September 7–13, 2026
A quiet week for new local and state action; the federal bills that became law this week have limited day-to-day impact for most Dakota County residents.
This was a thin week for legislation that directly touches life in Dakota County. All four bills signed into law this week were federal, and none of them change anything on your street, in your county budget, or at a local agency.
If you were affected by a disaster. The most relevant federal action this week is a tax break extension (HR 5366), now law after the president signed it Friday, September 11. If you suffered losses from a federally declared disaster between late 2019 and early 2027, you can now deduct your full unreimbursed loss instead of having $500 subtracted from each incident under the old rule. Separately, people who received money from nonprofits or government programs to cover wildfire losses, living expenses, or lost wages won't owe federal income tax on those payments, as long as the fire was declared a federal disaster after 2014.
Federal transparency. Also signed Friday, HR 2069 requires federal agencies to post a category of contracts, called "other transaction agreements," on USAspending.gov. These contracts were previously exempt from standard public reporting rules. You can now track that spending online alongside other federal contracts.
Several other federal bills signed this week dealt with matters outside Dakota County: a deadline extension for an EMS memorial in Washington, D.C., and a land-deed change for a property in Paducah, Kentucky.
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Coming up next week:
Disaster preparedness for farms and food. HR 9394 has cleared committee and is headed toward a House floor vote, with no firm date confirmed yet. The bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to run a large-scale drill within four years, testing how federal, state, local, and private partners would respond to a biological attack on farms or the food supply. Minnesota's agricultural sector would be among the participants in any such exercise.
Shelter dogs as support animals for federal officers. HR 9327 cleared committee and awaits a House floor vote. The bill directs U.S. Customs and Border Protection to adopt dogs from local animal shelters and train them as support animals for officers dealing with grief and trauma. The pilot program runs three years and could draw from shelters in any region.
Free access to government documents. HR 9342 is headed to a House floor vote after clearing committee. It locks in free public access to federal publications through libraries and online, and gives the Government Publishing Office more flexibility to digitize older materials and expand digital distribution.
Two other federal bills cleared committee this week, one dissolving an internal congressional records advisory panel and one transferring federal land in Nevada, neither of which affects Dakota County residents.
See what's up for a vote now · Find your representatives