Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Capital Investment Committee met remotely on March 24, approved the March 22 minutes, and then turned to an informational hearing on how climate-related risks may affect state credit ratings and long-term fiscal health. Chair Murphy framed the discussion around extreme weather, environmental risk, and capital funding decisions, and the committee heard a presentation from Peter Muller of the Pew Charitable Trusts, who explained how rating agencies consider economic strength, fiscal management, debt, and increasingly environmental factors. Muller described two broad categories of risk: physical risks, such as damage from tornadoes, floods, wildfires, heat, rainfall, and sea-level rise, and transition risks, such as economic disruption in energy, agriculture, tourism, and population shifts. He said these risks can raise disaster response and infrastructure maintenance costs, create deferred maintenance, and increase borrowing costs if credit ratings are affected. He also noted that mitigation spending can pay off, citing research suggesting about $6 in savings for every $1 spent on disaster mitigation nationally and a Minnesota-specific estimate of $6.13 to $1. He emphasized that federal disaster aid currently helps smooth volatility, but changes in federal support could shift more risk to states and local governments. Muller also discussed examples of state responses, including climate risk assessments in North Carolina, wildfire modeling in California, pension-related climate studies in Maryland, and Colorado’s Future Avoided Cost Explorer for resilience planning. He highlighted federal developments on ESG and climate disclosures, including a recent SEC proposed rule and an MSRB request for information on municipal market disclosures. In questions, Representative Hanson raised Minnesota’s recent disaster experience, including the 2007 Rushford floods and the use of special sessions for response, suggesting the state may need a more structured approach to disaster costs. The committee then prepared to move on to the next presentation.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Minnesota House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee heard House File 4323, which would require two-person crews on freight trains in Minnesota and was referred to the Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee. Representative Frederick, the bill’s author, said the proposal was driven by worker and public safety concerns and by his view that technology such as positive train control does not justify reducing crews to one person. Supporters, including a railroad conductor, a locomotive engineer, and a rail-safety advocate, argued that modern train technology adds workload rather than replacing the need for a second crew member, and that a second person can help spot hazards, respond to derailments, and assist with emergencies, especially in rural areas. They also said the public has no seat at collective bargaining tables and that minimum crew size should be set by law. Opponents, including the Minnesota Regional Railroads Association, argued that crew size is a labor issue best left to collective bargaining and federal regulation, not state law. They said technology and modern staffing practices have improved safety and efficiency, that one-person operations are common in passenger rail, short lines, and internationally, and that there is no data showing two-person crews are safer. They warned that state-by-state crew mandates would create a patchwork that could burden interstate commerce and push freight to trucks, which are less fuel efficient. Members asked about differences between freight and passenger rail, liability if a railroad reduced crews, and how a Minnesota requirement would affect interstate operations if neighboring states adopted different rules. Testifiers responded that freight trains often cannot be fully observed from the cab, that a second crew member can travel back to an incident scene while the engineer keeps control of the train, and that federal preemption issues are being litigated. The chair closed public testimony and indicated the bill would be put to a vote after discussion, though the transcript excerpt does not show the final vote result.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee first approved the March 22, 2022 minutes, then took up House File 1152, the Clean Slate Act. Representative Long moved an A3 authors amendment, which was adopted, to remove felony states of adjudication from eligibility. Long described the bill as an automatic expungement measure for certain low-level misdemeanors after a crime-free waiting period, with exclusions for enhanceable offenses, person crimes, and criminal sexual conduct. He said the bill is intended to improve access to jobs, housing, and education, and noted support from county attorneys and several organizations. Testifiers from the Minnesota County Attorneys Association, Justice Action Network, a staffing company owner, and the Minneapolis Regional Chamber all supported the bill, emphasizing workforce benefits, public safety protections, and the need to reduce barriers for people with records. Members asked about which offenses would not be expungeable and raised concerns about misdemeanor drug offenses and possible effects on permit-to-carry reciprocity with other states. Representative Long said he would work with members offline to address the concern, and Chair Becker-Finn clarified that the bill covers a smaller set of offenses than petition-based expungement and still includes a waiting period. The committee then voted 17-0 to refer House File 1152, as amended, to the Ways and Means Committee. The committee next heard House File 3162, relating to tribal medical cannabis programs. Representative Freiberg moved the bill and a DE2 amendment, which was adopted. Freiberg explained that the bill is meant to clarify how tribal medical cannabis programs operated by sovereign tribes such as White Earth and Red Lake can function alongside state law, including protections for patients traveling off-reservation and permission to transport cannabis to testing labs. Tribal leaders and counsel testified in support, saying the bill would help ensure patients are not subject to different treatment than state program patients, would support quality control and transportation for testing, and would reduce the fiscal note by avoiding software changes at MDH. Members asked about how the bill would affect tribal members traveling with cannabis and whether they could access state dispensaries; the author and tribal witnesses said the goal is a seamless, collaborative system. Representative Freiberg closed by urging support, and the committee limited its discussion to civil protections and non-discrimination provisions before moving the bill on to the Health Finance and Policy Committee.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: House File 4165 was taken up as a measure to divest the State Board of Investment from Russia and Belarus, codify Governor Walz’s executive order ending state contracts with Russian and Belarusian entities, and prohibit future state investments in those countries. Rep. Jordan presented the bill as a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, emphasizing the humanitarian crisis, the bipartisan support behind the bill, and the claim that there would be no fiscal impact. Several members spoke in support, including Reps. Hornstein, Nash, Robbins, and Hassan, who framed the bill as a moral stand with Ukraine and against war and tyranny; Hassan also noted the need to recognize refugees of color and avoid double standards in responses to war. Rep. Lucero offered several amendments expanding the bill to other countries and issues, including ESG-related restrictions, state sponsors of terrorism, human trafficking, and child/slave labor. The A6 ESG amendment was ruled not germane on a point of order. Lucero then withdrew the A3, A5, and A4 amendments after describing them as efforts to broaden the divestment list. Rep. Quam offered A2 to add China to the bill, arguing China helps Russia evade sanctions and has its own human rights abuses; he later withdrew the amendment after noting the financial hardship it could impose. The bill author also answered questions from Rep. Drazkowski, saying SBI estimated about $120 million to $150 million in Russian-related investments at issue, with no known state agency contracts in Russia or Belarus and no expected fiscal cost to the state budget. After debate, the clerk called the roll on final passage of House File 4165. The transcript ends during the roll call, so the final vote result is not shown in the excerpt.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee took up House File 4036, and the author moved to lay the bill over for possible inclusion in the committee’s finance bill. The bill would create a task force to study Minnesota’s aging population and examine whether the state should establish a Department of Aging in the executive branch. The author and supporters said the proposal is meant to improve coordination of aging-related policy across state government and ensure services are inclusive of all Minnesotans, with particular attention to Greater Minnesota, where aging-related needs and infrastructure challenges are growing. Support letters and a state demographer’s report were cited as part of the bill’s rationale. Testimony in support came from Dr. Joe Gogler of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation, who described the state’s demographic shift as unprecedented and said the task force could help integrate aging-related efforts across agencies and improve age-friendliness. Kathleen Kelso of the Minnesota Board on Aging said the board lacks the staff and capacity to do the level of planning needed and argued a task force is a first step toward a statewide aging plan and possibly a department on aging. She and the author emphasized that the goal is not to duplicate services but to identify how existing systems can work together more effectively. Members raised concerns about duplication, cost, and whether the task force would make the existing Board on Aging unnecessary. Representative Nash asked whether the board would be stood down; Kelso said that decision had not been made and would depend on the task force’s report. Representative Kosnick opposed the bill as unnecessary government growth, arguing existing boards, agencies, and legislators should handle the issue. Representative Mason supported studying the issue, citing long-term care and rural access challenges. The author said any decision about the board should wait until the task force reports back. The motion to lay the bill over prevailed, and the bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus finance bill.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: Senate File 3372, an act related to ALS, was taken up on the floor and presented as a measure to advance ALS research funding and support for affected families. The author and other members spoke at length about the impact of ALS, including personal stories about Senator Tomassoni and other family experiences, to emphasize the need for state action. The bill was described as providing $20 million for ALS research and $5 million in grants to help patients and families with care needs and quality of life. Representative Neu Brindley offered an amendment to ensure caregivers could use the funds for home health respite care and related support, explaining that ALS patients often do not qualify for home health under Medicare rules because the disease is degenerative and fatal. She described the extensive care needs of ALS patients and said the amendment would help families who are providing round-the-clock care. A second amendment to clean up the language was also offered. Both the amendment to the amendment and the underlying amendment were adopted. After further supportive remarks from members, the bill was read for third time and the roll was taken. The House passed Senate File 3372, as amended, by a vote of 121 ayes to 9 noes, and its title was agreed to.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: Legislative leaders discussed a formal Republican offer aimed at moving forward the unemployment trust fund replenishment bill, which the Senate had already passed 55-11 on a bipartisan basis. They said the March 15 deadline had passed and warned that notices had gone out to businesses that taxes would rise unless the House acted. Republicans argued the bill should be taken up as a standalone measure to avoid unnecessary tax increases on small businesses, while also saying they preferred permanent tax relief for workers. As a compromise, Republicans offered to include $250 million in frontline worker bonus pay, matching an amount agreed to last year, and said the House could determine which workers would qualify and how the money would be allocated, so long as it stayed within that cap. They said this was their first formal offer beyond the Senate-passed bill and expressed hope that the governor and House Democrats would accept it so the trust fund could be fully replenished quickly. The discussion also touched on reinsurance and bonding. Speakers said bonding had not been discussed, which they described as unusual, while reinsurance was said to face an April 1 deadline and to require funding to win federal approval. They emphasized a preference for stand-alone bills rather than linking unrelated issues, said a conference committee on reinsurance should be appointed quickly, and noted that the Senate floor would likely be relatively light while committees continued deadline work.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: House File 4569 was taken up for an informational hearing because the language had been posted only recently and the bill was introduced too late for a formal hearing. The discussion focused on the governor’s child care budget recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Human Services, presented by Assistant Commissioner Tiki Brown and Director Cindy Yang. The proposal would raise Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) rates to the 75th percentile of the 2021 market survey, forecast the basic sliding fee program to eliminate waiting lists, expand eligibility to foster care families, relative custodians, and guardians, and continue or expand several child care support programs. Brown outlined funding for provider stabilization and capacity-building, including additional support for providers facing financial hardship after federal ARPA funds expire, extensions of the one-stop child care assistance network, workforce development grants, shared services alliances, and grants to improve providers’ access to computers, internet, and online management tools. She also noted the proposal would leverage federal Child Care and Development Fund dollars and TANF transfers, and would add licensing staff capacity in anticipation of more providers. Yang later clarified that the administration’s stabilization proposal is for financial hardship grants, which differ from the monthly base grant program because providers must demonstrate specific financial hardship to qualify. A committee member requested a spreadsheet showing the different dollar amounts, and staff said it would be cleaned up and posted for members. No votes were taken and no formal action was recorded; the hearing ended after members indicated they had no further questions.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Housing Finance and Policy Committee met on March 24 and laid over two bills. Senate File 4170, authored by Senator Dick, would create a $5 million grant program to help nonprofit and other low-income high-rise residential buildings install fire sprinkler systems, with grants up to $250,000 per project. Supporters, including former Minnesota State Fire Marshal Tom Brace and the Minnesota Pipe Trades Association, described the bill as a public safety incentive rather than a mandate, citing the 2019 Minneapolis public housing fire that killed six people and noting the risks to elderly residents, staff, and firefighters. Members discussed rough retrofit costs, possible funding sources, and whether existing housing resources or bonds could be used; the bill was laid over for possible inclusion in a future omnibus bill. The committee then heard Senate File 3994, a Minnesota Housing bill on housing program eligibility modifications and appropriations. Minnesota Housing legislative director Dan Kitsburgger walked through the bill’s appropriations and policy changes, including base increases for several programs such as the Challenge program, Greater Minnesota Workforce Housing, Workforce and Home Ownership Development, the Housing Trust Fund, Homework Starts with Home, Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance, Home Ownership Assistance, and a new supportive housing model. The bill also proposed a one-time $100 million community stabilization program for naturally occurring affordable housing preservation, a $10 million flexible financing program for capital cost overruns, and funding for the Department of Human Rights to enforce source-of-income discrimination protections. On policy changes, the bill would expand Homework Starts with Home eligibility to families with children not yet in school and expecting families, set income limits and application procedures for the new preservation program, require acceptance of rental subsidies, and create a new supportive housing operating assistance program. Members asked questions about the meaning of “minor” in the eligibility language, the treatment of rental assistance in household income calculations, and the rationale for the new income and application rules. The discussion was not completed in the excerpt, and no vote was taken on SF 3994 during the portion provided; both bills were laid over.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee returned to House File 3084, a bill authored by Representative Aiken to clarify and streamline state building sustainability statutes. After adopting a DE2 technical amendment by voice vote, the bill was described as improving compliance with Sustainable Buildings 2030 requirements, giving agencies and design firms more flexibility in meeting energy standards, and increasing the cap on renewable energy generation on state facilities for use at the site only. Testimony from the Department of Administration supported the bill, explaining that existing renewable-energy-related statutes are outdated and confusing and that the proposal consolidates them into a single, clearer framework. Committee staff noted the Department of Administration fiscal note showed no cost, while the Department of Commerce fiscal note had been submitted but not yet signed off by the LBO. The committee laid the bill over pending the remaining fiscal note review. The committee then took up House File 4310, the Secretary of State technical bill. Members were told it was a leftover technical measure from the prior year’s bill, with the previously agreed-upon provisions removed and only technical wording changes remaining. No amendments or substantive objections were raised during this portion of the meeting, and the bill was laid over. At the close of the meeting, the chair announced the next day’s agenda, including several additional bills, and then adjourned the committee.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The discussion focused on negotiations over unemployment insurance funding and support for frontline workers, with one side saying Republicans were only honoring a prior commitment made on June 23, 2021 rather than making new progress. The speaker argued that, given the state surplus, more should be done for workers and that the other side had not shown willingness to go beyond last year’s agreement. A $250 million proposal for frontline workers was described as simply fulfilling an existing commitment, with the added flexibility for lawmakers to decide how to divide the money. The speaker said Senator Miller’s position remained essentially unchanged and that the goal was to find a true compromise between the two sides, but no final agreement had been reached. The conversation also touched on reinsurance, with a note that Senator James and Representative Stevenson were finally expected to meet, and that minority caucuses should remain involved throughout the process. That issue was described as one where faster progress might be possible than in the unemployment insurance and frontline worker dispute. As a next step, the group planned to reconvene on Monday because Senator Miller was unavailable the following day. The speaker said they would bring more detail then so he could better understand their position and the reasons behind it.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Rules and Legislative Administration Committee met with 11 members present, establishing a quorum. The committee first approved the March 22 minutes, with a correction noting that Representative Doubt had been excused on that date and an updated attendance note for Representative Olson to be reflected by staff. The committee then adopted the March 28, 2022 calendar for the day pursuant to Rules 1.21 and 3.33. There was no discussion on either motion, and both passed by voice vote. With no further business before the committee, the meeting adjourned.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Tax Committee met on March 24 and first reviewed a list of property tax bills that would be sent to Senator Weber’s subcommittee, including proposals on a senior citizen credit, disabled veterans market value exclusion, county program aid, an Indian shrine property tax exemption, LGA-related changes, a property tax rebate, and LGA penalty forgiveness. The committee then heard Senate File 3486, which would extend a sales tax exemption for construction materials to the North Metro Regional Public Safety Training Facility expansion in Maple Grove. Senator Limmer said the exemption had been omitted by mistake; Maple Grove officials testified in support, describing the regional training center’s use by about 19 law enforcement agencies and the project’s $17.5 million cost, with about $300,000 in sales tax savings at stake. Department of Revenue staff explained the current public safety exemption is limited to police and fire stations, not training facilities. Members discussed whether to broaden the statute more generally or address Maple Grove through session law, and the bill was laid over for possible inclusion. The committee then took up Senate File 3692, the governor’s supplemental tax bill. An amendment, A22-0352, was adopted to increase the proposed direct payments in the bill, raising them from $350 to $1,000 for married filing jointly or head of household filers and from $175 to $500 for other filers. Commissioner Robert Doty and legislative director Joanna Bears testified that the revised budget’s tax portion includes this direct payment change and that more than 2.7 million households would be eligible, while higher-income fourth-tier taxpayers would not. They also outlined the governor’s federal conformity proposal, saying Minnesota’s tax code is four years out of conformity and that the bill would update state law to match several federal tax changes, including depreciation, relief loan exclusions, disaster relief, and principal residence debt discharge rules. Committee members questioned the scope of conformity and nonconformity items, asking whether the list was exhaustive and why some provisions were excluded. Department staff said some items were left out because of cost or policy choices, and that many nonconforming provisions stem from pandemic-era federal laws affecting multiple tax years. Senator Rest and others discussed whether some issues should be handled through broader policy changes rather than one-off fixes. Senator Gazelka asked about the total tax relief in the governor’s bill and compared it with a proposal to cut the lowest income tax rate; staff said the direct payments alone total about $2.3 billion, but they did not have a full total for all permanent tax reductions at the hearing. No final vote was taken on the governor’s bill, and the Maple Grove bill was laid over.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate File 4181, a bill to provide additional funding for the three new state veterans homes in Preston, Bemidji, and Montevideo. Senator Miller explained that the projects were started after a 2018 commitment and had been reduced through value engineering to fit available federal funding; the bill would help restore some of the lost features while the homes were still under construction. An A1 amendment was adopted to correct appropriation language by naming the commissioner of administration instead of the commissioner of veterans affairs in certain places and changing “expended” to “spent.” Jason Markwart of Fillmore County testified in support, saying the enhancements would improve conditions for veterans and even help with practical needs like ambulance access. The committee then voted to recommend the bill, as amended, to the Senate Finance Committee. Next, the committee took up Senate File 2933, an appropriation of $465,000 for Metro Meals on Wheels to deliver meals to veterans in the metro area. Senator Franson said the program would do more than provide food, serving as a social connection and supporting outreach and suicide prevention efforts; she also noted the Department of Veterans Affairs supported the model. An A1 amendment was adopted to remove the word “fundraising” from the bill. Patrick Rowan, the executive director of Metro Meals on Wheels, said the effort would help reduce isolation, could serve up to 900 veterans with five meals a week, and would begin as a pilot in the Twin Cities with possible statewide expansion. Members asked about extending the model to greater Minnesota, but the bill was ultimately laid over after discussion. The committee then heard Senate File 3875, described by Senator Lang as the final “capstone” funding bill for the veterans homes. An oral amendment was adopted to change the appropriation year from 2023 to 2022 so the money would be available immediately. Senator Lang and MDVA legislative director Ben Johnson said the bill would fund fixtures, furniture, and equipment needed to finish and open the homes, including beds, chair lifts, scales, and other items, and that the agency needed to begin encumbering funds as soon as possible because the homes were about 20% complete and planned to open in roughly 18 months. The committee voted to recommend the bill, as amended, to Finance. Finally, the committee considered Senate File 4233, which would increase the enlistment incentives program for the Minnesota National Guard. An A2 amendment was adopted after discussion with the department, and Don Kerr, executive director of the Department of Military Affairs, testified that the program is used not only for new enlistments but also reenlistment bonuses, reclassification bonuses, tuition reimbursement, and medic certification incentives. Members discussed recruiting and retention challenges, and Senator Lang said low reenlistment numbers made the increase urgent. The committee voted to recommend the bill, as amended, to Finance. The transcript then began discussion of Senate File 4092, a proposed land exchange between the Minnesota National Guard and the city of Rosemount, and an oral amendment was adopted to make the section effective the day after final enactment, but the remainder of that bill’s action was not fully shown in the excerpt.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard Senate File 3531, which responds to recommendations from an independent transportation expert review by allowing third-party testing for commercial driver’s licenses. The bill was described as a pandemic-related measure to help meet testing demand and keep licensing services moving, and the Department of Motor Vehicle Services was said not to oppose it. An amendment was offered to restore two provisions that had been accidentally removed in earlier rulemaking changes, including language directing the commissioner to apply existing school bus testing rules unless they conflict with the bill and clarifying that certain rules do not apply to third-party CDL testers. A representative of the Minnesota Trucking Association said the bill fits federal guidance and existing practice in some other settings, and supporters said it would help address CDL backlogs and support workers entering trucking careers. The committee then took up Senate File 3364, the audiology and speech-language pathology interstate compact. Supporters said the compact would improve access to services, support telehealth and continuity of care across state lines, and help practitioners serve patients who travel or live near borders. Testimony also emphasized that the compact preserves state licensure authority, does not change Minnesota scope of practice, and includes provisions on adverse actions, commission immunity, indemnification, and a data system to verify licensure. There was extended discussion of purpose language and liability, with legal and advocacy witnesses saying the bill is more consistent with ordinary governmental liability than earlier compact proposals. The committee adopted an oral amendment on the purpose language, and the bill was advanced with the understanding that the compact preserves state regulatory authority. Next, Senate File 3355, the professional counseling interstate compact, was presented. Witnesses said the compact would let licensed professional counselors provide services across state lines, especially through telehealth, and would reduce disruptions in care when clients are traveling, attending college, or living in another state. Supporters said the compact would improve access in rural and border communities while maintaining Minnesota oversight and existing education, practicum, and exam standards. A Heartland Institute witness added that the compact would expand provider access and recruitment by making practice possible in multiple states once enough states join. The committee then moved to Senate File 3636, where members discussed a large A1 delete-all amendment combining material from that bill and Senate File 3463. The amendment was described as incorporating prior committee feedback, tightening language on registrations, surety bonds, employee payments, and minor-related settlement provisions, and the sponsor said the bill was close to final form and should be sent to Commerce. Testifiers said there was broad support but a few remaining issues to resolve, especially around the minor-related language. The committee adopted the A1 amendment, with the sponsor noting that a previously adopted A3 amendment was included in the new version.