Transcript Highlights:

• Is there any discussion about a follow-up conversation with D.A.
• Williams' voice has been heard throughout this process.
• This is a rules-of-engagement process bill that is a follow-up to last year.
• This is a rules-of-engagement process bill that is a follow-up to last year.
• And at that time, several conversations were taking place.

Bills: HB513, HB581, HB596, HB660, HB719, HB766, HB802, HB940, HB950, HB1028, HB1183, HB1201, SB233, SB300, SB303, SB315, SB324, SB411

Keywords: name image likeness, NIL, student-athlete, college athletics, high school athletics, intercollegiate athletics, interscholastic athletics, athlete compensation, athlete endorsements, sports marketing, athlete agent, marketing representative, sports attorney, publicity rights, right of publicity, Louisiana high school sports, NCAA, school policy, athletic association, athletic conference

Summary: The committee first handled House Bill 513 by Rep. Young, which would regulate name, image, and likeness issues for intercollegiate and interscholastic athletes, especially high school athletes. Young said the bill reflects recommendations from a statewide NIL task force and sets parental-consent and prohibited-category guardrails while preserving flexibility for colleges. The committee adopted a technical amendment and reported the bill favorably as amended. Members then advanced several procurement and administrative measures. Senate Bill 233 by Sen. Mizell would create a statewide data exchange compact for state agencies; testimony from the Department of Health said it would improve eligibility and program administration by allowing agencies to share data more efficiently, and the bill was reported favorably. Senate Bill 300, also by Mizell, would make various changes to the Procurement Code, including auction techniques in negotiated procurement, sole sourcing for consulting services in limited cases, and other technical and legal remedy revisions; it was reported favorably. Senate Bill 303 by Sen. Cloud would let executive branch agencies directly contract with other states for information technology systems and use the federal GSA schedule, and it was reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 411 by Sen. DePlessis, removing a 20-year lease cap for certain state property in Orleans Parish, was also reported favorably. The committee then took up several bills affecting criminal justice funding. House Bill 660 by Rep. Egan would raise the state warrant amount used to fund assistant district attorney salaries from $50,000 to $60,000; Egan and district attorneys argued the increase is needed to recruit and retain prosecutors, while an opponent said the state should fund prosecutors and public defenders more equitably. The committee adopted an amendment making the bill effective only upon appropriation and reported it favorably as amended. House Bill 719, also by Egan, would increase the number of assistant district attorney warrants statewide, with most of the new warrants directed to Baton Rouge, St. Tammany, and Caddo; supporters cited workload studies and local needs, while an opponent raised concerns about New Orleans court consolidation and broader funding balance. It too was amended to be subject to appropriation and reported favorably as amended. Other measures included House Bill 76 by Rep. Freeman, which addresses coverage for orally administered anti-cancer medications and was reported favorably as amended after changes to cost-sharing and high-deductible plan language; House Bill 802 by Rep. Sawyer, which redirects existing revenue to watershed and flood-control restoration in the Amite River Basin, was reported favorably as amended; House Bill 940 by Rep. Barrow, creating a law-enforcement task force and rules framework for counter-drone operations, was reported favorably as amended; and House Bill 950 by Rep. Boyd, aimed at consumer protection education for seniors, was reported favorably. House Bill 596 by Rep. McCormick, which would have created an inactive-well fee assessment credit tied to plugging wells, drew concerns that it would reduce funds for orphan-well restoration, and the bill was voluntarily deferred after discussion. House Bill 581 and House Bill 1183 were also voluntarily deferred.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think one that maybe you know of is the help with the Cal Poly request process.
• I know we've had this conversation. Thank you, Mr.
• Well, there's a process, and that process sometimes takes time. And so that's the reason for that.
• through the statewide ICIP process for potential inclusion in the statewide framework.
• AJ and I had a conversation, and I just think we're going to have another conversation just to follow

Transcript Highlights:

• So um it's not affect our process.
• <00:41:15.920> is that is done with this process is that is done with this process is heavily
• I you'd have to ask the process to her.
• c><00:48:22.640> who conversations with law enforcement who conversations with law enforcement
• legislation how that hearing process legislation how that hearing process would<01:04:43.359>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• process more reasonable for real people. process more reasonable for real people.
• Currently, that's how the process works. We process the applications the same day we receive them.
• Um our we process the process works.
• background check process." background check process." >> Anybody<01:29:55.840> else?
• the process. Thank you. Thank you, sir. the process. Thank you. Thank you, sir.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:03:09.480> uh in the federal budget process uh in the federal budget process uh followed
• <00:04:59.800> budget uh for the reconciliation process budget uh for the reconciliation process
• process, and, you know, there's $4.6 trillion in tax cuts.
• The application process, we're tracking about 40 of those right now.
• has been having some conversation Senate has been having some conversation over<01:45:44.880> there

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• They can't follow the process. It's difficult. It's cumbersome.
• And I appreciate that you've opened up yourself to have more conversations.
• Have you—there is no process that's laid out here about the process of disenrolling people, which we
• What does the exemption process look like?
• What does the exemption process look like?

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• have a lot of constructive conversations have a lot of constructive conversations to<00:20:45.159
• We had a number of different conversations with legislators, with others, and we had this conversation
• It was a great conversation.
• And so I know we've had some conversations, and we're sort of at the conversation stage of this now.
• 06:09.960> now at the conversation stage of this now at the conversation stage of this now but

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House Housing Finance and Policy Committee approved the previous meeting’s minutes and then heard testimony from Housing First Minnesota and the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities on housing supply, affordability, and land-use policy. Mark Foster of Housing First Minnesota said the state is chronically undersupplied by roughly 100,000 units, that the median new single-family home price has risen above $530,000, and that only about 27% of Twin Cities households can now afford a new home. He argued that regulatory and local approval processes, especially planned unit developments and aesthetic mandates, add significant cost and reduce the number of homes built, and he urged the committee to remove exclusionary barriers and modernize residential development approvals. Members questioned Foster about zoning, aesthetic requirements, and homeowners associations. He said most new housing in growing metro communities is negotiated through PUDs, which he described as increasing costs and limiting supply, and gave examples such as stone exterior requirements adding thousands of dollars to a home. He also said HOAs can be useful in some cases but are often imposed when not needed. Several legislators responded positively to the Housing First Minnesota Foundation’s work, including transitional housing and veteran housing projects. Elizabeth Wefel of the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities said cities outside the metro also face a housing shortage, but their challenges differ: market failure, inadequate sewer and water infrastructure, and gaps in starter, workforce, and senior housing. She said many Greater Minnesota cities are already updating zoning, reducing lot sizes, allowing more density and ADUs, and investing local money, land, and partnerships to spur development. She asked the legislature to speed up rollout of housing funds, support infrastructure and workforce programs, and adjust housing tax credit and TIF rules, while warning against one-size-fits-all preemption of local zoning authority. Members discussed the need for tailored solutions and the differences between metro and Greater Minnesota housing markets.

Transcript Highlights:

• In several of my conversations with school counselors and on truancy conversations about the mental health
• > them<00:28:44.640> especially good conversations with them especially good conversations
• Co-chair Petri. process. So they meet those minimum process.
• process? process?
• Help us abilities or your processes?

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 History of SEEK 00:02:15 Summary of On-Behalf Payments 00:12:40 Discussion on Collection of University Debt Department of Revenue 00:32:40 Northern Kentucky University 00:57:10, 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the minutes from the September 17 meeting, and heard a presentation from Kentucky Department of Education staff on SEEK school funding and KDE on-behalf payments. KDE explained recent SEEK changes, including the guaranteed base per-pupil amount, attendance-based calculations, second-month and January growth, the 2022 change funding kindergarten at 100% instead of 50%, and the existing add-ons for at-risk students, exceptional children, limited English learners, home/hospital instruction, and transportation. Staff also reviewed tier one funding, noting the 2024 increase from 15% to 17.5% and explaining that eligibility depends on local tax effort and property wealth. They also described Senate Bill 6 from the 2025 session as a reporting proposal to include on-behalf costs in education spending totals. KDE staff then outlined on-behalf payments made for districts, including roughly $458 million for Teachers Retirement System contributions, $942 million for health insurance, about $12 million for technology costs, and additional SFCC debt service outside KDE’s appropriation, for a total of about $1.5 billion. Members asked how a future Senate Bill 6 would affect local contributions and whether folding on-behalf payments into SEEK would shift costs among districts. KDE and Senator Gibbons clarified that the bill was intended only as a reporting mechanism and would not change local contribution or district payments; it would simply present a broader total of state education investment. The discussion also noted that Kentucky’s reported SEEK amount alone does not capture all state education spending. Members raised questions about home and hospital instruction data, saying local concerns suggest growth in some communities even if statewide numbers appear stable. KDE said the statewide figure has been relatively consistent but offered to provide district-level trend data. Co-Chair Petrie also asked about the accuracy of SEEK projections and on-behalf calculations, referencing prior concerns from the Office of Education Accountability. KDE responded that it works with the state budget director’s office in a consensus forecasting process and has been reviewing demographic and property-assessment data, including exceptional child counts, to improve forecast accuracy.

Transcript Highlights:

• We can improve our processes.
• We can improve our processes. Um, we can learn from other agencies.
• Um we have had our processes over time.
• have a couple other uh uh processing have a couple other uh uh processing plants<00:31:37.760>
• And I look forward to you processing.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The Minnesota Department of Agriculture presented an overview of its budget, staffing, and major program areas, including protection services, marketing, and administration. Commissioners also highlighted concerns about federal funding uncertainty after a January letter suspending active and future USDA awards to the department. They said the issue affected about 13% of the agency’s budget, created confusion for farmers, and briefly disrupted poultry lab testing and HPAI-related work, though they later received assurances from USDA leadership that existing programs would continue processing. The department also described its anti-fraud efforts, including internal controls, a compliance coordinator, a grants administrator, review committees, site visits, and participation in the state’s Inspector General Coordinating Council. The committee then discussed several agriculture support programs. For dairy margin coverage, the department said Minnesota’s sign-up is open and supported a bill to extend assistance to farmers who began operations in 2023-2025 and were not covered under the earlier production-based formula. The renamed Farm to Food Security program, formerly LFPA, was described as a state-created local food purchasing effort funded at $700,000 per year. The down payment assistance grant for first-time farm buyers was also reviewed; the department said it has supported 112 farmers so far, with additional awards pending, but noted timing problems when purchase agreements fall through. Members asked whether priority should be given to applicants with signed purchase agreements, and the department said that was under consideration. The grain indemnity account update focused on the Hansen-Mueller facility failure and related claims. The department said the account holds about $10.7 million, has received 19 claims totaling $1.1 million, and that $842,000 of those claims were tied specifically to Minnesota transactions. It explained the difference by noting that some claims involved Minnesota farmers selling in North Dakota and Wisconsin, and that the indemnity account covers grains sold in Minnesota. The committee also heard updates on elk and wolf depredation payments, with the department projecting shortfalls in both funds and noting that payments are being delayed into later months. The agriculture response fund balance was said to be about $2.5 million. Finally, the Rural Finance Authority and the East Grand Forks potato facility were discussed. The RFA reported strong demand for low-interest loans, about $26 million remaining from the prior $50 million authorization, and a new $50 million bonding request in the governor’s proposal to avoid a funding gap. The department said the program has issued 3,951 loans totaling about $390.3 million with very low defaults. It also requested $1.38 million in bonding for building improvements at the East Grand Forks potato facility, which it said is the department’s only owned building and supports a significant potato industry. In response to a question from Rep. Bang, the commissioner said recent ICE activity had affected farms, processing plants, immigrant workers, and some rural food businesses, and that the department had relayed those concerns to the governor’s office and congressional delegation.

Transcript Highlights:

• of includes the process for distribution of includes the process for distribution of the<00:39
• That's when we actually start that process. The 51 units we start that process in September.
• we work through the governor's process we work through the governor's process on<00:42:59.000>
• plus minus process plus minus process just<00:48:57.599> like<00:48:57.799> the<00
• <00:51:28.440> and through its annual budget process and through its annual budget process

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• and look forward to future conversations about this bill.
• And so I appreciate the concerns, and we'll continue to have conversations.
• And in our conversations, many lawmakers were not even aware of these attacks.
• We're also disappointed by the process, even though we've seen some engagement.
• And actually, we have had some very productive conversations, as I mentioned.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I know that you've been in conversations with those folks.
• And I think I heard you say that you're going to continue that conversation.
• Hopefully I get your commitment to continue the conversation.
• There's still Judiciary Committee and all the others, so thank you again for the conversation.
• This bill will start the grant making process sooner. That is our hope.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:14:34.279> on through a pretty involved process on through a pretty involved process on
• that credit and the process for awarding that credit and the process for awarding it<00:17:17.679>
• my conversations has our conversation my conversations has been<00:47:03.240> the<00:47:03.880
• look at it with all the conversations look at it with all the conversations that<01:29:50.320>
• have had several internal conversations have had several internal conversations of<01:29:55.119>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate File 563, a bill to change the board makeup of the Northern Koochiching Area Sanitary District. Senator Hild said the proposal had been heard the previous year and had broad support from local officials and stakeholders. Cali Briggs, the district’s executive director, explained that the board structure no longer reflected current populations and sewer service patterns: International Falls now holds six of eight seats after earlier consolidations, while East Koochiching has grown through sewer expansions and should receive additional representation. The bill would reduce the board to seven members, with International Falls having three seats, East Koochiching two, Rainier one, and one at-large member chosen by the board. The committee raised no substantive objections, and Senator Gustafson moved the bill to pass and go to general orders; the motion prevailed. Members then briefly joked about the topic and moved on to an overview from the Office of the Legislative Auditor. Legislative Auditor Judy Randall described the office as a nonpartisan legislative branch agency serving both chambers, with a mission of strengthening oversight, promoting accountability, and producing objective, useful reports. She outlined the office’s structure, including financial audits, program evaluations, and a growing special reviews unit, and explained the Legislative Audit Commission’s role in appointing the auditor and selecting program evaluation topics. Randall also emphasized the office’s broad access to records and data, its independence, and its responsibility to protect nonpublic information. Randall answered questions about the office’s authority over entities such as the University of Minnesota, explaining that OLA has audit authority there but often relies on the university’s internal audit function and can also conduct special reviews and program evaluations. She noted that public employees are required to cooperate and that subpoenas are available if needed, though the office prefers to maintain cooperative relationships. Special Reviews Director Katherine Tyson then described how her unit handles complaints and allegations involving misuse of public funds, data, or noncompliance with law, including preliminary assessments, communications with complainants and agencies, and deeper reviews when warranted. She said allegations and reports have increased steadily, with 481 received from 2020 through 2024 and nearly 10 per week on average last year, contributing to a heavier workload for her small team.

Transcript Highlights:

• a a pretty rigorous interview process a a pretty rigorous interview process interview<00:26:35.640
• and selection process and interview and selection process and really<00:26:37.640> do<00:26:37.880
• with a lot of um a lot of conversations with a lot of um a lot of conversations and<00:34:18.280
• which passed the jurisdiction to process which passed the jurisdiction to process administrator<
• <01:17:11.520> is those seeking this pathway process is those seeking this pathway process

Bills: HF1966, HF54, HF2043, HF1171, HF2741

Keywords: HF1966, Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs, STARS program, alternative education, alternative programs, education finance, general fund appropriation, student support services, career readiness, employment skills, academic skills, social skills, student conferences, training grants, Minnesota Department of Education, specialized education, at-risk students, nontraditional education, HF54, Silver Lake

Transcript Highlights:

• One is streamlining the comp plan process.
• Some of the process still has challenges with it.
• What is the purpose behind changing the F-CORR appointment process?
• So there is a process to do that.
• The conversations that they have with their lawyer, who is a public defender, the conversation that they

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, prayer, pledge, and several recognitions, including remarks from Senator Berman on Democratic priorities and introductions of military leaders and an intern. The chamber then moved through a long special-order calendar, with many bills substituted to House companions, amended, and passed, while several others were temporarily postponed. Major measures approved included the dangerous dogs/Pam Rock Act (SB 572/HB 593), which tightened penalties and procedures for dog attacks and passed 36-0; local government land regulation (SB 1080), which was amended to remove agricultural enclave language and passed 26-8; vessel/freedom-related legislation (SB 1388/HB 1137), which passed 35-0; blood clot screening and treatment (SB 890/HB 1421), which added registry and training provisions and passed 36-0; fleeing or eluding law enforcement (SB 468/HB 113), which increased offense levels and passed 36-0; concealed carry/licensing for certain officers and service members (SB 490/HB 383), which passed 33-3; timeshare management (SB 496/HB 897), which clarified governance and annual meeting requirements and passed 36-0; background screening education (SB 614/HB 531), which created a public webpage and passed 36-0; utility service restrictions (SB 1002/HB 1137), which preempted local energy-source restrictions and passed 36-0; Medicaid oversight (SB 1060), which created a joint oversight committee and passed 35-0; health facilities authorities (SB 68), amended to make fentanyl urine screening more discretionary, and passed 36-0; and veterans’ nursing home beds (SB 78/HB 797), which authorized veteran- and spouse-designated beds and passed 36-0. The chamber also passed disability history and awareness instruction (SB 540/HB 447), a highly personal bill honoring Evan Hartzell that drew extended debate about disability language, inclusion, and education; it passed 35-0 after 35 co-sponsors were added. Manufacturing policy bills SB 600 and SB 602 were approved after amendments to add reporting, ranking metrics, and fee-use restrictions, both passing 35-0. Educational opportunities for military children (SB 1528) passed 36-0 after testimony from student sponsors and senators praising the bill’s origin. Several other bills, including Medicaid oversight, mammograms, Parkinson’s disease, condominium/cooperative associations, waste management, human trafficking, and Bright Futures, were postponed or not taken up during this segment.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we've made every effort to streamline our processes. that is a process area that that is a process
• In that process of evaluating that okay.
• Yes, yes, part of our enforcement process.
• How would that process?
• And then we have other parks in process now.

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:20:33.960> with you're having those conversations with you're having those conversations
• It is a process that is bidirectional.
• It is a process that is bidirectional.
• It is a process that is bidirectional.
• in our system and it is a um uh process in our system and it is a um uh process that<01:25:50.840

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:01:23.280> even really made our conversations even really made our conversations even
• just wanted to comment on the process. just wanted to comment on the process.
• Um, the conversation there you go.
• more conversation that we can have. more conversation that we can have.
• conversations, hard conversations with. conversations, hard conversations with.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: Members met to review a budget bill agreement using a nonpartisan spreadsheet and summary materials. Chairs and members thanked fiscal, research, revisers, and agency staff for the collaborative process, noting the bill had been difficult and that the final product reflected compromise. The chair also said only minor technical changes were expected before final enactment, and the spreadsheet walkthrough was then turned over to fiscal staff. Fiscal staff explained that the agreement met the overall budget target and walked through major human services provisions. Key items included nursing facility payment changes, including a phased PDPM change, APS inflation, modified single-bed incentives, and a CPI-U capped payment cap; a nursing facility surcharge; workforce standards board rule costs; continuation of certain nursing facility property tax rates; regulation of for-profit acquisitions of nursing homes and assisted living facilities; repurposing assisted living special project funds; funding the SEIU self-directed worker agreement; CFSS reimbursement in acute care hospital settings; and multiple disability waiver rate and authorization changes, including CPI-U inflation caps, waiver authorization reforms, and a waiver reimagined advisory task force. The agreement also included family residential service rate increases, a temporary extension of customized living disproportionate share payments, tribal eligibility for targeted case management, positive supports training changes, out-of-home respite modifications, swimming lessons as an allowable service for certain children with disabilities, a provisional EID provider license, and program integrity services funded by licensing fee increases. Additional provisions covered MinnChoices studies and assumed savings, behavioral health fund changes, substance use disorder treatment billing and rate changes, supportive recovery housing, housing support supplemental rates for specific providers, disability determinations, enteral nutrition payment timing, temporary funding for Boundary Waters Care Center, several one-time human services grants, senior nutrition funding, and grant reductions and extensions. No formal vote was described in the transcript; the discussion focused on explaining the agreement and its fiscal effects.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a topic of conversation.
• handout uh there's a seven-step process handout uh there's a seven-step process that<01:37:53.599
• , which is getting that local control during the process and, in fact, earlier in the process to get
• and in fact earlier in the process and in fact earlier in the process<01:41:18.920> to<01:41:
• is really a cultural conversation that is really a cultural conversation that we're<01:42:44.960>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• process and then we have a markup day.
• , familiar with the omnibus bill process, familiar with the omnibus bill process, we<00:01:23.120
• <00:01:25.840> and we have kind of a rollout process and we have kind of a rollout process
• If even half of those set up, you know, like a certification process or a fee-based process, that becomes
• If even half of those set up, you know, like a certification process or a fee-based process, that becomes

Keywords: 1187, senate, all