1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to commerce; modifying the definition of debt buyer; appropriating money
1.3 for a grant to Undue Medical Debt; requiring reports; amending Minnesota Statutes
1.4 2024, section 332.31, subdivision 8.
1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 332.31, subdivision 8, is amended to read:
1.7 Subd. 8.Debt buyer."Debt buyer" means a business engaged in the purchase of any
1.8charged-off account, bill, or other indebtedness for collection purposes, whether the business
1.9collects the account, bill, or other indebtedness, hires a third party for collection, or hires
1.10an attorney for litigation related to the collection. Debt buyer does not include a nonprofit
1.11organization purchasing a charged-off account, bill, or other indebtedness for charitable
1.12purposes.
1.13 Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION; MEDICAL DEBT RELIEF; REPORT.
1.14 Subdivision 1.Appropriation.$5,000,000 in fiscal year 2026 is appropriated from the
1.15general fund to the commissioner of commerce for a grant to Undue Medical Debt to relieve
1.16the medical debt of eligible residents who were unable to pay medical bills after reasonable
1.17collections efforts undertaken by hospital providers were completed. This is a onetime
1.18appropriation and is available until June 30, 2028.
1.19 Subd. 2.Report.Undue Medical Debt must share information with the commissioner
1.20of commerce and the attorney general regarding the number and characteristics of the
1.21residents who have had medical debts relieved under this appropriation.
1.22 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.
1Sec. 2.
REVISOR RSI/ES 25-0279802/05/25
State of Minnesota
This Document can be made available
in alternative formats upon request
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H. F. No. 1646
NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
Authored by Reyer, Keeler, Cha, Berg, Xiong and others02/27/2025
The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Commerce Finance and Policy