Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House Education Finance Committee met on March 3, 2022, with a quorum present and first took up House File 1408, a bill by Representative Becker-Finn to update Minnesota’s educational interpreter statutes so certified deaf interpreters (CDIs) can be recognized and used in K-12 settings. The committee adopted the A2 author’s amendment by voice vote, then heard testimony from the bill author, the Nathanson family, interpreter and agency representative Jimmy Belden, Minnesota Council on Disability’s Trevor Turner, and Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing representative Alicia Lane Outlaw. Testifiers described CDIs as distinct from ASL interpreters and argued they can provide more effective language access for some deaf and hard of hearing students, especially those who need more complex interpretation or direct language support. Dove Nathanson testified that lack of CDI access had harmed his education, while supporters said the bill would expand options without lowering standards. Representative Daniels and Representative Kresha both spoke in support, with Kresha asking about unintended consequences and Becker-Finn responding that the bill would not reduce standards but would add another option for students who need it. After discussion, Representative Jordan renewed her motion to lay over House File 1408, as amended, for possible inclusion in a future omnibus bill. The chair thanked the testifiers and interpreters for making the hearing accessible. The committee then moved to House File 2199, a bill by Representative Vang to provide $45,000 in one-time funding for the Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs’ STARS program. The committee adopted a technical A2 amendment updating dates, and Vang explained that STARS helps students in alternative learning centers build employment, academic, and social skills, especially students facing barriers such as homelessness, abuse, substance use, limited English proficiency, or credit deficiencies. The committee heard from student testifiers Aidan Olsen Blake and Dominic Jr. Smith, who described how alternative learning centers and MAP STARS helped them stay in school, gain confidence, improve communication, and work toward graduation. Their testimony emphasized smaller class settings, more individualized support, and opportunities for leadership and extracurricular involvement. The transcript ends with the committee continuing testimony on House File 2199, with no final vote on that bill shown in the excerpt.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Transportation Finance and Policy Committee met on March 3, 2022, to hear several bills drawn from the Driver and Vehicle Services independent expert review and to begin assembling a smaller omnibus package. The chair explained that some bills would be laid over or sent to other committees, and that the committee hoped to move through at least the first three measures. Senator Housley presented SF 3609, which would direct DVS to study and report on moving toward mobile driver’s licenses, electronic titles, digital tabs, liens, disability placards, crash reports, and related digital ID tools. Members generally supported the concept, and the bill was moved and referred to the Committee on Technology and Reform. The committee then heard SF 3650 from Senator Chamberlain, which would extend Minnesota driver’s license, motorcycle license, and ID renewal periods from four years to eight years. Chamberlain argued the change could reduce pressure on DVS and save time and money, while a deputy registrar testifier said the association supported the longer term but wanted the filing fee addressed if the renewal period is doubled. The bill was laid over. The committee also took up SF 3616 from Senator Jaczynski, a larger deputy registrar revenue-sharing bill tied to the King report and the post-MNLARS transition. Testifiers from the deputy registrar community said the system has shifted more work to local offices and that fee increases and a new revenue-sharing model are needed to keep offices viable, though they raised concerns about the costs of becoming full-service providers and about access to the new revenue pool. On SF 3616, the committee adopted an author’s amendment that revised the fee structure and revenue-sharing provisions. Staff explained that the bill would define “full-service provider,” split filing fees between in-person and mail/online transactions, create a full-service provider account, and send a share of mail/online revenue to nearby full-service providers. The amendment also corrected the fee language so that new driver’s license and ID applications would carry a $1 filing fee and renewals an $11 fee, consistent with the Real ID pricing intent. Testifiers also flagged the need to ensure that state-operated DVS deputy registrar transactions would not draw from the same revenue pool as private deputy registrars. The discussion continued with no final disposition on SF 3616 in the portion provided.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee met virtually, approved the March 1, 2022 minutes, and heard three bills. House File 3701, an administration/DHS proposal authored by Rep. Pryor, would update statutes on safe sleep, authorize child care regulation modernization pilot projects, clarify special family child care provisions, and change annual inspection language to once per calendar year. DHS testified that the safe sleep language is still awaiting a culturally specific amendment, that the special family child care changes would allow DHS and counties to communicate directly with providers and require comparable training, and that the pilot-project language is needed to test new child care licensing models. The chair laid the bill over for possible inclusion in a committee budget bill. House File 3485, also by Rep. Pryor, would expand school-age care revenue eligibility from prekindergarten through grade 8 to support extended-day services, especially for children with special needs. Rep. Pryor and Eden Prairie Schools’ Dr. Sean Hoffman Graham said the bill would help districts continue services for preschoolers and middle school students with IEPs or other needs during child care hours, avoiding disruptions and pricing families out of programs. Members expressed support for the need for early intervention and continuity of services. The committee laid the bill over for further consideration, with the expectation it would move forward later. House File 3622, by Rep. Wogamat, would allocate two MDE staff positions to support early childhood family education statewide, funded from up to 2 percent of each district’s ECFE aid. After an oral amendment was adopted to narrow the bill by striking “or early childhood education” so the staff focus would be on parent and family education, Rep. Wogamat said the bill would strengthen ECFE support for parents, grandparents, and caregivers and help districts provide more parent education. The committee adopted the amendment by voice vote and then heard the bill, but no final vote on the bill itself was taken during the meeting.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee met virtually on March 3, 2022, approved the March 1 minutes, and then took up House File 726, which proposed placing a constitutional amendment before Minnesota voters to provide equal protection under the law on the basis of gender/sex. The bill’s author, Representative Bonner, argued the amendment was a simple way to let citizens decide whether the state constitution should explicitly guarantee equal rights and protections for women and men, and cited court decisions and historical examples to support the need for stronger constitutional language. Several testifiers in support, including representatives from ERA Minnesota and women with military service backgrounds, testified that women have long faced unequal treatment and that the amendment would help secure equal rights for all Minnesotans. Opposition focused on the bill’s language and possible consequences. Representative New Brindley questioned the lack of a statutory definition of gender, raised concerns about fiscal impacts on municipalities, and argued the amendment could be used in ways that affect abortion regulation. Representative Drazkowski also pressed the author on whether the bill implied only two genders and criticized the refusal to define the term. Representative Kwam emphasized that legislators should define terms in statute rather than leaving interpretation to the courts. Representative Bonner responded that courts already interpret such language and that the bill was about letting voters decide whether women and men should be treated equally under the law. The discussion became contentious at points, with the chair reminding members to maintain decorum and avoid personal attacks. No final vote on House File 726 is shown in the transcript excerpt; the author renewed the motion to move the bill at the end of the discussion.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House Capital Investment Committee met remotely on March 3, established quorum, and approved the minutes from March 1. The main topic was lead service line replacement in Minnesota, with presentations from Minnesota Public Facilities Authority Executive Director Jeff Freeman and Minnesota Department of Health staff Tani Eshnauer and Chad Colstead. Freeman explained that the existing Drinking Water State Revolving Fund can finance lead service line work, including the private portion, and described the new federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding: about $43.1 million per year for lead service line replacement through the PFA, with 49% available as principal forgiveness grants and the rest as loans, with no state match required. He said EPA guidance was still pending, but the state was already accepting project proposals for the 2023 priority list and intended use plan, and cities were being encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Department of Health testimony focused on the scope and cost of the problem and the need for inventories. Eshnauer said Minnesota likely has about 100,000 lead service lines, though the exact number will not be known until inventories are completed under the revised federal Lead and Copper Rule by October 2024. She said a 2019 estimate put replacement costs at $200 million to $400 million, but current estimates are closer to $500 million, and she cited a benefit-cost analysis showing at least $2 in benefits for every $1 spent on removal. Colstead described how inventories are built from records, permits, maps, and, when needed, visual inspections or home access, and said the governor’s proposal would create a $3.75 million-per-year, two-year grant program to help roughly 750 water systems with inventories and asset management plans. Members raised concerns about the urgency of the issue, whether $4 million would be enough for inventory work, how projects would be prioritized, and whether the program could help with private-side costs. Colstead said systems do not need a completed inventory to apply for Drinking Water Revolving Fund assistance and that the inventory grant program is intended to help communities hire consultants or other resources. He also said current grant funding is directed to the private portion of lead service line replacement, with the remainder eligible for a loan. No votes were taken on the lead service line issue during the hearing.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Housing Finance and Policy Committee met under House Rule 10.01, approved the March 1 minutes, and then took up House File 835, which was laid over. Representative Herr presented the bill as a package of tenant-protection changes to Minnesota landlord-tenant law, including banning housing discrimination based on source of income/public assistance, expanding eviction expungement, requiring pre-eviction notice before filing certain evictions, and making eviction records nonpublic until final judgment. The chair noted the bill and related measures had already been heard in Judiciary and that one bill would be laid over while the others would go to the General Register. Testimony was strongly supportive. Shayna Tomenes of the Housing Justice Center backed the source-of-income protections, describing widespread “no Section 8” discrimination and arguing the bill would help elderly, disabled, domestic violence survivors, and low-income families find housing. Leah DeGrazia of HomeLine supported the pre-eviction notice and expungement provisions, saying Minnesota is one of only a few states without pre-filing notice, and that eviction records can unfairly follow tenants even when they win or settle. Nancy Etzweiler of Volunteer Lawyers Network described clients harmed by public eviction filings and urged automatic or easier expungement, including for cases dismissed, won, settled, or older than three years. A tenant, Lucretia Brewer, testified about living under eviction threat at an assisted-living facility and said eviction records can devastate otherwise responsible renters, making it hard to find housing and forcing families into shelters or unstable arrangements. Members generally expressed support for tenant protections, though Representative Thais raised concerns about the source-of-income/human rights portion of the bill and whether it would survive conference committee, noting similar language had been removed previously. Representative Herr and others clarified that the source-of-income piece was the part tied to the human rights discussion and said they would follow up offline. No vote on the bill was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee took up Senate File 3062, a broad substance use disorder bill, and first adopted the posted A1 amendment. Senator Wicklund described the measure as a comprehensive response to record overdose deaths and declining treatment access, and said the bill had been worked on with DHS technical assistance. He emphasized that the committee should focus on policy because funding was uncertain, and that any larger fiscal items would depend on later budget targets and broader consensus. Testimony from Amy Delwo and Brian Zerbis outlined the bill’s main provisions. Article 1 would waive birth certificate and state ID fees for Medical Assistance-eligible people, create a six-month post-discharge transition benefit for people completing treatment, allow housing stipends, food, child care, transportation, and a housing fidelity bond, permit more guest speakers in group therapy, and require DHS to share more provider performance data. Article 2 focused on workforce issues, including extending internship periods after licensure applications, updating HIV training, adjusting staffing and documentation rules, creating a temporary rate increase if a prior study does not result in changes, and providing a direct care wage increase. Article 3 addressed service preservation and access, including expanding withdrawal management licensing, allowing up to 24 business hours to document significant events, extending treatment plan review timelines from seven to 28 days, adding SUD reimbursement rates to a DHS report, and extending the deadline for a paperwork reduction report. Tim Walsh of Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge supported most of the bill but strongly opposed the six-month transition benefit in Article 1, Section 7. He argued it was too open-ended, could be repeated after each treatment episode, lacked accountability and evaluation, and could create relapse risk by giving financial benefits to people early in recovery. DHS representative Ms. Graham said the department shared many of the bill’s goals, especially moving toward a longer-term recovery continuum, but had concerns about implementation, licensing changes, and how the new benefit would interact with existing programs; she said DHS would continue technical assistance and stakeholder discussions. Committee members generally praised the policy discussion, noted the need to refine the bill, and no final vote was taken beyond adoption of the A1 amendment and laying the bill over for further consideration.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee met on March 3, 2022, approved the March 2 minutes by voice vote, and then took up House File 3268, which was laid over for possible inclusion in the Human Services Finance and Policy omnibus bill. The bill, authored by Representative Bolden and supported by ARM and Hiawatha Homes, was presented as a workforce response for disability services. It would create child care grants for direct support professionals, a scholarship program, one-time retention bonuses, a 5 percent rate increase for ICF services, and a change to reduce licensing barriers for overnight assistive technology supervision. Testifiers described severe staffing shortages, home closures, reduced capacity, and difficulty retaining workers; committee members generally expressed support while noting the need to refine retention language and await a fiscal note from DHS. The bill was laid over after the discussion. The committee then moved to House File 3163, which was also laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill after adoption of an A1 amendment with technical changes from DHS and House Research. Representative Mohler said the bill would make regulatory changes to services for people living independently and their families amid the staffing crisis. ARM’s Sarah Grafstrom explained that the bill would change out-of-home respite rules for minors, allow additional transitional lease extensions, create a new unit of service for individualized home supports with training, and remove unit-based respite from DWRS. She also described the need for an Adam Walsh background study process for out-of-home respite and a certification for unlicensed sites to ensure health and safety. Members raised questions about the retention provisions and administrative costs, and DHS said a fiscal note would be needed for the grant-related provisions.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Housing Finance and Policy Committee met on March 3 and heard testimony from Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter about the city’s rent stabilization ordinance and a proposed exemption for new housing construction. Carter described Minnesota’s housing shortage, Saint Paul’s efforts to add deeply affordable units, and the city’s plan to work with a 41-member stakeholder group and the University of Minnesota’s CURA to refine implementation. He argued that rent stabilization should not be treated as incompatible with new development, and said the city is seeking a rolling exemption for housing less than 15 years old to encourage construction while preserving renter protections. Members questioned Carter about whether rent control could be slowing new projects, the short- and long-term effects on development, and the cost of implementing the ordinance. Carter said it is too early to know the full outcomes, but that Saint Paul is in contact with developers and still expects thousands of envisioned units to move forward if the exemption is adopted. He also said the city is budgeting for implementation, expecting a staff of three to four people, and is working with the city council on an administrative ordinance to establish funding and procedures. Senators also asked about the timing of the stakeholder group relative to the vote, the May 1 implementation date, and how future changes would be made. Carter said the May 1 date is in the voter-approved ordinance and that the city intends to begin enforcement then while continuing stakeholder work. He said any recommended changes would be proposed to the city council, and that the council can amend the city law without returning to voters. No committee vote or formal action was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The meeting opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a roll call establishing a quorum. The Senate then took up committee reports and routine business, including second readings of several Senate and House files, first readings of new Senate bills, and referral of Senate File 3728 to the Health and Human Services Reform Finance and Policy Committee. Senate Resolutions 104 and 105 were referred to Rules and Administration. A committee report on Senate File 3585, an agriculture bill, was adopted and the bill was re-referred to the Civil Law and Data Practices Policy Committee. The body also moved to special orders for immediate consideration of Senate File 2729 and later Senate File 2575. Senate File 2729, dealing with education and school board testimony procedures, was described as protecting parents and other testifiers from being required to publicly disclose home addresses at school board meetings. Senator Port offered an A2 amendment to allow school boards to ask for the city or township of residence instead, and Senator Chamberlain accepted it as a friendly amendment. The amendment was adopted, and the bill then passed on a 67-0 roll call vote, with several members voting under Rule 40.7. The chamber then debated Senate File 2575, a bill on curriculum transparency and parental access. Senator Gazelka argued the bill would require school districts to notify parents at the start of the school year that curriculum is available and free of charge, saying parents have been frustrated by lack of access and that the measure would improve parent involvement. Senator Wiger and Senator Clausen responded that existing law already provides parental curriculum review and alternative instruction, and they cited a Minnesota PTA letter opposing the bill as unnecessary and duplicative. They also raised concerns about added administrative burdens and costly data requests for districts. The debate continued without a final vote in the portion provided.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard Senate File 3229, which would expand eligibility for the alternative teacher preparation grant program and provide ongoing funding for new and expanding providers. Senator Coleman and testifiers from Ed Allies and Indigo Education said the bill would help launch and sustain alternative licensure pathways, especially for special education and other high-need fields, by lowering barriers for career changers, first-generation students, multilingual learners, and educators of color. Dr. Kelly Dietrich described Indigo’s work serving Minnesota charter schools and emphasized severe special education staffing shortages, high burnout, and the need for culturally and linguistically responsive mentoring and support. The committee then heard Senate File 2856, which would allow certain online-only programs to qualify students for state grant aid. Senator Rarick and Western Governors University representatives said the bill would let Minnesota residents attending WGU access aid they already help fund through taxes, while keeping the university subject to the same oversight and registration requirements as other private nonprofit institutions. WGU described its competency-based, online model, its focus on adult learners, and its Minnesota enrollment and graduate numbers, arguing it helps re-engage stop-out adults and supports the state’s attainment goals. A WGU student, Kate Ston, testified that the flexible, mentor-supported model fit her life as a working parent and paraprofessional pursuing special education licensure. After testimony on SF 3229, the committee voted to recommend the bill for passage and refer it to the Education Finance and Policy Committee. The transcript ends while testimony on SF 2856 is still underway, with no final action shown on that bill.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Finance Policy Committee heard several AURI-related funding requests and laid the bills over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill. SF 2337, as amended by the A1 amendment changing the dates to 2023, would provide a one-time $2 million appropriation for AURI infrastructure. AURI testified that it needs to consolidate its Waseca operations into one facility, replacing two sites about a mile apart with a single roughly 12,000-square-foot space to improve efficiency and employee safety. Witnesses said the Waseca lab focuses on biomass and co-products work, including drying, pelleting, oilseed pressing, and hemp fiber processing. The committee approved the A1 amendment and laid SF 2337 over. The committee then heard SF 3335, a one-time $1 million request for equipment upgrades and replacement across AURI’s sites. AURI said the funding would help address needs in protein scale-up equipment, fermentation equipment, analytical lab needs in Marshall, and some biomass processing equipment in Waseca. Members asked about whether the bill should be treated as capital investment and about the specific protein scale-up gap; AURI explained it is trying to bridge the space between bench-top work and pilot-scale production, especially for food and feed applications. The bill was laid over after discussion. Next, the committee heard SF 3536, which would appropriate $250,000 for an anaerobic digester feedstock study to support renewable natural gas production. AURI said the study would identify feedstock volumes and “critical mass” areas across Minnesota, assess digestate uses, and examine infrastructure options such as pipeline injection or electricity generation. Members raised concerns about duplication with existing projects, and AURI responded that the study would be a precursor to private investment by identifying viable community digester opportunities for smaller producers. SF 3536 was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill. Finally, the committee heard SF 3354, a one-time $600,000 request to develop a life cycle analyst position at AURI. AURI said the position would help agricultural businesses evaluate sustainability profiles and make more holistic business decisions in response to consumer and market demands. The committee discussed the role as a broader advisory function rather than a narrow consulting service, and the bill was also laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on Senate File 3066, which would repeal Minnesota’s “seat belt gag rule” and allow seat belt use or non-use to be considered as evidence in civil cases. An author’s amendment adding an effective date was adopted. The bill’s supporters, including Minnesota Trucking Association president John Houseland and attorney Brandon Meshbesher, argued that the rule is outdated because seat belts are now mandatory, comparative fault has replaced contributory negligence, and juries should be allowed to hear all relevant evidence. They said repeal would improve fairness and truth-seeking, and noted that other states allow seat belt evidence in some form. Opposition testimony came from Joel Carlson on behalf of the Minnesota Association for Justice. He argued the rule was originally adopted for policy reasons that still matter, that seat belt non-use does not cause crashes, and that repeal would let defendants use seat belt evidence to reduce damages in cases where they were otherwise at fault. He warned the change could harm injured plaintiffs, including people exempt from seat belt requirements such as some taxi passengers and farm pickup drivers, and said it could shift costs to victims, the state, or employer health plans. He also said the bill has a fiscal note and could increase court costs. Members questioned how seat belt evidence would be relevant if it does not cause accidents, and discussed examples involving headlights, child restraints, and exempt passengers. Supporters responded that the evidence should be treated like other safety-related facts and that admissibility would still be controlled by judges and evidentiary rules. The committee did not take final action on the bill in the transcript, but members discussed a motion to refer it to the Judiciary Committee.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: Speakers at a press conference in Minnesota criticized Senate File 2909 as part of a broader national wave of bills they described as targeting LGBTQ youth under the banner of parental rights or school transparency. Erin May Quade of Gender Justice, Fran Hutchins of Equality Federation, Jess Braverman of Gender Justice, Dave Edwards of Transforming Families Minnesota, Matt Llewellynaughton of OutFront Minnesota, and Sen. Lindsey Port argued the bill would encourage school censorship, surveillance, and forced disclosure of students’ gender identity, and could undermine trans-inclusive school policies, guidance materials, and protections for students’ names and pronouns. Several speakers cited testimony from supporters of the bill as evidence that it was intended to roll back LGBTQ inclusion in schools. Braverman referenced prior efforts by Minnesota Family Council and related groups in Anoka-Hennepin, saying those policies contributed to severe bullying and harassment and that nine students in the district died by suicide. Speakers also pointed to national examples in Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Kansas, and said similar bills were advancing across the country. They emphasized research and statistics on LGBTQ youth mental health, including elevated rates of suicide risk and anxiety, and said affirming school environments reduce harm. Sen. Port said the bill had been pulled from the agenda that morning after public opposition, though she and others warned it could return because Senate bills can move with little notice. In response to questions, speakers said their outreach focused on informing senators about the bill’s impact rather than electoral politics, and Hutchins said the effort was to stop LGBTQ youth from being used as political pawns. No vote on the bill was taken during the event, and the speakers closed by urging continued opposition and support for LGBTQ students and families.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard a supplemental budget presentation from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Larry Herkey focused on several veterans-related funding requests. He outlined the department’s mission, reported on the five state veterans homes, three cemeteries, and the state’s veteran population, and gave an update on the three new veterans homes, saying construction was about 20% complete with no major issues. He also said the Redwood Falls cemetery is progressing faster than expected and will need operating staff sooner than planned. Herkey then described the main budget items: a $40 million one-time post-9/11 veterans bonus program with tiered payments of $600, $1,200, or $2,000 depending on service and casualty status; funding to support landlord engagement and tenancy services to help reach “functional zero” for veteran homelessness; and a request for low-barrier permanent supportive housing in the seven-county metro area for veterans with the highest barriers to housing. He said the housing proposal would use a mix of accessory dwelling units, multifamily units, and single-room occupancy models, with MACV expected to help manage and place veterans. He also mentioned a request for a Fargo VA Fisher House, increased grants for veteran service officers and veteran service organizations, and an operating fund for the Redwood Falls cemetery. Members asked about eligibility, outreach, timing, and administration of the bonus program. Herkey said the bonus would run from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2024, would use existing MDVA systems with minor modifications, and would be administered with help from county veterans service officers and veteran service organizations. He said Minnesota residents who meet the criteria would be eligible, including recent National Guard members from Afghanistan, and that the department expects to use existing contact information and DD214s without added administrative costs. Questions also focused on the housing proposal’s scale, ownership, and whether veterans themselves could receive property ownership; Herkey said the intent was for a statewide nonprofit, likely MACV, to own and manage the units under a long-term contract, and he would consider the ownership question further. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.