Transcript Highlights:

• SB 2716 addresses this gap by creating a cooperative development program in DBED to fund cost-share grants
• in DBED to to fund cost share program in DBED to to fund cost share grants<00:35:06.640> and<
• goes through the a lotment for the grant goes through the a lotment for the grant program.<00:37
• Um, I'm not based off of the grant programs we've seen before and agricultural... a lot of it comes down
• I I'm not based off of the grant I I'm not based off of the grant programs<00:42:25.200> we've

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 2693 relating to capital improvement projects for aerospace infrastructure. Members had no questions, and the recommendation to pass the bill with a defective date of July 1, 2050 was adopted unanimously. The committee then deferred decision making on Senate Bill 26980 relating to transportation and Senate Bill 2374 relating to the blue economy until Thursday, February 19, 2026, in Room 229, pending additional information. In the joint hearing on Senate Bill 2816 relating to state enterprise zones, agencies and organizations including DBEDT, HTDC, Taxation, the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Oceanit, the Hawaii Medical Association, and the Queen’s Health System testified in support or submitted written comments. One public testifier urged expanding enterprise zones around the Kakaako/Cancer Center area and combining them with the foreign trade zone to reduce taxes and attract business. A senator questioned whether the enterprise zone program had ever been comprehensively evaluated, noting DBEDT said it had not done a full study in recent years and cited annual report figures including about $221 million in company revenues and $460,000 in foregone state revenue in 2022. The discussion focused on whether the bill would subsidize existing activity or support new economic development, and on the broader policy question of whether enterprise zones should be used to revitalize depressed areas or to target strategic sectors like health care technology. The committee then heard Senate Bill 2900 relating to sports officials. The Department of Education supported the measure, saying the Attorney General is best positioned to represent employees in temporary restraining order matters and that elevating intentional bodily injury of a sports official to a class B felony would improve safety. The Office of the Public Defender opposed the bill, arguing it would escalate conduct already covered by existing assault statutes and go beyond other protected classes. The Department of the Attorney General recommended narrowing the bill by inserting “substantial” before bodily injury in the criminal section and deleting a section that would make the AG’s office act like plaintiff’s counsel in civil matters, suggesting instead that departments adopt policies to help employees obtain TROs without creating an open-ended civil representation role. Several sports and school-related organizations testified in support, and members discussed whether the bill should be narrowed or coordinated with other measures before further action.

Transcript Highlights:

• to provide grant to provide grant oversight.<00:52:37.920> Effective<00:52:38.400> grant
• Every grant intent of a grant is met.
• If we want grants to administer grants.
• with some of our grants.
• of our grants.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• with Disabilities Program.
• Workforce Success Grants.
• , and the Urban Agenda Grant in the newly established Community Workforce Partnership Grant.
• And so then that definition is then what was distributed to all of our quasi and all the grant programs
• Pipeline program.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights, and Inclusion held a hearing on the impact of federal policy on the racial wealth gap in Massachusetts, the fourth in a series on federal impacts on racial equity. Chair Bud Williams and Chair Miranda opened by emphasizing that no bills were being heard and that the committee would instead take testimony from invited witnesses; public written testimony was also accepted. The chairs and witnesses repeatedly cited long-standing wealth disparities affecting Black and brown communities, including homeownership, wages, business ownership, and access to capital, and linked those disparities to federal policy changes, housing, education, health care, and workforce development. Administration officials testified first. Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones described persistent labor market disparities, including higher unemployment for Black and Latino residents, lower median hourly wages, and underemployment among degree holders, and highlighted state efforts such as ESOL-for-work funding, workforce training grants, MassHire career centers, skills-based hiring, and the state equity dashboards. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kiami Mahania argued that poverty drives poor health, not the reverse, and said wealth gaps contribute to chronic disease, maternal health inequities, medical debt, and shorter life expectancy; she pointed to the Advancing Health Equity Massachusetts initiative, a health care affordability working group, and the governor’s push to bar medical debt from credit reporting. Assistant Secretary Juan Vega of EOED focused on entrepreneurship and procurement, citing technical assistance grants, founder support programs, place-based investment, the Business Front Door, and the need to broaden access to contracts, capital, and business growth opportunities. Committee members pressed the panel on the effects of the federal “big beautiful bill” on households, especially single-parent and Black women-led households, and on whether the state could develop more timely data systems instead of relying on federal numbers. Officials said the impacts were still being monitored, but warned that Medicaid and SNAP changes would likely hit lower-income households and community institutions hard. Members also asked about unions and apprenticeships, microbusiness definitions, supplier diversity, pay equity, and degree inflation; the administration said registered apprenticeships and skills-based hiring are key tools, and noted that wage equity reporting is still in its early stages. Later testimony from BECMA’s Nicole O’Bean stressed that tariffs, DEI rollbacks, immigration enforcement, capital gaps, and federal funding cuts are constraining Black-owned businesses and inclusive procurement, while Gastón Institute researchers described severe Latino homeownership and rent burdens, educational inequities, and the need for housing, labor, and education policy changes to close the wealth gap.

Transcript Highlights:

• The manufactured home park community redevelopment program, the infrastructure grants part of that program
• Jumping further on your spreadsheet to line 19, the Greater Minnesota Housing Infrastructure Grant Program
• infrastructure grants part of that infrastructure grants part of that program<00:03:36.879> will<
• <00:04:22.400> Program<00:04:22.720> will Infrastructure Grant Program will Infrastructure
• Grant Program will receive<00:04:23.199> a<00:04:23.440> $20<00:04:23.680> million<

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• 38.960> empower program will financially empower program will financially empower families,<00
• foundation is granting the funds. foundation is granting the funds.
• This is not a voucher program.
• This is not a voucher program.
• cap and what this program looks like. cap and what this program looks like.

Bills: HF3490, HF4040

Keywords: education finance, scholarship-granting organizations, charitable purposes, student scholarships, nonpublic schools, K-12 education, tax credit, advance payment, Minnesota tax law, child education expenses, taxpayer assistance, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the second transfer for the program.
• with the used tire program.
• Some new people will come into the program.
• This is to make grant payments related to the All Kids Bike program.
• Program.

Summary: The committee met to consider a series of temporary appropriation requests, reserve fund transfers, federal grant appropriations, and review items. Early items included a $32 million appropriation and matching reserve transfer for the Department of Education’s educational freedom account program, a $476,000 request for the State Crime Lab, and a $90,000 assessment coordination request from DFA. Members asked questions about the assessment contract costs, and the item was approved. The committee also approved a $1 ARPA return to the CDC and a Department of Human Services reallocation package that moved general revenue and positions among divisions to meet client needs. The most extensive discussion centered on a $32 million restricted reserve transfer for the educational freedom account program. Members questioned the growing number of participating students, the program’s long-term funding needs, and safeguards against improper purchases. Agency representatives said about 44,000 students were being funded, that reimbursements and marketplace purchases are reviewed, and that reporting and audit controls are in place, though not every instance of fraud can be prevented. The committee approved the transfer after discussion. Members also approved smaller cash and federal grant items, including funding for a teacher shortage data dashboard, All Kids Bike grants, crime lab outsourcing, veterans cemetery operations, and a podiatric medicine licensing investigation fund. The most contentious item was a $7 million federal Forest Legacy grant request for Central Arkansas Water and the Department of Agriculture to acquire land in the Maumelle watershed, including acreage in Perry County and Pulaski County. Members debated water quality, development pressure, property tax impacts, local support, and whether Perry County had been adequately consulted. Agency and company representatives argued the acquisition would protect drinking water, preserve forested watershed land, and support recreation, while some legislators emphasized the county’s tax and development concerns. Senator Davis moved to defer the item to the full Legislative Council and to request removal of the Perry County portion; that motion passed. The committee then reviewed the remaining items, including a Veterans Affairs pay plan request, and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• program.
• and program them.
• DBE obviously impacts our airport grant programs throughout the years and have for the last 15-20 years
• If we were to, if we were to grant a truck, let's just say we only ever grant to Claremore, and we find
• spaceport is riding on this program.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have some targeted programs like the WIC program, the Women, Infants, and Children feeding program
• We also have some targeted programs like the WIC program, the Women, Infants, and Children feeding program
• The infrastructure grant pays for some licensing folks, and our grant pays for legal support to the program
• The infrastructure grant pays for some licensing folks, and our grant pays for legal support to the program
• <03:25:02.359> um monitoring Grant this grant um is um monitoring Grant this grant um is um

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Finance Division III work session focused on the Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Public Health Services budget. Department staff said Public Health has a relatively small budget compared with other DHHS divisions, is supported mostly by federal and other non-General funds, and contains nearly 100 accounting units and more than 50 federal grants. They emphasized that the governor’s budget did not include significant cuts, but that federal funding uncertainty and the winding down of pandemic-era resources were major factors affecting the division. The division also explained that some apparent budget growth reflects reorganizations, including moving the Bureau of Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery and some programs from other DHHS divisions into Public Health. The presentation described Public Health’s mission as serving the entire state through food and water safety, disease surveillance, emergency response, maternal and child health, chronic disease prevention, WIC, community health center support, and public health data collection. Members asked about bird flu, and staff explained that human-health response would involve Public Health’s lab, infectious disease, and emergency preparedness units, while animal-health issues are handled with the Department of Agriculture; they also noted ongoing milk testing requested by FDA and USDA. The division said its organizational structure includes bureaus for Family Health and Nutrition, Infectious Disease Control, Public Health Protection, Emergency Preparedness, Prevention and Wellness, Statistics and Informatics, and Public Health Laboratories, with about a 15% vacancy rate. Committee members questioned whether the division’s budget and staffing had really grown since pre-COVID, and staff responded that full-time authorized staffing is about the same as in 2018, with the increase largely due to federal pandemic funding that has since receded and to program transfers between divisions. They said Public Health’s General Fund share is about $24 million out of roughly $1.1 billion in DHHS General Fund spending, or about 2.2% of the department total. Members also asked about the 3,000-position cap and unfunded positions; staff explained that the cap remains in chapter law through June 30, 2025, that 394 positions were unfunded in the governor’s budget, and that the division expects flexibility to move money from personnel lines and fill unfunded positions to manage changing needs. No votes or formal actions were taken in this portion of the work session.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, but nothing about the program.
• program program oh<00:26:13.240> Senator oh Senator oh Senator long<00:26:16.480> so<00
• CPP is a separate program.
• <00:29:59.399> that specifically to that CPP program that specifically to that CPP program
• grants if we can't get enough grants grants if we can't get enough grants within<00:42:12.240>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• infrastructure grant program.
• grant program.
• across programs.
• Child care program to maintain parity across programs.
• Maximum aid payments in the program—the maximum amount of grants that we provide—are determined by family

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• award the grant to another entity.
• grant to another entity. grant to another entity.
• , good grants management Additionally, good grants management requires<00:10:19.240> adequate<
• that grant programs that we have across the board.
• that grant programs that we have across the board.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As it relates to all these grant programs here, or this grant program, I should say, there are no issues
• Also worth noting there, the bottom three grant programs.
• That is part of the grant program.
• So the no BEAD grant program, no BEAD locations, that was 128.
• both grant programs.

Summary: The committee received several informational reports from NDIT and DPI. Justin Data reviewed the quarterly major IT project portfolio, noting the portfolio was slightly under budget and behind schedule overall, with three red schedule items: Bed Management System and Vital Records were essentially complete and being closed out, and the Roadway Capital Planning Project was delayed by vendor bug fixes after testing. He also summarized recent project startups and closeouts, including the Victim Notification System, Medicaid data exchange, Highway Patrol’s motor carrier permit system, and several completed HHS and RIMS projects. Members asked for follow-up on ADA compliance work, the public-facing RIO website, and the state’s mainframe retirement timeline, and staff agreed to provide updates later. Craig Falkley reported on coordination of services with political subdivisions and higher education, including StageNet, cybersecurity, radio/911 services, and PeopleSoft coordination. He also explained distributed ledger technology as a tool for transparency and fraud prevention, but said it is not widely used in state government and suggested the report be modernized to focus more broadly on emerging technologies such as AI and cybersecurity. The committee generally agreed that the topic should be updated. Chris Gurgan presented the mandatory cybersecurity incident reporting program created by HB 1314, explaining how agencies and political subdivisions report incidents through NDIT’s website or service desk. He said 77 incidents had been reported since 2021, 47 met the statutory definition, and most were phishing-related; most reported incidents were resolved, with one recent ransomware matter still open. He also reviewed notable incidents since the last report, including the PowerSchool compromise, a SimpleHelp intrusion at a school district, a court intrusion, a WSUS vulnerability, a business email compromise, and a recent ransomware incident involving a non-state critical infrastructure entity. Members asked about recovery of stolen funds, early warning signs, smishing, training, MFA, conditional access, and cybersecurity maturity assessments; Gurgan said the state uses MFA and conditional access, provides awareness training to state employees, and would return with more information on maturity assessments. Tony Ambrose then updated the committee on the K-12 student information system bridge project. He said district implementation of Infinite Campus had begun statewide, but the data migration vendor originally selected was terminated for poor performance and replaced by Aurora Educational Technology, which had experience with similar statewide migrations. He also said DPI is migrating special education data from Tynet into Infinite Campus, and that some SLDS-based tools such as e-transcripts and Choice Ready may not function exactly as they do now at July 1, requiring interim or alternative solutions. Members raised concerns about summer school disruptions, the timing of the cutover, and whether the new system would support existing reporting and transcript functions; DPI said it was working on identity, authentication, data-sharing agreements, and post-go-live integrations, and would continue to refine the plan beyond June 30.

Transcript Highlights:

• This will establish a community festival grant program to support cultural events across Minnesota, celebrating
• This will establish a community festival grant program to support cultural events across Minnesota, celebrating
• in the program can only engage the program through their cities.
• in the program can only engage the program through their cities.
• in the program can only engage the program through their cities.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We're a well-established, state-funded higher education grant-making program that is in our eighth year
• programs.
• Additionally, it is advantageous to maintain a state-level grant program that can align state priorities
• how to administer the grants.
• What are the accomplishments of this program that those programs can't?

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Minnesota Housing Infrastructure Grants Program receives a $20 million in fiscal 26.
• <00:09:48.880> million grants program receives a $2 million grants program receives a $2 million
• <00:10:00.000> Program Housing Infrastructure Grants Program Housing Infrastructure Grants
• Minnesota workforce development grant Minnesota workforce development grant program.<00:28:52.000>
• Minnesota Housing Infrastructure Grant Minnesota Housing Infrastructure Grant Program.<00:40:30.480

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Shakopee using the waste heat, $25,000 to administer that grant program.
• Shakopee using the waste heat, $25,000 to administer that grant program.
• Shakopee using the waste heat, $25,000 to administer that grant program.
• And finally, we do support the $2 million investment in the geothermal planning grant program and the
• <00:43:29.520> million grant program and the $2.2 million grant program and the $2.2 million

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• My question an online academic program.
• >> Yes. online program. The goal was to have online program.
• For example, when we first started the MBA program, to be honest with you, MBA programs are a dime a
• he is successful with these grant he is successful with these grant applications<00:31:37.480>
• continue to run the Medicaid program continue to run the Medicaid program without<00:45:12.520><

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from its January 13 meeting and then moved through a large agenda of contracts and agreements, with members repeatedly voting to review items without objection. The chair noted the agenda included 227 contracts totaling about $89.5 million, all with vendors registered with the Secretary of State. Most items were approved after brief discussion and roll-call votes. Several contracts drew questions. Kentucky State University explained two four-month contracts tied to its online academic program: one for continued implementation support and one for marketing. University officials said the program is in a transition year under a management improvement plan, that the university owns the intellectual property, and that the marketing effort is aimed at growing enrollment in targeted programs such as business and social work. They reported online enrollment had grown from 74 students to 612, with an overall university enrollment of 2,872, and said the goal is to reach about 1,000 online students by fall. The committee approved both items, though Senator Douglas said he would keep watching university spending. The Department of Education presented a contract cancellation for administrative reviews of the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program. Officials said USDA changed the review requirement from every three years to every five years, making the outside contract unnecessary because internal staff can now handle the work. The committee approved the cancellation. The Transportation Cabinet also explained an increase to a professional services contract for engineering work on a section of KY 54 in Owensboro, describing it as preliminary design and commissioning work for a multi-section roadway project; the committee approved that item as well. The Kentucky Lottery Corporation sought approval for an amendment tied to its iLottery platform. Officials said the increase reflected higher sales volume, since the contract structure causes prize and platform-related expenses to rise as sales grow. The committee approved the amendment. The Department of Public Health also discussed a perinatal psychiatry consultation program funded by a five-year federal HRSA grant; members raised concerns about what would happen if federal support changes, but no action beyond discussion was noted in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• program.
• program.
• These are the numbers for REPI funding over the last. more kind of traditional grant program.
• Currently right now, if I remember correctly, the VA has allotted about $150 million for this grant program
• This is a new program that federal VA is sponsoring and also providing grant dollars to be able to do

Summary: The Joint Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs heard presentations on several military and veterans-related topics. Dr. Dan Calvert briefed the committee on the JBLM Sentinel Landscape Partnership, explaining its voluntary conservation work to reduce encroachment around the base by protecting prairie habitat, supporting agriculture, and managing sensitive species. He described REPI funding, recent and proposed projects, and possible policy support such as state designation, dedicated funding, management endowments, prescribed fire flexibility, and water-right transfer tools. Members asked about seed sourcing, the distinction between natural-resource encroachment and development-related encroachment, and the impact of federal REPI staffing cuts. David Puente of the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs updated the committee on plans for a new state veterans cemetery in the Tri-Cities area and a replacement Spokane Veterans Home. He said the cemetery project has two candidate sites near Richland/West Richland, with pre-design funded by the legislature and a future request expected for land purchase and construction; he also noted the current cemetery funding source is limited and would not support a second cemetery without additional state operating funds. On the Spokane home, he described the current facility’s limitations and said the replacement would be a 120-bed, small-house model on a larger site, with the VA expected to cover 65% of construction costs if the state provides the match. He also reviewed agency budget reductions, including vacant positions, reduced outreach, cuts to counseling and wellness funding, and reduced support for veterans service organizations. Blue Star Families’ Puget Sound chapter also presented on its programs for military-connected families, including Coffee Connects, a children’s book club, outdoor programming, career support, and Blue Star Welcome Week. The group said it is expanding beyond the South Sound and is using local outposts and online networks to reach more families, while also helping with food insecurity through grocery gift cards and partnerships with local nonprofits. Committee members discussed the need to expand the organization statewide and the ongoing food-security challenges facing military families. During the final discussion on potential legislation, members raised ideas including restoring Washington National Guard retention efforts, expanding E-CAP eligibility to military families, revisiting the composition of the Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee, and addressing veterans’ preference issues for service members who have not yet received a DD-214. The committee did not take any formal votes or actions, but members and presenters discussed future policy and budget requests, and the chairs thanked the presenters and staff before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• effect on our ability to continue our research programs.
• The title of this grant is "Four Corners Carbon Storage Hub," and I'm mentioning this grant specifically
• Because it has many different partners on this grant.
• This project is now no longer funded by this grant.
• But this is now a grant that will be terminated.

Transcript Highlights:

• And ultimately, most of those are occurring as both a grant and a loan: 90% grant, 10% loan for all the
• the program.
• I sent mine to UNM for a program that I do every summer. It's a really great program.
• . an effective mentoring program.
• The Fund, which you'll hear about tomorrow from Fernando, is a grant program for local governments that