Keywords: 1183, house

Keywords: 1183, house

Keywords: 1183, house

Keywords: 1183, house

Keywords: 1183, house

Keywords: 1183, house

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House Commerce Committee met remotely, approved the February 16, 2022 minutes, and spent most of the meeting on the Minnesota Commerce Fraud Bureau. Commerce Department staff and Acting Director Jonathan Ferris described the bureau’s history, structure, funding, and work. They said the bureau was created in 2004 to investigate insurance fraud, now has 22 full-time employees and 17 sworn peace officers, and is funded through insurer assessments, an auto theft prevention transfer, a workers’ compensation-related transfer, and other sources. Ferris also outlined referral trends and several major cases, including an investment fraud/Ponzi scheme, an arson-for-profit case, a long-running no-fault auto insurance fraud investigation, and a workers’ compensation premium evasion and labor trafficking case. Members then discussed auto theft funding, with Representative Lilly asking about the bureau’s role in catalytic converter and auto theft issues. The chair clarified that the $200,000 figure mentioned was for administering the auto theft prevention program, while the broader grant program is much larger, with about $7 million in awards in the last biennium. The committee indicated it would return to the auto theft prevention fund and catalytic converter issues later in the year. The committee next heard House File 3068, which would provide a general fund appropriation for five additional full-time peace officers in the Commerce Fraud Bureau. Representative Lislegaard moved the bill for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill and said the added resources were needed because insurance fraud raises costs for everyone. Testimony in support came from Adam Dunnick of the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters, who said the bureau helps hold fraudulent employers accountable and levels the playing field for reputable businesses, and from Octavio Bustamante of LiUNA, who described wage theft, insurance fraud, and worker exploitation in construction and said more officers would improve enforcement and protect workers, businesses, and taxpayers.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Transportation Finance and Policy Committee met on February 22 with a quorum present and took up three bills, beginning with Senate File 3081 and Senate File 3086 together because of their similarities. Senator Newman described SF 3081 as dedicating 100% of the auto parts sales tax to the Highway User Tax Distribution Fund, replacing a fixed annual amount with a percentage that would grow over time. He argued transportation, MnDOT, and road and bridge funding are underfunded, that gas tax revenue will decline as vehicles become more efficient and electric vehicles increase, and that the bill would provide a needed long-term funding source. Senator Howe said SF 3086 would instead split the revenue, sending 76% to HUTDF, 12% to the small cities assistance account, and 12% to the town road account to better support local roads, townships, and small cities that currently receive little or no ongoing funding. Testimony was overwhelmingly supportive from construction, labor, business, and local government groups. Associated General Contractors, Operating Engineers Local 49, the carpenters, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, the Asphalt Pavement Association, the Concrete Paving Association, and LIUNA all backed the bills, emphasizing predictable and growing funding, workforce and apprenticeship opportunities, economic development, and the need to address long-term road and bridge needs. Several witnesses cited Minnesota’s large roadway network, unmet infrastructure needs, and the temporary nature of federal IIJA funding. Supporters of SF 3086, including the Minnesota Transportation Alliance, the Minnesota Association of Townships, and the Minnesota Association of Small Cities, stressed that townships and small cities need dedicated, ongoing funding for local roads and that the bill would provide meaningful new dollars for those jurisdictions. The committee did not take a final vote in the portion of the meeting provided. After testimony on SF 3081 and SF 3086, the chair moved through the witness list and then indicated the committee would later turn to the third bill on the agenda, SF 1602, which was referenced as dealing with electric vehicles contributing to system upkeep, but that bill was not discussed in the excerpt provided.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee met virtually for Disability Advocacy Day and discussed several related policy areas, with most of the meeting focused on a proposal to separate behavioral health from the Department of Human Services and create a standalone Department of Behavioral Health. The chair said the committee would not take action that day, but would use the meeting to hear reactions from the department and outside stakeholders. He also previewed upcoming work on workforce shortages, including a proposal to attract 20,000 entry-level workers with $60 million, and noted future hearings on substance use and homelessness. A major portion of the meeting featured testimony from Randy Anderson, who supported Senate File 2845. He described his own long-term recovery, work as a counselor and peer recovery specialist, and frustrations navigating a system he said is too large and difficult for providers and families to access. He argued that mental health and substance use should be the only priorities of a separate department. The testimony also emphasized the scale of the overdose crisis, citing co-occurring disorder data, rising overdose deaths in Minnesota, and the need for a more integrated, non-siloed continuum of care that includes prevention, treatment, support services, and recovery. Senator Hoffman strongly supported the concept, arguing that elevating behavioral health to the cabinet level would give it priority, a direct voice with the governor, and its own budget authority while still using existing DHS infrastructure for functions like HR, legal, and Medicaid administration. He cited examples from other states with separate behavioral health departments and said the bill is intended to reorganize priorities rather than disrupt Medicaid or other services. Members and witnesses repeatedly said the current system has not worked despite years of task forces, laws, and funding, and that a different approach is needed. No votes were taken; the committee’s action was limited to discussion and receiving testimony.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee heard House File 3598, the governor’s drought relief package, and adopted the A1 amendment before moving the bill to Ways and Means. Representative Hanson explained that the amendment changed grant language to use randomized selection rather than first-come, first-served, to avoid favoring digitally connected applicants, and also made a $50,000 correction. The bill’s DNR portion was described as a response to 2021 drought impacts on trees and water resources, separate from the agricultural drought aid heard in another committee. DNR Commissioner Sarah Strohm said the bill would provide $13.35 million for four programs: replacing drought-killed seedlings on DNR, tribal, county, and private forest lands; community drought relief grants for shade trees and watering equipment; water conservation grants for municipal, tribal, and other water suppliers; and a small well-interference program to help domestic and municipal well owners affected by drought. She said the seedling program would address severe mortality on reforestation sites, the tree grants would help communities stressed by drought and pests, the water conservation money would support proactive efficiency measures, and the well-interference funds would reimburse corrective costs when wells run dry. Stephanie Pinkala of The Nature Conservancy testified in support, saying the drought harmed farmlands, ranch lands, and forests and that the bill would support important tree-related and reforestation work with benefits for water quality, habitat, carbon storage, and community resilience. During member questions, lawmakers asked about the number of seedlings affected, whether the funding was new, how the water-efficiency grants would work, and why the grant process was not based on need; the DNR said the seedling estimate was about 6.8 million trees, the funding was new, water grants would be administered by communities rather than directly to residents, and the randomized grant process was intended to be fair and avoid digital barriers.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House Health Finance and Policy Committee met on February 22, 2022, and first approved the minutes from the previous day by voice vote. The main topic of the hearing was exceptions to Minnesota’s hospital bed moratorium. Chair Liebling explained that the committee would hear a Department of Health presentation on the moratorium process and then consider three bills seeking exceptions, all of which would be laid over for possible inclusion in the health finance bill. State Health Economist Stefan Gildemeister outlined the moratorium’s history and public interest review process. He said the moratorium, adopted in 1984, prohibits new hospital licenses and expansion of licensed beds, while the public interest review was added later to provide the Legislature with independent information. He described the review timeline, the factors MDH considers, and challenges such as limited data, timing problems, and the tension between business needs and broader access to care. He also noted that last session the Legislature passed exceptions for Regions Hospital and Prairie Care, and that MDH had since received proposals from Northshore Health, Fairview, and Children’s Minnesota. He said Prairie Care’s proposal was in the public interest but could not alone solve broader inpatient mental health bed shortages, citing data on children being hospitalized far from home, boarded in emergency rooms, and denied transfers. Members asked about the status of the three pending reviews, mental health bed counts, specialty hospital reporting requirements, and whether the moratorium should be reconsidered or repealed. Gildemeister said Northshore’s review had just begun, Fairview’s was farther along and would include a hearing because it is a complex new facility proposal, and the Children’s Minnesota proposal was last in line; he estimated reports could be completed in July, with Northshore possibly earlier. He also said specialty hospitals are not subject to the same annual reporting requirements as other hospitals, and that adding such reporting would be a relatively straightforward legislative change. Several members and the chair commented that the moratorium likely needs significant work, though not necessarily repeal. After the presentation, the committee moved on to the bills. Representative Ecklund introduced House File 2812, saying it is important to critical access hospitals in rural Minnesota, and the chair moved it to be laid over for possible inclusion in the health finance bill. The transcript ends as the committee transitions to the bill presentations.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Education Finance Committee met remotely on February 22, 2022, with a quorum present and approved the minutes from February 17 by voice vote. The committee then turned to House File 3587, a proposal by Rep. Samantha Vang to appropriate $90 million from the general fund to the Minnesota Department of Education for full-service community schools. The bill would prioritize existing full-service community school grantees, then low-performing schools under ESSA, and then other interested schools. The chair corrected the bill number during the hearing, and the motion to lay the bill over for possible inclusion in a future omnibus bill was updated accordingly. Testimony in support came from Brooklyn Center Community Schools Superintendent Dr. Carly Baker, Faribault Middle School Principal Joe Sage, and Ado Shony of the Minnesota Department of Education. Supporters described full-service community schools as a wraparound model that connects students and families to services such as dental care, health clinics, food support, mental health services, mentoring, enrichment, and out-of-school-time programming. Dr. Baker emphasized community partnerships, parent engagement, and the need to address basic needs before academic learning can occur, while also citing Brooklyn Center’s reductions in suspensions and expulsions and improved graduation outcomes. Mr. Sage described similar benefits in Faribault, including student voice and choice, pandemic-era service delivery, and a survey showing over 90 percent of students felt they had a caring adult in the building. The MDE representative said the model is evidence-based and noted prior state and ARP funding support. Representative Erickson questioned whether the committee should rely more on existing compensatory revenue and asked for academic growth and graduation data to show the programs’ effectiveness. Dr. Baker responded that compensatory funds are used for targeted academic interventions, additional social work, counseling, and braided funding for out-of-school-time supports, but that full-service community schools also address social-emotional and basic-needs barriers. Rep. Vang and Rep. Feist responded that compensatory revenue is tied to free and reduced-price lunch data and is not a substitute for dedicated funding for community schools. No final vote on the bill was taken during the portion provided; the bill was laid over for further consideration.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House Early Childhood Finance and Policy Committee met virtually, approved the February 11 and February 15, 2022 minutes, and then heard House File 2655, which would make permanent 4,000 voluntary pre-K seats currently funded through school readiness plus/VPK-style funding. Representative Bernardi, the bill author, said the seats are essential investments in young learners and should no longer be renewed every two years, arguing that districts and families need stable, predictable funding to plan staffing and enrollment. Chair Pinto explained the bill would be referred to the Education Finance Committee if it advances. Testifiers from Fridley, Mounds View, and Willmar public schools, along with a representative from the National Parents Union, all supported the bill. They described the seats as serving many low-income, multilingual, and otherwise underserved children, and said permanent funding would help districts recruit families, hire and retain staff, and avoid disrupting preschool access when funding decisions come late in the budget cycle. They also emphasized that the programs are high-quality, developmentally appropriate, and important for kindergarten readiness. Members discussed the broader policy question of how pre-K should be funded. Representative Bennett questioned why pre-K is funded differently from K-12 and suggested scholarships better target need, while Chair Dabney argued that school-based funding is necessary because many communities rely on district programs and scholarships do not guarantee access. Representative Katie said the bill did not go far enough and pointed to Wisconsin’s universal four-year-old kindergarten model as a comparison. No final vote on the bill was taken in the portion of the meeting provided, but the committee indicated it would move the bill toward the Education Finance Committee.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee heard House File 2655, which Representative Bernardi described as a proposal to make certain voluntary pre-K and School Readiness Plus seats permanent rather than requiring renewal every two years. She said the bill would stabilize about 4,000 preschool slots that have repeatedly faced expiration, reducing disruption for families and school districts and allowing earlier planning, recruitment, and staffing. Testifiers from Fridley, Mounds View, and Willmar public schools, along with a representative from the National Parents Union, all supported the bill and emphasized that the seats serve many low-income, multilingual, and racially diverse children who might otherwise lack access to preschool. They said permanent funding would help districts maintain high-quality programs, keep licensed staff, and avoid shifting costs onto parents. Dr. Heil of Fridley Public Schools said the district has received VPK funding since 2017 and uses it, along with other funding streams, to serve preschool students who would not otherwise have access. Carl Brown of Mounds View Public Schools said permanent funding would help districts open registration on a normal timeline, plan staffing and special education services, and avoid recruiting families only to later tell them funding is unavailable. Jody Wambach of Willmar Public Schools said consistent funding is especially important because family needs have increased and because the district relies on blended funding streams and cultural liaisons to reach families. Julia Pringle of the National Parents Union argued that high-quality early childhood education is essential and that permanent funding would help address inequities affecting Black and Latino children. Members then discussed how pre-K should be funded. Representative Bennett questioned why pre-K is funded differently from K-12 and suggested scholarships might better target need. Chair Bernardi and Chair Pinto responded that K-12 students are funded by pupil count, while pre-K currently does not receive comparable funding, and Bernardi argued that scholarships do not guarantee access in communities where the district may be the only provider. Chair Pinto explained that the bill’s funding would fall under the education finance committee’s jurisdiction. The committee indicated it would vote to refer House File 2655 to the Committee on Education Finance.