Committee hears bipartisan request to supplement federal nonprofit security grants in House File 1821

House File 1821, introduced March 19 in the House Public Safety Committee, would provide supplemental state funding for nonprofit security grants administered by the Department of Public Safety’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

Vice Chair Witte, sponsor of the bill, said the state supplement program began in 2017 after a series of high-profile threats and that federal awards are competitive and limited for Minnesota applicants. "The federal nonprofit security grant program is very competitive and less than 2% of all federal money goes to Minnesota applicants," Witte said.

Faith and nonprofit leaders described repeated attacks and damage to houses of worship and community organizations and urged state supplement funding for cameras, locks, training and target-hardening. Rob Allen, director of community security for the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, said recent incidents included broken windows, vandalism and cemetery damage that required thousands of dollars in repairs; he urged the committee to supplement limited federal funding. "I urge the committee to consider supplementing the small amount of funding that Minnesota non profit organizations get from the Federal government so that we can continue to keep non profit organizations and the community as a whole safe," Allen said.

Jelani Hussain, executive director of CAIR Minnesota, told the committee Minnesota has recorded numerous incidents targeting mosques in recent years and cited damages and injuries; he asked the committee to prioritize supplemental state funding because federal awards are limited and competitive. "The state of Minnesota currently leads the nation in attacks against mosques for the last 4 years. We now have documented over 44 separate incidents," Hussain said, and he described significant total damages reported by the community.

What the record shows

- Sponsor: Vice Chair Witte (bill coauthors included Representatives Feist, Kraft and Novotny according to remarks). - Program administration: Department of Public Safety Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (as administered grant program). - Testimony: Rob Allen (Jewish Community Relations Council), Pallavi Singhal (Maple Grove Hindu temple risk-manager), Jelani Hussain (CAIR Minnesota), Makram El Amin (Imam, Masjid Anur) provided firsthand accounts of attacks and described grant uses. - Program details cited by witnesses: prior awards commonly range between about $50,000 and $75,000 per grantee; federal awards can reach up to $150,000 but are highly competitive; witnesses said organizations often expend more than the awarded grant (commonly double) and must front costs during implementation. - Outcome: House File 1821 was laid over for possible inclusion in omnibus budgeting.

Clarifying details

Witnesses said the federal Notice of Funding Opportunity typically issues in March with application deadlines around May 1. Testimony described average state/federal grant awards (approximately $50,000–$75,000), federal maximum awards (up to $150,000), and that organizations often expend substantially more than the award and must provide upfront funds before reimbursement. Witnesses also emphasized that many institutions seeking grants are volunteer-run faith institutions with limited fundraising capacity.

Next steps

The committee laid the bill over for further consideration. Members asked about federal funding status and coordination with FEMA and local homeland-security officials; staff and witnesses said the federal process typically posts funding opportunities in March with deadlines in May.