committee of House and Senate members will meet to reconcile the differences and produce a final bill to be sent to the governor.

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