Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The House took up Senate File 476, the human services policy bill on continuity of care, assisted living safety, vulnerable adult protections, and program integrity. Representative Noor, the bill’s author, described it as a broad policy package covering direct care and treatment, Department of Health policy, aging and disability services, behavioral health, maltreatment of vulnerable adults, continuity of care, and miscellaneous changes. Representative Schumacher also supported the bill, saying the final language reflected extensive stakeholder work and compromise, especially in aging and long-term care, while also adding guardrails around fraud-related processes and other DHS policy decisions. Several amendments were considered. A DE3 amendment was offered and adopted, and an A8 amendment to the amendment was initially discussed as a way to create a legislative working group and bring more community input into human services program changes, but Representative Curran withdrew it. Curran then offered A11, which would have changed billing limits for individualized home supports with training, but withdrew that as well after noting DHS concerns about possible costs. The House then suspended the rules to allow Noor’s A13 technical amendment, which was adopted. On third reading, Representative Frederick praised the bipartisan work and highlighted provisions addressing intimidation of staff in the Minnesota Sex Offender Program, extending voluntary return time for certain civilly committed individuals, and allowing some DCT staff to move from unclassified to classified positions. Noor thanked staff and reiterated that the bill protects vulnerable people while preserving program integrity and taxpayer dollars. The bill passed as amended by a vote of 93 ayes to 39 nays, and its title was agreed to.

Keywords: 1183, house

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The transcript provided is extremely limited and contains only a brief nonverbal cue (“[music]” and “>> Mhm.”). No legislative bill numbers, topics, testimony, debate, motions, votes, or other committee or floor actions are mentioned. Because there is no substantive discussion in the excerpt, it is not possible to identify any measures considered or positions taken. The available content does not indicate any official action.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The conference committee on the housing omnibus bill began with member introductions and a staff walk-through comparing House and Senate provisions. House Research staff reviewed major policy differences affecting Minnesota Housing Finance Agency operations, including limits on how much the agency may retain from state appropriations for administrative costs, new reporting requirements, restrictions on transfers between appropriated accounts, and House-only language requiring annual expenditure of investment income from state appropriations. Senate provisions were also summarized, including tighter rules on when appropriations may be placed into Housing Development Fund bookkeeping accounts, updated operating-cost reporting, and Senate-only changes to how investment earnings may be used. Staff also described shared and differing provisions on program-money transfers, a lived-experience earnings exemption, and a long list of Senate-only policy changes, including manufactured home park tenant protections, low-income housing tax credit and bond-related changes, a task force on housing taxes and fees, and repealers affecting Housing Development Fund authority and certain older programs. Fiscal staff then reviewed the budget impacts. The House side included one-time appropriations for workforce housing development, family homeless prevention and assistance, a Minnesota Nice Home Share pilot, and homebuyer education, along with debt service for $100 million in housing infrastructure bonds and transfers/cancellations that produced a net zero general fund impact across the budget window. The Senate side noted a fiscal note for the housing taxes and fees task force and a smaller housing infrastructure bond authorization, with corresponding debt service costs and a total Senate budget-window impact of about $1 million in general fund debt service. After the staff presentations, the committee moved to public testimony. Commissioner Jennifer Ho of Minnesota Housing said the bill’s housing infrastructure bonds and continued support for family homeless prevention were important, and she supported the lived-experience earnings exemption, while noting concerns about the interest-earnings provisions. Testifiers from Greater Minnesota groups praised the workforce housing investments and Senate updates to the state housing tax credit and infrastructure grant program, though they suggested changes to the geographic distribution language. HOME Line urged funding for statewide tenant hotline services, citing rising demand and asking for $1 million if additional money becomes available. The Minnesota Consortium of Community Developers supported the bill’s investments and emphasized the need to pair housing development with supportive services. Housing First Minnesota praised housing infrastructure bonds and other investments but criticized the omission of the Minnesota Starter Homes Act. The Minnesota Multi Housing Association began testimony opposing certain rent-control-related provisions in the House bill. No votes or final actions were taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee met on May 8, 2026, to narrow 12 proposed Legislative Audit Commission evaluation topics down to 8-10 semi-finalists for a legislative survey. Deputy Legislative Auditor Jodi Munson Rodriguez reviewed the selection criteria and explained which topics were promising now, which might be better deferred to fall because of timing or data limitations, and which were less promising because OLA would have limited ability to add value. She identified the Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy, DHS Adult Day Services Licensing, DHS county service approvals and provision, MDH mortuary science program, MPCA feedlot permitting, Minnesota paid leave, the Office of Cannabis Management, and several other DHS-related items as candidates, while recommending that DHS system modernization be shifted to an IT audit and that corporate concentration be narrowed substantially if pursued. Members discussed several topics in detail. Representative Lee asked how a broad DHS county services topic could be narrowed and suggested providing legislators with an addendum listing possible subprograms so they would know what they were ranking; Munson Rodriguez said OLA could add a few suggested subtopics and tailor the survey materials. Representative Hansen urged that the MPCA feedlot permitting review focus on effectiveness and environmental and health impacts, not just speed, and Munson Rodriguez said those kinds of questions could be added. The Office of Cannabis Management was viewed as promising but probably too new to evaluate immediately, and the MDH mortuary science program was also seen as worthwhile but potentially delayed because of overlap with other MDH licensing work. The Minnesota research tax credit drew the most extended discussion. Munson Rodriguez said it remained a weak fit for OLA because of limited data and unclear program goals, and Senator Rest argued it would be better handled by the Department of Revenue’s research staff or possibly the Legislative Budget Office’s tax expenditure research section. Representative Lee asked whether OLA’s financial audit division could review whether the credit “pays for itself,” but Munson Rodriguez said that would require econometric analysis outside the financial audit division’s normal work. The committee did not take a formal vote in the portion provided, but the chair indicated the tax credit issue should be brought to the full commission agenda, and the meeting continued with additional topic review, including the Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, which staff said was heavily federally controlled and already reviewed by federal OIG, limiting OLA’s likely impact.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: A Minnesota senator discussed recent education gains, including the state’s all-time high graduation rate of nearly 85%, and credited bipartisan work on education policy and finance, along with targeted investments in classroom funding, student and staff mental health, and overall student well-being. She said those efforts have especially helped groups that have historically lagged behind, including American Indian, African-American, and Asian students. A major topic was Senate File 3593, a bipartisan proposal for a constitutional amendment to modernize the state’s school trust fund. The senator explained that Minnesota’s school trust lands and related fund, now about $2.3 billion, currently distribute roughly $74 per student through interest and dividends. The amendment would allow more flexible investment and increase the distribution from 2% to 4.5%, which supporters estimate would raise per-student funding to about $122 without increasing taxes. She said the proposal is intended to preserve the fund’s corpus while generating more money for schools now, with a three-year lookback to review results. She also highlighted school safety funding in the session’s public safety bills, including money for school security and the first-ever grants to non-public schools. She said those dollars can support not only building security but also mental health and social-emotional needs. In the education omnibus bill, she pointed to changes to compensatory aid formulas, a report on how districts use dollars for teacher and staff health insurance, and interest in a possible statewide health plan to improve efficiency and services. No votes were taken in the interview, but she urged voters to approve the constitutional amendment in November and noted that blank ballots would count as no votes.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The discussion focused on disability advocacy and the impact of Minnesota’s fraud crackdown on people who rely on home and community-based services. The senator highlighted Lydia Dolly’s testimony about losing services after her provider was placed under a payment withhold, leaving her without care for months and forcing her mother to quit her job. He said her situation illustrates the risk of cutting off services too abruptly and criticized the state’s safe-transitions process as not working well enough. The senator argued that fraud is real and should be aggressively addressed, but said the state’s response has been too haphazard and has harmed innocent clients and legitimate providers. He cited reports of homelessness, possible deaths, and suspended services tied to the crackdown, and said earlier warnings about fraud in child care, PCA, and housing stabilization were not handled thoughtfully. He also referenced recent raids and investigations, saying the administration has been reactive and has not worked closely enough with providers. He described Senate File 2939, the Home Care Stability and Accountability Act, and a broader umbrella bill, Senate File 4222, as bipartisan efforts to add scrutiny, protections, and due process so fraudulent providers can be removed without leaving clients stranded. He also mentioned Senate File 4354, which would modify program integrity requirements, including a new expectation that providers demonstrate they can actually deliver the services they claim. No votes or formal committee actions were taken in the conversation, but he expressed optimism that the Legislature could make progress before session ends.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The House took up Senate File 856, which would create an Office of the Inspector General to combat fraud in state public programs. Representative Norris described the bill as the product of a long bipartisan, bicameral working group and emphasized the office’s independence, five-year term, Senate confirmation, removal-for-cause protections, authority to investigate entities receiving public funds, prevention-focused duties, and required public and annual reporting. Representative Anderson PE also thanked the bipartisan authors and staff, saying the bill was the result of extensive negotiations and should move forward without reopening the agreement. Members then considered several amendments. Norris offered a technical cleanup amendment, A44, to clarify language about embedding employees at the Department of Education, distinguish civil and criminal investigative authority, and update law-enforcement terminology; it was adopted. Anderson PE then offered and secured adoption of a technical amendment, A45, to correct a drafting error. Representative Cleorne offered A37 to add prepayment review procedures for all agencies, but it failed on a roll call, 65-67. Cleorne also offered A38 to appropriate $15 million for OIG modernization and data-sharing improvements, but withdrew it after noting it would be out of order. A39, which would have renamed the proposed law enforcement unit from an anti-fraud and waste bureau to an anti-fraud and enforcement unit, failed on a roll call, 66-67, after debate over whether “waste” should be included in the title and scope. During debate on the naming amendment, supporters argued the title should better reflect law-enforcement work and avoid implying the office was a “waste” agency, while opponents said the existing language reflected the bipartisan working-group agreement and that changing it could jeopardize the bill’s progress. Representative West cited inspector general standards that include waste among their duties, and Representative Pinto questioned the substantive basis for opposing the change. Later, Representative Mhler offered A41 to eliminate the future law-enforcement agency entirely, arguing it would be duplicative and unfunded; the transcript cuts off before the vote on that amendment.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The Public Safety Policy Conference Committee met on May 8, 2026, with all conferees present. The chair opened with decorum instructions, explained that the meeting was policy-only, and noted that no public testimony had been signed up. Members then introduced themselves, with several noting they were retiring at the end of the session or year. The committee adopted a series of provisions, mostly by unanimous voice vote, including House language on identity theft and financial crimes updates, supervision abatement and restitution considerations for corrections, protective-order enhancements for murder penalties, prediction markets, victim-notification requirements for plea and sentencing hearings, research data privacy, ignition interlock and impaired-driving license changes, DOC licensing and sanctions for juvenile/adult community-based residential facilities, criminal-conviction employment and licensing standards, jail medication procedures, domestic abuse law changes, and a grant-use extension for dual-status/crossover youth funding. Several items were described as technical or clarifying changes, while others updated law to address AI-related identity theft, foreign protective orders, victim privacy, and corrections oversight. The committee also heard discussion on a Senate provision allowing victims of domestic violence to petition for wireless account and phone-number transfers. A witness supported the concept but urged changes to better align the state language with existing federal law; members noted the issue might need another vehicle or further work. For the domestic abuse item, staff explained that an A15 amendment would later adjust the warrantless-arrest window from 28 days to 14 days. On the jail-medication item, a member emphasized the changes were clarifying and not an admission that last year’s law was flawed. All adopted provisions passed by voice vote without opposition.

Keywords: 1183, house

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Keywords: 1187, senate, all