Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee first approved minutes from its February 8 joint hearing with the Early Childhood Education Finance and Policy Committee and from its February 14 meeting. It then heard House File 2017, as amended by a technical A2 amendment, which would adopt recommendations from the advisory task force on state employment and retention of employees with disabilities and move the bill to the State Government Finance and Policy Committee. The author and testifiers from the Minnesota Council on Disability and disability advocacy community described low disability representation in state employment, barriers to hiring and retention, and the need for clearer policies, training, better data, and more consultation with people with disabilities. Members from both parties spoke in support, with several sharing personal experiences related to disability access and inclusion. The committee adopted the A2 amendment and then approved the motion to re-refer the bill on a 13-0 vote. The committee next heard House File 2921, which would require employers to pay workers regular wages when they serve on jury duty, with exemptions for small employers and a hardship waiver process for some larger employers. An A1 amendment was adopted to clarify that self-employed individuals are exempt from the compensation requirement and are not required to pay themselves, though they may choose to do so. The bill author explained that the measure was prompted by concerns that low-paid workers may be unable to serve on juries because they cannot afford the lost wages, and said the goal is to make juries more representative of Minnesotans. Members raised questions about the bill’s scope, enforcement, fiscal impacts, and whether counties, courts, or state agencies would administer the program. The author said he did not yet have exact data on how many employers or jurors would be affected, planned to seek more information from business groups and others, and noted that a fiscal note was pending. No final vote was taken on House File 2921 during the portion of the meeting provided, and discussion ended with the bill still under consideration.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee took up House File 3420, a drought relief bill for Minnesota farmers, livestock producers, and specialty crop growers. Chair Sundin explained that the proposal was intended to provide targeted assistance to producers in the most severely affected drought counties, with a focus on timely aid and accountability. The DE1 amendment was described as reducing the farm-income threshold for RFA loan eligibility, providing $5 million for grants and $5 million for loans for drought-related expenses from April 1, 2021, through May 1, 2022, prioritizing D4 counties first and then D2/D3 areas, and setting aside portions for livestock producers, specialty crop producers, and farmers’ market vendors, while also directing outreach to emerging farmers. Commissioner Tom Peterson and several testifiers strongly supported the bill, saying the drought had caused severe losses across the state and the West. Peterson said the aid would not make farmers whole but would help pay urgent bills and emphasized the need to move quickly. Minnesota Farmers Union, the Farm Bureau, and the State Cattlemen’s Association all backed the measure, citing examples of feed shortages, herd reductions, lost specialty crop revenue, and the need for fast, noncompetitive relief. A specialty crop farmer described major revenue losses, an early end to CSA sales, and difficulty accessing other forms of aid, while a beef rancher and cattle group representative described forced herd sales, expensive hay, and out-of-state hauling of cattle. Members discussed how to target aid to those most in need, with Representative Cleveland asking about guardrails and emerging farmers, and Peterson responding that the bill’s county priorities, payment cap, and set-asides were designed to direct funds broadly but responsibly. Representative Anderson pushed back on claims that crop insurance had made farmers whole, saying it did not cover all losses. Representative Lueck urged the committee not to delay the bill and asked about the relationship to a separate DNR drought package; Peterson said the administration wanted the related bills to move together but stressed that this relief bill needed to advance immediately. The committee then turned to amendments, and Chair Hanson declined to move his A4 amendment after being told existing law and department procedures already covered the issue.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate File 2793, a bill to modify Minnesota’s payments in lieu of taxes (PILT) program for public lands. Senator Bach and testifiers from the Minnesota Inter-County Association and the Northern Counties Land Use Coordinating Board said the current formula has not kept pace with inflation and has shifted benefits away from northern counties with large amounts of tax-exempt state land. The bill, with an A1 amendment, would raise reimbursement rates for county- and DNR-administered lands, add annual inflation indexing, and create a hold-harmless floor for downward valuation changes. Testimony emphasized that counties still must provide services to these lands and that the proposal would improve fairness and predictability without reducing payments to any county. Members asked several questions about the difference between commissioner-administered and county-administered lands, the treatment of lakeshore value, and the inflation adjustment. Senator Bach and Keith Carlson explained that county-administered lands are largely tax-forfeited lands managed locally, that lakeshore value is counted in the acquired-land category but not in the other categories, and that the inflation reference matches other state tax indexing provisions. Senator Bach also described the hold-harmless provision using Lake Vermilion examples where reappraisals lowered land value after state acquisition. After discussion, the committee laid SF 2793 over for possible inclusion, as amended. The committee then took up Senate File 2868, which would provide relief for farmland affected by buffer strips. Senator Goggin said the bill, developed with county and farm groups, would replace a buffer credit with a buffer exemption and move the effective date to 2024 so counties and farmers have time to prepare. Senator Chamberlain suggested a direct payment approach instead of credits or exemptions, and asked about acreage affected; Goggin said he did not yet have the acreage totals. Testimony from Goggin and others said the buffer requirements have reduced property values and tax capacity, and that the exemption would be more efficient for counties to administer. The committee agreed to lay the bill aside until the author’s amendment is ready, and later noted that staff had identified about 700,000 acres tied up in buffer strips.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee took up House File 2773, which would raise the medical assistance income standard for people with disabilities to 133% of the federal poverty level, matching the standard already used for families, children, and adults. The bill’s author said the goal was to stop treating people with disabilities worse than other MA populations and noted that the proposal would also help obtain a fiscal note for further review. Ms. Johnson from the agency confirmed that the bill would align the income and spend-down standard at 133% FPL for the disability group, while also explaining that an asset limit would still remain for that population. Members asked follow-up questions about the current asset limit, which Ms. Johnson said is $3,000 for a single person in the aged, blind, or disabled MA category. She also explained that the broader families, children, and adults MA population generally does not have an asset limit, though people in that group who move to a spend-down basis can face different rules. One member raised concerns about overall welfare spending and state tax policy, citing outside analyses and personal family experience, but the chair ruled that discussion off topic for the bill. After discussion ended, the chair renewed the motion to re-refer House File 2773 to the House Human Services Finance and Policy Committee. A roll call vote followed, and the motion passed 16-2, sending the bill to the Human Services Committee.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard Senate File 2952, as amended, which would change how Minnesota defines and reports teacher shortages. Senator Duckworth and supporters argued the current PELSB report is misleading because it counts Tier 1, Tier 2, and out-of-field licensed teachers as part of the shortage, even when they are already teaching in classrooms. Testifiers including Matt Shaver, Veronica Castellanos Vasquez, and Tyler Monroe said the bill would better measure actual unfilled positions, provide clearer data, and better reflect the work of teachers who are already serving students. Education Minnesota’s Caitlyn Schneider and PELSB Executive Director Alex Lee said the bill could improve data collection, but suggested it should include both unfilled positions and current assignments filled by Tier 1, Tier 2, and out-of-field permissions, with more detail on different kinds of shortages and a transition period. The committee agreed the language needed clarification and laid SF 2952 over for further work. The committee then took up Senate File 2861, dealing with substitute teacher requirements. Members adopted an A3 amendment stating that a school district or charter school must not allow a person to substitute teach until the statewide portion of the criminal background check is complete. Senator Wieger supported the amendment as an important safety measure. Testimony from Superintendent Mark Raymond, who said he originally wrote the bill, focused on updating substitute rules to match current school needs: he argued substitutes are now mainly needed for building supervision and relationship-building rather than content delivery, and that the pandemic worsened substitute shortages as retired teachers left the pool. He also said loosening requirements could broaden the substitute pool and expose more people to teaching. The transcript provided does not include a final committee action on SF 2861 beyond the amendment adoption and testimony beginning.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard the Department of Human Services present the governor’s supplemental budget proposals, with Commissioner Jody Harpstead and several staff outlining major investments in workforce, IT modernization, compliance, licensing, opioid settlement administration, and health care access. DHS described a workforce incentive fund for behavioral health, direct support, and housing workers; a service delivery transformation effort to modernize legacy systems and improve eligibility and enrollment; completion of an electronic health record for direct care and treatment; expanded compliance and contract oversight staffing; additional licensing staff for foster care and HCBS workload growth; and one-time funding to cover drug price litigation discovery costs. The Office of Inspector General also proposed funding to address licensing and maltreatment workload increases, including 43 additional staff, and a one-time credit for providers for emergency background study fees. The Community Support Administration proposed changes to the Opioid Epidemic Response Advisory Council to add representation from all 11 federally recognized tribes, require 40 percent of grants to support culturally specific or responsive projects, continue traditional healing grants in the base, and add grant administration and reporting requirements. Health care administration then presented six proposals: 12 months of continuous MA eligibility for children under 21, MA for former foster youth to age 26, MinnesotaCare coverage for undocumented children under 19, outreach grants to improve COVID-19 vaccination rates, removal of the doula supervision requirement, and a broader health care access and affordability package including a MinnesotaCare buy-in and permanent premium reductions. Members raised several concerns during questioning, especially about the scale and transparency of the IT and electronic health record requests, the number of FTEs being added, and whether prior funding had already been provided. Senators also questioned the long-term fiscal impact of the proposals and asked for a fuller budget analysis, including future biennium costs. The chair and members requested follow-up information on licensing staffing, EHR spending, and the number of undocumented children in Minnesota. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard Senate File 2676, as amended, which would direct the Legislative Auditor to conduct a special review, program evaluation, or both on the Southwest Light Rail Transit project. Senator Dibble said the bill was prompted by repeated cost increases, delays, and concerns about Met Council management, oversight, procurement, and responsiveness to outside warnings. Legislative Auditor Judy Randall said her office had already begun a special review, had sent a detailed information request to the Metropolitan Council, and was comfortable with the delete-everything amendment; she said the bill’s language would also allow the topic to be considered through the Legislative Audit Commission’s program evaluation process. Several members spoke in support of the need for oversight and resources. Senator Osmek said the project showed the need for stronger checks and balances and raised broader concerns about procurement and project management on large public works. Senator Koran emphasized preserving the nonpartisan role of the audit process and noted the importance of giving the auditor resources. Senator Pratt asked whether specific property damage and stakeholder concerns would be included, and Randall and Dibble said those issues would be part of the inquiry, especially in a broader program evaluation. The committee adopted the A4 delete-everything amendment and then approved Senate File 2676 as amended, recommending it to pass and referring it to the Finance Committee. After that vote, the chair moved on to the next bill on the agenda, Senate File 2956, which Senator Kiffmeyer presented as a ballot security measure requiring security markings on ballots and verification by ballot boards, with exemptions for uniformed and overseas voters.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Judiciary and Crime Prevention Committee met on February 16 with quorum and laid over all bills heard. On Senate File 2846, Senator Chamberlain presented a police recruitment proposal to reimburse licensed peace officers for tuition and certain post-secondary fees, up to $5,000, for officers who have served at least 12 months. Senators asked about administration, with concerns raised that the POST Board may not be the best agency to run the program and suggestions that the Office of Higher Education might be more appropriate. Members also discussed whether the bill could cover existing student debt; the author said it is prospective only and limited to costs directly related to obtaining the degree and certification. The bill was laid over. Senate File 3073, presented by Senator Gazelka, proposed a $10,000 hiring bonus for new police officers as part of a broader effort to address law enforcement staffing shortages. Supporters said police recruitment is down, morale is low, and departments need immediate incentives to get people into the pipeline; opponents questioned the bill’s short-term effectiveness, the use of the POST Board to administer grants, and the political framing around “defunding police.” Senators also debated whether the bill should be part of a broader, bipartisan workforce strategy that includes better pay and support for existing officers. The bill was laid over. The committee then began discussion of Senate File 2934, introduced by Senator Johnson on behalf of Senator Jasinski, which addresses mental health support for law enforcement and first responders and includes an appropriation. The opening explanation highlighted the Heroes Helping Heroes nonprofit, which provides non-medical support and networking opportunities for first responders dealing with PTSD and other work-related mental health conditions. No vote was taken on this bill during the portion of the meeting provided.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House Higher Education Committee met remotely, approved the February 15, 2022 minutes, and briefly discussed the possibility of inviting the Office of Higher Education to give high-level presentations on its reports. The main agenda item was testimony from University of Minnesota student association leaders representing the Morris, Crookston, and Rochester campuses. Chair Bernardi asked members to hold questions until all presenters had spoken. Dylan Young of UMN Morris described the campus’s history as a former federal Indian boarding school and said the Multi-Ethnic Resource Center now symbolizes renewal and healing for Native students. He urged support for the Morris campus, citing severe infrastructure problems, with more than half of facilities reportedly in poor, critical, or below-average condition, and asked for state funding for campus preservation and accessibility, including an elevator in the Multi-Ethnic Resource Center. Vinayaka Sharma of Crookston said the campus depends heavily on state support because many students rely on financial aid, and he emphasized asset preservation and replacement projects that improve safety, along with funding for student organizations and programs that support representation and inclusion. At Rochester, Tessie Burley and other student leaders described the campus as the newest and smallest UMN campus, focused on health sciences and closely connected to Mayo Clinic. They highlighted the benefits of small class size, faculty support, and Mayo-linked professional opportunities. Angel Lopez and Faduma Mahara testified that Rochester students face food-access and cost-of-living challenges because there is no campus cafeteria or meal plan, nearby groceries are expensive, and housing and parking costs are high. They said the campus food pantry is student-run and difficult to maintain, and they asked for additional public funding to help address food access, transportation, housing, and accessibility needs. Members asked questions about Rochester’s staffing, Mayo partnerships, and plans for a cafeteria; Burley said the campus is exploring a vendor for a kitchen in a new student lounge and may eventually add a cafeteria in a future apartment building. Representative O’Neill noted that the committee is not the Capital Investment Committee and said bonding requests belong elsewhere, while also raising concerns about the absence of Twin Cities student testimony and referencing the university president’s pay increase and athletics cuts. The meeting ended with continued discussion of Morris accessibility issues, including the second floor of a building, but no final action beyond the minutes approval was taken.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: House File 1083, as amended by the DE1 amendment, was heard and moved to be referred to the Committee on Education Finance, with a time-certain vote set for 1:45 p.m. The bill would create lead positions at the Minnesota Department of Education to help schools develop evidence-based responses to student mental health needs, and the amendment expanded the concept to include teacher and staff mental health. The author described the measure as a non-mandatory clearinghouse and coordination role for districts, families, and school staff, and noted broad support from organizations including NAMI, Education Minnesota, school social workers, and suicide prevention groups. Testimony was overwhelmingly supportive and focused on the urgency of school mental health needs, especially after the pandemic. Amy Jones said Minnesota is behind other states and needs a dedicated state-level mental health lead; Al Levin described educator trauma, staffing shortages, and burnout; Sarah Washington emphasized that students and teachers both need support and that school-based services reduce stigma and improve early intervention; and Kristen Daniels cited crowdsourced input from thousands of students, staff, and families showing mental health as a top concern. Matthew Coy, speaking as a parent who lost his son to suicide, argued for preventive support and state coordination to reach youth where they are, and Dr. Katie Pickell presented survey data from more than 53,000 respondents showing mental health as a growing top concern for educators, administrators, students, and families. Jolie Holland of the School Nurse Organization of Minnesota supported the bill but stressed that it should not diminish the need to permanently fund a licensed school nurse position at MDE. She said school nurses are often the first to identify behavioral health concerns and spend significant time on mental health services. During member discussion, one representative criticized MDE for not doing more during the pandemic and suggested schools also continue to use clergy and other community supports alongside school-based services. The hearing ended with the committee preparing to move into member questions.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee met on February 16 to hear Commissioner Tom Peterson present the governor’s Department of Agriculture supplemental budget and bonding request. He first reviewed recent accomplishments from the prior session, including biofuels infrastructure grants, meat and livestock processing grants, farm safety grants, Farm Link updates, farmland access teams, and the emerging farmers office. He then outlined the governor’s broader agricultural package, saying it was designed to strengthen the food system, respond to drought impacts, and support processing, local food, and emerging producers. A major portion of the discussion focused on drought relief and Rural Finance Authority (RFA) loan processing delays. Peterson described severe drought conditions last year, reduced hay supplies, and pressure on livestock producers, and proposed a two-part relief package: a $5 million boost to the RFA revolving loan fund and rapid-response grants of up to $10,000 for livestock and specialty crop growers. Members asked whether a tax credit approach had been considered and raised concerns about the time needed to get grants out before the end of session. Peterson also responded to questions about RFA loan backlogs, explaining that loan volume has increased significantly and that the department has tried to add staff and use tax bill funding to reduce delays. The rest of the presentation covered a series of one-time spending proposals, including $3 million for meat, poultry, and milk processor grants; $5 million for hunger relief purchases through food banks; $1.5 million for the Good Acre LEAF program for BIPOC farmers; support for e-commerce and direct marketing grants; $1 million for local food system planning; $1.5 million for grocery store infrastructure; $2 million for immigrant and BIPOC producer assistance; $1.5 million for farmers market grants; $2 million for IT modernization; and $500,000 for co-packing grants. Peterson also highlighted $1.5 million for African swine fever preparedness and a proposed grain indemnity fund to replace the current bonding system, citing recent grain buyer failures and losses that can exceed bond coverage. Members asked detailed questions about the indemnity fund’s fee structure and whether the proposed fund would fully protect farmers; staff explained that fees would be capped at two-tenths of 1 percent of grain sales, with the fund targeted at $15 million and fees triggered if it fell below $9 million. No votes or formal actions were taken in the meeting.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard three bills. First, Senate File 2768 on the Certified Salt Applicator Program was amended with a technical author’s amendment and then heard from several supporters, including water advocates, a watershed organization, the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, the City of Willmar, and MPCA staff. Testimony emphasized that road salt and de-icer are contributing to chloride pollution in lakes, streams, groundwater, and infrastructure, and that smart salting training can reduce salt use while maintaining public safety. Members asked about who the bill covers, the voluntary certification fee, and the liability incentive for commercial applicators. The committee then approved the bill and re-referred it to the Environment Finance Committee. Next, Senate File 2769, a one-time $6 million tourism industry recovery grant program, was presented as support for tourism and hospitality recovery after COVID-19. Testifiers from Minnesota tourism organizations, Visit Greater Saint Cloud, Visit Saint Paul, and the Minnesota Resort Association described major losses in travel spending, jobs, and local tax revenue, and said the grants would help destination marketing organizations, meetings, conventions, events, and marketing efforts. Questions focused on the lack of a House companion and how the grant funds would be administered; Explore Minnesota staff said they already have regional grant experience. The committee voted to pass the bill and re-refer it to the Environment Finance Committee. Finally, the committee reheard Senate File 908, which addresses cleanup costs for tax-forfeited properties. Senator Weber explained that counties often bear the cost of demolishing or remediating contaminated properties before they can be returned to productive use, and a Carlton County land commissioner testified that counties need a special fund and more flexibility to plan for these expenses. The bill was supported as a way to reduce the financial burden on counties and improve cleanup of problem properties. The committee voted to recommend passage and send the bill to the floor, then adjourned.

Keywords: 1183, house

Keywords: 1183, house

Keywords: 1183, house