Keywords: 1183, house

Keywords: 1183, house

Keywords: 1183, house

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee first approved the March 3 minutes and then took up House File 3485, a bill by Representative Pryor related to school-aged care and wrap-around supports in school-based preschool and child care settings. Pryor and committee members explained that the A2 amendment was intended to narrow the bill’s language so it clearly applied to children already enrolled in school district pre-K, voluntary pre-K, school readiness plus, or licensed child care programs, and to additional services for children with disabilities or temporary family-related problems. Representative Franson raised concerns that the bill could compete with private child care providers, but Pryor, committee staff, and testifier Wendy Webster said the amendment was meant to avoid that by limiting the bill to supports provided to children already in those programs and by clarifying that the funding would not create a new daycare option. The A2 amendment was adopted by voice vote, and HF 3485 as amended was then referred to Education Finance on an 8-5 roll call vote. The committee then began informational discussion of House Files 3886 and 3887, both authored by Representative Morrison, which propose voluntary home visiting services for families with infants and pregnant people. Morrison said the bills would provide one to six home visits prenatally or within the first four months after birth or adoption, with goals including maternal and newborn health, school readiness, family economic stability, referrals to community resources, and reductions in child injury, abuse, neglect, crime, or domestic violence. She said one bill creates an ongoing universal program and the other is a one-time appropriation for the Minnesota Baby Steps program. Morrison also noted that the bills aim to make services available statewide by June 30, 2025, with grants prioritized to high-need areas until then. Testifiers strongly supported the home visiting bills. Kathy Gilbert described the coalition’s work and said only about 10 percent of eligible families accessed targeted home visiting before the pandemic, while many families face poverty, mental health issues, housing and food instability, and substance use. Claudia Monteferrin, a nurse and family home visitor, said the services help families during pregnancy and the first postpartum year, often for longer, and can connect them to housing, treatment, and shelter. Dr. Dale Dobrin cited pediatric evidence that early home visiting supports brain development, reduces toxic stress, and helps identify maternal mood disorders and infant needs early. Kari Sawyer said ECFE home visiting has a long history in Minnesota and is a logical partner for universal home visiting. The committee heard these presentations but did not take final action on HF 3886 or HF 3887 in the portion provided.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee took up House File 778, a bill to legalize sports betting in Minnesota, and first adopted a DE2 amendment to put the bill in the shape the author wanted for consideration. The bill author described the proposal as creating a legal sports-betting market to replace an existing black market, with retail betting at tribal casinos and statewide mobile betting operated by tribes in partnership with commercial operators. He said tax revenue would be directed to consumer protections, problem-gambling treatment, and youth sports and youth programming, and noted the bill would continue through several more committee stops. Members then considered several amendments. Representative O'Driscoll offered an amendment to split dedicated funds 50/50 between the seven-county metro and Greater Minnesota; the chair opposed it as an unfair population-based split, and it failed. He also offered an amendment to extend tax relief to charitable gaming organizations such as fire departments, youth hockey groups, VFWs, and legions; the chair said it broadened the bill beyond sports betting and noted charitable groups could already benefit from youth-sports grant funding, and that amendment also failed. Representative Rasmussen offered amendments requiring in-person registration for mobile betting and raising the mobile betting age to 21; both were rejected, with the chair arguing the in-person requirement had been unworkable in other states and that the age issue needed more work, though he acknowledged concern about problem gambling. The committee also heard testimony. Andy Plato of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association said tribes support the general framework because tribes are best positioned to operate the market, but are still reviewing details. Opponents included Citizens Against Gambling Expansion, which argued the bill would be a major expansion of gambling and urged more study, and the Minnesota Catholic Conference, which said the bill would expose youth to harmful anytime, anywhere gambling and should not pass. Brann Iden of Sportradar testified in support of clearer supplier licensing language in statute. No final vote on House File 778 itself was taken in the excerpt, but the bill remained moving through the process after the amendment votes.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee met remotely and first approved the March 3 minutes. It then heard House File 1432, as amended, a stakeholder-led update to Minnesota’s vulnerable adult protection statute. Representative Frederick said the bill is the first phase of a multi-year modernization effort for a law that has not been updated in 40 years. The bill and A-22 amendment were described as technical clarifications to align county maltreatment investigative data with Chapter 13 and to make existing county data-sharing authority clearer for coordination with case management agencies and tribes. DHS testified that county investigations are not public when they involve private persons, but substantiated maltreatment can be used in background studies and licensing contexts; members asked about public release, audit trails, and law-enforcement involvement. The committee adopted the amendment and passed the bill on a 17-0 vote to the Human Services Finance and Policy Committee. The committee next considered House File 3254, which would require Minnesota sales-representative agreements to be venued in Minnesota as well as governed by Minnesota law. Representative Stevenson said the bill closes a loophole that could force Minnesota sales reps to litigate in other states, and a representative of the Manufacturers’ Agents National Association supported the change as important for small businesses. The committee passed the bill on a 17-0 vote to the General Register. House File 2399 followed, dealing with the classification of unofficial fiscal notes. The bill would make classified unofficial fiscal notes public unless the requester asks for them to remain private, and clarify who may access them while classified. The Legislative Budget Office supported the language, while MMB testified that its budget staff should not be barred from helping prepare classified unofficial fiscal notes and said that involvement would not compromise confidentiality. Members discussed the bill’s handling of private data and the role of the LBO commission chair and vice chair; the committee then passed the bill 17-0 to the General Register. Finally, the committee heard House File 3670, a bill to streamline post-divorce surname changes so they can be handled more like name changes completed during divorce proceedings. The author said the current process is burdensome and disproportionately affects women, though the bill would apply to anyone. Testifiers described the emotional and practical difficulties of keeping or changing a former spouse’s name after divorce, including trauma and cost. Members discussed filing fees and whether the courts would lose revenue, and the author said he would follow up with more precise cost information. The bill was supported by members speaking from personal experience, and the hearing concluded without a vote in the portion provided.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee adopted the March 2, 2022 meeting minutes and then heard House File 3405, authored by Majority Leader Winkler, which would create a nine-member workforce standards board for the long-term care industry. Winkler said the bill is intended to give workers, employers, and the state a formal role in setting and enforcing industry-wide labor standards, especially in a sector heavily supported by public funding and facing persistent staffing shortages, low wages, and difficult working conditions. He described the proposal as a state-level extension of existing labor standards authority, with the board able to investigate conditions and set minimum standards for wages, hours, and other workplace terms. Supportive testimony came from David Madland of the Center for American Progress, who said workforce standards boards can address staffing shortages, poor working conditions, and uneven care quality by bringing together workers, employers, and the public. Julius Nyakundi, a nursing assistant and SEIU steward, described low wages, pandemic risks, short staffing, and heavy workloads in nursing homes, and urged passage of the bill as a way to stabilize the workforce. Opponents from LeadingAge Minnesota and Care Providers of Minnesota argued that nursing homes are already under severe financial strain, with about 23,000 open positions, declining occupancy, high PPE and overtime costs, and limited ability to raise rates because of state reimbursement rules. They said the bill could create mandates without providing funding and could threaten access to care if facilities close. Members raised questions about whether the board would increase overhead, how enforcement would work, whether overtime or extra shifts could violate the standards, and whether the model could extend to other industries. Winkler responded that the board itself would not add overhead or have taxing authority, that enforcement would mirror existing labor-law enforcement with a private right of action, and that the standards would be negotiated within available resources. No final vote on the bill was taken during the discussion, and the bill remained under consideration.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House Commerce Committee met remotely, approved the March 2, 2022 minutes, and then took up House File 778, a bill to legalize sports betting in Minnesota. Chair Stevenson moved the bill and a DE2 amendment, which the committee adopted. In his presentation, Stevenson said the bill would replace an existing black market with a legal marketplace, provide consumer protections, reduce money laundering and other illegal activity, and create both retail betting at tribal casinos and statewide mobile betting operated by tribes with commercial partners. He said tax revenue would be directed to regulation and consumer protection, problem gambling treatment, and youth sports and youth programming. Members offered several amendments that were debated and rejected. Representative O’Driscoll’s A3 amendment would have split certain funds 50/50 between the seven-county metro and Greater Minnesota; Stevenson opposed the fixed ratio as unfair, and the amendment failed. O’Driscoll’s A4 amendment sought tax relief for charitable gaming organizations such as fire relief associations, youth hockey groups, VFWs, and Legions; Stevenson said it broadened the bill beyond sports betting, and it failed. Representative Rasmon’s A2 amendment would have required in-person registration, deposits, and withdrawals for mobile betting; Stevenson argued it would be unworkable and disadvantage some users and tribal nations, and it failed. Rasmon’s A6 amendment would have raised the mobile betting age from 18 to 21; Stevenson said he shared concerns about younger adults but wanted more time to work on a solution, and that amendment also failed. Public testimony was split. Andy Plato of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association supported the general framework, saying tribes should play a central role in Minnesota’s sports betting market and that tribal leaders were still reviewing details of the delete-everything amendment. Jake Grassel of Citizens Against Gambling Expansion opposed the bill, warning it would be a major expansion of gambling, increase problem gambling risk for young adults, and should be studied more thoroughly before moving forward. Bran Iden of Sportradar testified in support of the bill’s regulatory structure and urged inclusion of a specific sports wagering supplier license to clarify oversight and licensing standards. After these presentations, the committee moved on to additional testifiers; the transcript provided does not show a final committee vote on HF 778.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee adopted the March 3, 2022 minutes by voice vote and then took up House File 3215, a mental health workforce bill. Chair Fisher moved adoption of the Behavioral Health division report, which was approved by voice vote, and the bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the Human Services omnibus bill. Fisher and several testifiers described a severe shortage of mental health workers, low Medicaid reimbursement rates, service closures, long waitlists, and financial strain on community-based providers. The bill would use one-time ARPA funds to make emergency payments to community mental health providers serving public program enrollees to help with staffing, operations, retention, training, and related needs until longer-term reforms take effect. Testimony in support came from Aspire Minnesota, Southwestern Mental Health Center, and the Wilder Foundation, among others. Witnesses said providers were losing staff to higher-paying jobs, facing burnout and rising costs, and struggling to keep clinics and intensive services open; they argued the funding could preserve access and prevent further closures. Committee questions focused on the bill’s definitions, the 30 percent public-program threshold, the use of proportional public-program utilization to allocate grants, and whether advance payments would create audit or reporting issues. Fisher and testifiers said the language was intended to target mission-driven providers serving Medicaid and MinnesotaCare enrollees and that advance payments would help cash flow while documentation is provided later. The committee then turned to House File 3157, Representative Moeller’s bill on disability employment supports. The committee adopted a DE1 amendment by voice vote and laid the bill over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill. Moeller said the bill would increase access to employment exploration services for Minnesotans with disabilities by aligning the base wage for those services with the wage for employment development services, with the goal of supporting competitive integrated employment.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House Health Finance and Policy Committee met on March 8, 2022, with a quorum present and approved the March 7 minutes. The committee first heard House File 2768, by Representative Morrison, which would allow pharmacists to administer prescribed subcutaneous and intramuscular injections and assist with external monitoring devices. Morrison and supporting testifiers, including pharmacists and pharmacy leaders, argued the bill would improve access, reduce disparities, and help patients in rural and urban areas, citing examples such as COVID treatments, mental health injections, fertility medications, and diabetes monitoring devices. Members asked about whether the bill applied to pharmacy technicians, reimbursement, and liability/oversight; testifiers clarified the authority would apply to pharmacists, not technicians, and the Board of Pharmacy would expect proper training. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the committee bill. The committee then took up House File 3854, by Representative Hollins, and adopted the A1 amendment. Hollins explained that the bill would authorize pharmacists to prescribe, dispense, and administer HIV prevention medications, including pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis, and to order and interpret related lab tests. She said timely access is critical because PEP must be started within 72 hours, and pharmacists are highly accessible across the state. Testifiers from HIV advocacy and personal experience supported the bill, describing it as a step toward Minnesota’s HIV prevention goals and emphasizing the importance of quick access to treatment after exposure. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the committee bill.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee heard an informational presentation from the Department of Revenue on Minnesota’s tax expenditure budget, which catalogs special deductions, credits, exemptions, and other tax preferences in the state and local tax code. Eric Willett, director of tax research, explained that the report is required every two years, covers more than 300 tax expenditures across 15 tax types, and uses a “reference tax base” to identify provisions that depart from a neutral tax structure. He described tax expenditures as selective tax relief that reduces revenue, and contrasted them with direct spending programs, noting that tax expenditures often receive less public scrutiny and are not part of the regular budget process. Willett walked through examples such as the mortgage interest deduction, charitable deductions, accelerated depreciation, and sales tax exemptions, and explained how the report estimates affected taxpayers and revenue impacts. He emphasized several cautions: repealing some tax expenditures could increase administrative complexity, some provisions interact so totals cannot simply be added together, and the report does not fully account for collectibility or timing effects the way a bill-specific revenue estimate would. He also reviewed the major categories—individual income tax, corporate tax, sales tax, and property tax—showing that the gross revenue potential without tax expenditures would be much higher than current net revenue, though he stressed that the figures are illustrative rather than policy recommendations. Members asked about the mortgage interest deduction, and Willett confirmed the report’s figures only include taxpayers who itemize deductions, not those using the standard deduction. He also noted that federal tax changes in 2017 and Minnesota’s response in 2019 sharply reduced itemization, with the share of filers itemizing dropping from over 37 percent to just over 6 percent by tax year 2021. In closing, Willett previewed the newly created tax expenditure review commission, saying it will help define the objectives of tax expenditures and provide more systematic oversight, with the next tax expenditure budget due under the new law in November 2024.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee met for a themed hearing on mental health and public safety, adopted the March 4 minutes, and then took up several bills for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill. Chair Mariani said the committee would hear three bills during the regular meeting and continue later in the evening if needed. The first bill, House File 3857 by Rep. Hollins, would require counties to provide no-cost phone calls for incarcerated people to contact mental health providers, case managers, MNSure navigators, and the Minnesota Warm Line. Hollins and NAMI Minnesota’s Elliot Bhutai said jail phone calls can be far more expensive than prison calls, creating a barrier to care and to restarting treatment and Medicaid coverage after release. Members asked about the scope of the bill, including whether it covered family calls or only current providers, and the author indicated the bill was narrowly tailored to reduce fiscal impact. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion, pending a fiscal note and possible language cleanup. The committee then heard House File 3758 by Rep. Kosnik, as amended, which would create a grant for a nonprofit providing equine mental health therapy to first responders. Sally Jane Mixon of Abba Jay’s on the Back Side described the program’s use of off-track thoroughbreds to help veterans and first responders process trauma, citing a Columbia University study and a video testimonial from a firefighter. Members asked about access outside the metro and funding sources; the witness said the program is currently based at Canterbury Park but is intended to expand, and the author said the grant would be one-time funding to help the program grow. The committee adopted the A1 amendment and laid the bill over for possible inclusion, with further discussion to continue on funding and implementation details.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and approved the March 3 minutes. Chair Hornstein said the hearing would focus first on arterial bus rapid transit (ABRT) bills and then on bus electrification later in the meeting. He described ABRT as a reliable, economical transit mode that had received strong bipartisan support in prior years. The committee heard House File 3623 for the G Line, which would fund BRT along Robert Street from Little Canada through St. Paul to West St. Paul. Representative Hanson and supporters from Move Minnesota emphasized the line’s value for south metro residents, students, workers, and people without cars, and Hornstein laid the bill over for possible inclusion in an omnibus transportation bill. The committee then took up House File 3767 for the H Line from downtown Minneapolis to the east side of St. Paul. Representative Jordan and ISAIAH’s Elliot Albaum testified that the line would serve students, workers, faith communities, and climate goals. An A1 amendment was adopted to correct the project cost estimate to $80 million, and the bill was laid over as amended. The final ABRT bill was House File 2997 for the F Line, which would complete funding for the Blaine-to-Minneapolis corridor along Route 10. Representative Bernardi and Fridley city representative Scott Hickok described the line’s ridership, corridor growth, housing development, and community engagement, and said the project would improve safety and transit access. Members asked about long-term operating costs, federal funding, and traffic impacts; Metro Transit’s Nick Thompson said ABRT operating costs are covered through existing Metro Transit funding sources rather than a separate local share, federal funds are expected to cover capital costs, and prior studies found no negative overall traffic impacts while improving transit travel times. The committee laid over House File 2997 for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill. Move Minnesota then testified in support of all three lines, and the chair said the committee would next move into a broader discussion of electric buses.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House Higher Education Committee met remotely, established a quorum, and approved the March 2, 2022 minutes. The main item was House File 3872, the Office of Higher Education budget bill, which was laid over for possible inclusion. Chair Bernardi and Office of Higher Education staff described the bill as largely investing in existing programs and adding support for student parents, tribal colleges, emergency assistance for postsecondary students, teacher programs, and other higher education aid. The bill also includes a new Student Parent Support Initiative grant and a one-time $10 million college application fee waiver, along with changes to the state grant term structure and increased funding for dual training grants, including expansion into early childhood and transportation occupations. Testimony strongly supported the student parent initiative. Lori Barr of Raise the Bar, in a video testimony, described the barriers she faced as a young single mother in college and argued that student parents need coordinated support. Office of Higher Education staff and student parent coordinator Miriam Cullimore cited data showing student parents are more likely to be low-income, part-time, women, unmarried, and people of color, and that completion rates are much lower for single mothers without support. Testifiers from the University of Minnesota Student Parent Help Center and St. Cloud State University described existing campus services such as child care assistance, emergency grants, coaching, and family support, saying the proposal would expand proven models and improve retention and graduation. The college application fee waiver was supported by a high school counselor, Blake Mays, who said application costs can quickly add up for students applying to multiple schools and that waiving fees could improve access and encourage students to stay in Minnesota for college. The dual training grant expansion also drew support from Sanford Health, where staff and a current trainee said the program helps train workers while covering tuition and providing on-the-job experience. Ann McCully of Child Care Aware Minnesota supported expanding dual training into early care and education, saying the pandemic highlighted the importance of child care and the need for a qualified, supported workforce. No committee vote on the bill was taken in the portion provided beyond the motion to lay it over.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee met under House Rule 10.01, took roll, and approved the minutes from March 3. The first bill heard was HF 3549, Minnesota Housing’s policy and technical bill, which was laid over for possible inclusion. Minnesota Housing staff explained that the bill would raise the agency’s debt ceiling by excluding limited-obligation bonds from the calculation, authorize refunding of bonds when market conditions make refinancing advantageous, and make several program changes to improve access and clarity. Those changes included allowing the Fix Up Fund to be used for detached accessory dwelling units, clarifying tribal eligibility across programs, prioritizing households most affected by housing disparities, removing county board resolution requirements from FHPAP, clarifying senior housing and single-family eligibility language in housing infrastructure bonds, allowing replacement of federally assisted rental housing, expanding county and tribal participation in workforce and homeownership programs, and making technical corrections. Representative Gomez questioned the deletion of language related to single-family home construction in housing infrastructure bonds, expressing concern about the lack of consultation with the author of that language; staff responded that the deletion would not affect the agency’s ability to finance single-family housing and was intended to remove confusing, unnecessary debt language. The committee then took up HF 3143, which Representative Igbeg moved to the General Register. The bill would expand housing infrastructure bond eligibility to include development and preservation of affordable housing for households at or below 50% of area median income without requiring supportive services. The author and testifiers argued that Minnesota has a severe shortage of deeply affordable housing, that current housing infrastructure bond uses are too limited to meet the need, and that the change would help address cost burden and housing instability for working families and households of color. Testimony from Project for Pride in Living highlighted the gap between housing demand and production and described how the bill would allow more flexibility to serve households that do not qualify for supportive housing. A PPL resident also testified that stable housing helped him reenter the community, improve his health, reunite with family, and become a business owner, underscoring the broader benefits of affordable housing investment.