Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee heard House File 2996, which would authorize industrial hemp extract as a food additive and direct the Department of Agriculture to develop rules for hemp extract in food and beverage products. The author and supporters said the bill would give Minnesota hemp businesses regulatory certainty, help local producers compete with out-of-state products, and provide consumer confidence through state oversight. The bill was noted to have a fiscal impact, so it was referred onward to State Government Finance after this committee. John Dugas of Superior Molecular testified in support, describing how his Minnesota hemp processing business had developed CBD hemp extract for craft beverage applications but faced cease-and-desist actions from the Department of Agriculture, while similar products from out-of-state manufacturers remained on shelves. He argued the bill would help Minnesota farmers and processors capture more value from the hemp industry and create reasonable regulations for the market. Members asked about the bill’s relationship to federal FDA authority, interstate commerce, enforcement against out-of-state products, and whether Minnesota businesses owned by African-American or other BIPOC communities would benefit. The Department of Agriculture’s deputy commissioner said the department targets illegal products regardless of origin but lacks resources to enforce all violations. The committee then voted 13-0 to recommend referral of HF 2996 to the Committee on State Government Finance.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Health and Human Services Finance and Policy Committee heard Senate File 2302, which would authorize Minnesota to join the Nurse Licensure Compact. Senator Nelson presented the bill and an A1 amendment that added an appropriation for implementation; staff explained the amendment included $157,000 for the Board of Nursing to set up the compact, with about $6,000 in ongoing costs and an estimated revenue loss of $378,000 per year after implementation. The committee adopted the A1 amendment by voice vote. A long series of supportive testifiers then described how the compact would improve access to care, reduce administrative burden, and help staffing across state lines. Nursing leaders, Mayo Clinic staff, long-term care and hospital representatives, a patient and caregiver, and a Department of Defense representative all said the compact would help with telehealth, travel nursing, rural and border-state care, military family mobility, and continuity of treatment for snowbirds and other patients who receive care in multiple states. Several speakers emphasized that the compact has been operating safely for years, that nurse discipline rates are low, and that Minnesota is increasingly out of step with other states that have already joined. Testifiers also gave specific examples of delays and costs caused by Minnesota’s single-state licensure system, including delayed starts for traveling nurses, extra licenses for educators and virtual care staff, and difficulty continuing treatment for patients who spend winters in other states. No opposition testimony or final committee vote on the bill itself was included in the portion provided.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Finance and Policy Committee met on February 21 at 1:10 p.m. and welcomed new members Senator Susan Kent and Senator Aycorn. One scheduled bill had been temporarily pulled, leaving Senate File 1391, a debt settlement bill sponsored by Senator Howe, as the main item of business. Senator Howe offered and the committee adopted the A5 delete-all amendment, which made a technical change clarifying exemptions for certified public accountants and CPA firms licensed under Chapter 326A. Testimony in support came from Ron Elwood of Legal Aid, who explained that the bill closes a loophole in Minnesota’s debt settlement law that had allowed scams involving IRS tax debt to evade the 2009 consumer debt settlement protections. He said the 2016 fix had omitted enrolled agents, and this bill corrects that omission by exempting enrolled agents while also clarifying CPA-related language. Tony Quillis of the National Council of Enrolled Agents said the bill simply adds enrolled agents to the debt management and debt settlement services provider sections and described their federal certification and continuing education requirements. Geno Fragnito of the Minnesota CPA Society also supported the bill, saying it provides needed technical clarification for CPAs and their work under Chapter 326A. After questions and no further discussion, Senator Howe moved that Senate File 1391 be recommended to pass as amended and sent to General Orders. The motion carried, and the bill was advanced to the Senate floor. The chair then reminded members to arrive on time for future meetings and announced the next meeting would be the following Monday at 1:00 p.m.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee met on February 21 with a quorum present, adopted the February 16 minutes by voice vote, and then heard a continuation of the Department of Health’s presentation on the governor’s budget. Commissioner Malcolm reviewed MDH’s budget proposals in broad categories: health care access and affordability, prevention, supporting families and children, sustaining public health programs, and a separate adult-use cannabis public health package. She highlighted proposals for workforce support, prevention initiatives, home visiting, family planning access, infant mortality reduction, Help Me Connect, developmental screening, jail model practices for children with incarcerated parents, and school health grants. She also described public health workforce recruitment and retention efforts, long-term care facility safety grants, licensure and oversight fee adjustments, trauma system funding, MERC administrative support, reinstating the drinking water and wastewater advisory council, and public health functions tied to cannabis legalization. No votes were taken on the budget presentation. The committee then shifted to a focused presentation on the Minnesota health care loan forgiveness program from the Department of Health’s Office of Rural Health and Primary Care. Staff presented workforce data showing persistent and worsening shortages, especially in rural Minnesota, including higher vacancy rates, burnout, and a growing share of providers planning to leave the profession within five years. The presentation emphasized that loan forgiveness is used to recruit and retain providers in rural and underserved areas and that the program has been effective in keeping participants in practice over time. The department outlined current eligibility rules, award calculations based on average debt, service requirements, and penalties for noncompliance. It also reviewed recent program results, including increased awards after additional funding, unmet demand for assistance, and retention data showing strong long-term participation, particularly among rural physicians. Staff noted a requested change to broaden eligibility for some providers serving low-income or state-program patients even if they are outside designated shortage areas. Members were told the slides would be distributed and posted, and the committee indicated it would continue discussing these issues later in the process.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee met to continue its review of appointments to the Board of Animal Health, emphasizing the Senate’s confirmation role and the board’s importance to livestock and agriculture oversight. The chair opened with condolences to Senator Eakin for a recent family loss. Dean Comparts, an appointed board member, was noted as absent because he was working on his pork operation and could not attend. The committee then heard from two veterinarian appointees, Dr. Peggy Ann Hawkins and Dr. Jessica Fox, as part of its effort to get to know board members and their qualifications. Dr. Hawkins described her background in swine veterinary medicine, livestock production, and microbiology, including work in industry, practice, and with Aurora Pharmaceutical/Veterinary Provisions. She said her experience with pigs, practical livestock issues, and committee work in the American Veterinary Medical Association would help her bring a realistic perspective to the board. Members asked about her experience with other species and economic interests; she said she had limited beef, dairy, sheep, and horse experience but her strength was swine. The committee also clarified her current employment relationship with Aurora and Veterinary Provisions. Dr. Fox, joining from Marshall, Minnesota, outlined a broad veterinary background spanning poultry, dairy, beef, small ruminants, swine, show pigs, companion animals, and aquaculture, including specialized training in shrimp and aquatic medicine. She explained her work at Ralco on natural feed additives, nutrition, biosecurity, and international business, and said she also consults on aquaculture and other species. Members asked about her role in the Minnesota VMA opioid task force, and she said it is focused on veterinarian education, prescribing practices, storage, diversion prevention, and developing certificate-style training. She also addressed questions about invasive species, saying her shrimp work involved coordination with the DNR but not day-to-day invasive species management. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided; the meeting was informational and focused on introductions and member questions.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate was called to order and a quorum was established. The chamber adopted the committee reports and then took up Senate File 3023 on second reading. It also moved through introduction and first reading of bills and adopted a batch of motions and resolutions. In the confirmation calendar, the Senate approved the appointment of George Soule to the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board for a term ending January 6, 2025. The main floor debate centered on Senate File 2876, a package of temporary COVID-related waivers and other human services provisions. Senator Abeler described the bill as extending flexibilities for emergency medical services, hospitals, nursing homes, and human services programs, including telehealth, oral or written signatures, video conferencing, and other administrative waivers. He also explained provisions on child care assistance payments, staffing pool flexibility, and a subminimum wage task force related to disability services. Supporters said the waivers were essential and largely noncontroversial, while some members objected to the inclusion of the subminimum wage language in the same bill. Senator Klein offered Amendment A-50 to remove the task force language on subminimum wage from the bill, arguing it was controversial, not part of the original waiver discussion, and deserved separate committee review and testimony. Senators Wicklund, Murphy, and others supported the amendment, saying the issue should be handled in a separate bill and that paying subminimum wages undermines independence for people with disabilities. Senators Abeler, Rocky, Keith Meyer, Isakson, and Hoffman opposed the amendment, arguing the task force language was the product of interim hearings and work group discussions, that it was meant to promote informed choice and competitive employment opportunities, and that removing it would harm people who rely on current work settings. A roll call was requested on the amendment, but the transcript cuts off before the vote result is shown.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: House File 3260 was laid over for possible inclusion in the committee’s omnibus bill. Rep. Hanson described the measure as a response to school-based racism, discrimination, and other harmful conduct that he said existing anti-bullying and civil-rights processes do not adequately address. He argued that the judicial system is too slow and inaccessible for many families, and said the bill is intended to create a way to address hostile, cruel, and dehumanizing behavior in schools before it escalates further. The committee heard extensive testimony from students and parents describing alleged mistreatment in schools. Summer Fields testified that she was sexually assaulted by a STEM teacher at Century Middle School in Lakeville and said the district failed to provide a safety plan or meaningful support, even after a harassment restraining order. Anna Negretti testified that her daughter River, a student at McGuire Middle School in Lakeville, experienced racist and discriminatory comments from a paraprofessional and that the district allowed the employee to remain in another role. Another parent, Aaron Bjorg, said his Ethiopian-adopted daughters were cut from a middle school dance line because of their race and called for clearer hiring, training, and accountability rules. Tamara Grady, an Osseo school board director, testified about bullying and harassment affecting LGBTQ students and students of color, and urged stronger protections. Rep. Scott said the current anti-bullying law already covers many of the behaviors described and argued that teachers should have been included in the 2014 law; he also said criminal conduct should be handled in court and that districts need a way to share information so abusive teachers cannot move to another district. Rep. Erickson raised concerns that schools and agencies are not consistently implementing existing laws and asked for clarification on the bill’s language. Rep. Hanson responded that existing law is not working well enough and explained that the bill defines “malicious and sadistic conduct” as creating a hostile learning environment through intentional harm, extreme cruelty, or delighting in cruelty. A Department of Education representative said the department provides resources and training on current laws, including Aaron’s Law and the Safe and Supportive Schools Act, and acknowledged there is room for improvement.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: State Senator Carla Nelson and other supporters discussed Senate File 232, which would authorize Minnesota to join the nurse licensure compact. They argued the compact would reduce licensing barriers for nurses, expand access to care, improve patient safety, lower costs, and help address staffing shortages in hospitals, long-term care, and nursing homes. Speakers from Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota School of Nursing said Minnesota nurses are already trained to national standards, and that compact membership would better support border communities, virtual care, and clinical education partnerships with out-of-state sites. Testimony emphasized workforce and care-delivery impacts. Mayo nurse leader Tony Nar said the compact would help nurses practice to the top of their scope, especially in border regions. Dominic Paul described Mayo’s remote monitoring and virtual nursing programs, saying they have served thousands of patients in Minnesota and across state lines and that the compact would reduce delays caused by obtaining separate state licenses. University of Minnesota dean Connie White Delaney said nursing education already aligns with national licensure standards and that the compact would ease costly, time-consuming licensure requirements for faculty and clinical instructors working across state lines. In response to questions, supporters explained that the compact is not simply reciprocal licensing but requires member states to meet minimum standards and uses a national database for discipline tracking. They said nurses licensed in compact states could practice in other compact states without additional licenses, while Minnesota nurses would gain similar flexibility elsewhere. Speakers also said the compact would likely reduce reliance on travel nurses by broadening the workforce pool. No vote was taken in the transcript, but Nelson said the bill still needed Senate, House, and gubernatorial approval and urged passage and a hearing in the House.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate File 2969, the annual Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council appropriation bill. Senator Lang and Mark Johnson described the bill as a roughly $155 million package funding habitat restoration, enhancement, and protection projects across Minnesota. They highlighted that the bill would affect more than 80,000 acres, 127 miles of shoreline, and leverage about $33 million in additional federal, state, and private funds. Johnson explained the council’s review process, the bill’s ecological and activity-based breakdowns, and noted that many projects are repeat phases while others are new proposals, including fish passage work, habitat partnerships, and the Phalen Creek daylighting project. Members asked about PILT and non-PILT lands, and Johnson explained that PILT refers to payments in lieu of taxes made when state-acquired land comes off the tax rolls, while non-PILT lands remain taxable or are held by nonprofits. The committee then voted to recommend passage and re-refer SF 2969 to the Finance Committee. The committee then took up Senate File 3063, which would increase civil penalties for violating snowmobile trail rules in Greater Minnesota. Senator Rood said the bill responds to trespass and off-trail riding that can damage private property and cause landowners to withdraw trail easements, threatening the trail system. Testimony from Doug Franzen of the Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association and Terry Hutchinson supported stronger penalties, saying the current fines are too low to deter repeat violators and that landowners’ goodwill is essential to maintaining Minnesota’s roughly 22,000-mile snowmobile trail network. Ray Bone of the ATV and motorcycle groups also supported the bill, saying stronger penalties are needed for all motorized trail users and that enforcement and restitution matter. The discussion emphasized education efforts, landowner cooperation, and the fragility of the trail system, but no final vote on SF 3063 was taken in the portion provided.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Jobs and Economic Growth Committee met on February 21 with a quorum and took up three bills from Senator Draheim focused on workforce development. On Senate File 15, the committee adopted the A1 authors amendment, which updated dates and required nonprofits receiving certain job training grants to use a pay-for-performance reimbursement model. Senator Champion opposed the approach, arguing that pay-for-performance can disadvantage smaller or less-resourced nonprofits that must front costs, while Senator Draheim said the model helps ensure accountability and rewards programs that achieve results. After discussion, SF 15 was laid over for possible inclusion. The committee then heard Senate File 210, which would direct DEED to give priority in competitive job training grants to programs in high-wage, high-demand careers. Draheim said the bill is intended to steer training dollars toward career-path jobs and help workers move into better-paying work, citing examples such as manufacturing, technology, surveyors, and long-term care-related occupations. Senator Champion raised concerns that the bill could narrow opportunities and “pick winners and losers,” and emphasized that not all valuable careers are the highest paid. Other members noted the need for family-sustaining jobs in Greater Minnesota and the difficulty of staffing long-term care. The bill was held over for possible inclusion. The final item introduced was Senate File 211, for which Senator Draheim moved the E3 amendment to place the bill in the desired form. The transcript cuts off before further discussion, testimony, or any vote on that bill.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Education Policy Committee met with a quorum present, approved the February 16, 2022 minutes by voice vote, and then heard extensive student and parent testimony focused on bullying, racism, Islamophobia, sexual harassment, and school district responses. Testifiers described discriminatory treatment in schools across Minnesota, including slurs, harassment, retaliation, inadequate investigations, and lack of support or safety planning. Several speakers cited personal experiences in districts such as Prior Lake, Highland Park, Richfield, Spring Lake Park, Lakeville, and Edina, and many urged stronger accountability and more effective protections for students, especially marginalized students. The committee also heard testimony in support of House File 3260, presented by Rep. Hansen and laid over for possible inclusion in the committee’s omnibus bill. Hansen said existing anti-bullying laws and civil-rights/judicial processes do not adequately address the kinds of harm described by students, and argued the bill would help address racism and discrimination in schools more directly. Testifiers supporting the bill included students and advocates who described survey data, repeated incidents of discrimination, and failures by school staff and administrators to respond appropriately. Additional testimony highlighted a sexual assault case involving a middle school student and concerns that schools lacked proper reporting, safety plans, and mental health follow-up. A parent also described a district employee making racist and harmful comments toward her child and continuing to work in another role within the district. No roll-call votes were taken on the bill during the portion provided; the main action was laying over House File 3260 for possible inclusion in the committee’s omnibus bill.

Keywords: 1183, house

Keywords: 1183, house

Keywords: 1183, house

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: A bipartisan group of Minnesota senators held a press conference to support legalizing sports betting in the state. Supporters said the proposal would benefit tribal nations, racetracks, consumers, and the state through new revenue, while also giving Minnesotans legal options for mobile, online, and in-person betting instead of crossing into neighboring states or using unregulated markets. Speakers emphasized that Minnesota’s professional sports teams and major sporting events make the state a strong candidate for legalized betting. They also argued that the plan would include protections for people with gambling problems and would help create a safer, regulated environment. One senator described the activity as popular and enjoyable, noting that many Minnesotans already travel to other states to place small bets while watching games. The segment ended by directing viewers to follow additional legislative coverage and to Senator Chamberlain for more details on the proposal.