Video & Transcript Research : 'grant program'

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TX

Texas 89th Regular

Public Health Mar 3rd, 2025

Public Health

Transcript Highlights:
  • We certainly do fund, have grants that fund. programs in certain areas that are more heavily impacted
  • Shuford, you'd mentioned that the state provides grants. to fund programs for education and awareness
  • If you move to slide 31. that capture some of the matching grants programs that have been invested in
  • These matching grants programs in FY 24 serve just. over 82,000 people.
  • . programs as well.
Keywords: 1184, house, all
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

FL House Floor Session - 2026-05-29 (10:00AM Session)

Florida House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Funding for our cultural and historical preservation grant programs at the Department of State also remained
  • And finally, we have reappropriated $378 million in funding for My Safe Florida Home grant program to
  • fully fund the inspection grants and program administration.
  • , $380.4 million for the water quality improvement grant program and local water projects, as well as
  • And the other one is a grant program. And that can be up to $100,000 per district.
Keywords: 998, house, all
MN

Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session

Committee on Environment, Climate and Legacy - 01/21/25

Environment, Climate, and Legacy

Transcript Highlights:
  • Wildlife our old child left inside grant Wildlife our old child left inside grant program<00:52:
  • other grant programs that are pass-through to local partners. uh but this work is to really a lot of
  • <01:31:37.560> Grant<01:31:37.920> programs<01:31:38.440> that<01:31:38.800>
  • that several other Grant programs that that several other Grant programs that that are<01:31:
  • Since 2019, we’ve awarded 42 grants under that program. Mr.
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
Summary: Chair Foung Hawj opened the Environment, Climate and Legacy Committee meeting by welcoming members, agency staff, and constituents, and by outlining the committee’s shared-power arrangement for the session. Members introduced themselves and described environmental activities from the interim, including gardening, outdoor recreation, farming visits, Great Lakes work, and a tree-planting trip in Thailand that Hawj said symbolized cultural unity and environmental stewardship. Ben Stanley, the committee’s nonpartisan counsel, then explained the co-chairs’ operating agreement: Hawj would chair the meeting, Senator John Hoffman would chair the next two meetings, then Hawj would chair the following two, with the chair rotating after each pair of meetings. Agendas would be set jointly, additional meetings would require both chairs’ approval, and passing a bill out of committee would require a majority of all committee members, or seven votes. At Senator Tory Westrom’s request, the agreement was to be emailed to members in writing. Stanley also reviewed the committee’s jurisdiction, which includes environmental and natural resources bills, legacy funds, and agencies such as the Environmental Quality Board, Department of Natural Resources, Pollution Control Agency, and Board of Water and Soil Resources, along with several related councils and boards. Fiscal analyst Dan Mueller then gave a budget overview of the committee’s agencies, noting that many current biennium appropriations include one-time general fund money that drops back in the 2026-27 base budget. He highlighted funding levels for the Pollution Control Agency, DNR, Metro Parks, Conservation Corps, BWSR, the Minnesota Zoo, the Science Museum, and the Metropolitan Landfill Contingency Action Trust Account, and said the committee’s base-budget area totals about $2.2 billion. He also reviewed the Legacy funds, estimating available 2026-27 appropriations of about $327 million for Outdoor Heritage, $31.7 million for Clean Water, $133 million for Parks and Trails, and $185 million for Arts and Cultural Heritage. No votes or bill actions were taken at this meeting.
ND

North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session

Water Topics Overview Committee Jun 10th, 2026 at 09:00 am

Water Topics Overview Committee

Transcript Highlights:
  • Drinking Water Program.
  • grant dollars.
  • is federal grant dollars.
  • Whether it's a FEMA grant at 75%, or whether it's a DWR grant at 75%, it'd be about $18.5 million.
  • In other words, if we were to get a FEMA grant, their FEMA grants are typically at 75%.
Keywords: 908, all
FL

Florida 2026 5th Special Session

Appropriations Jan 14th, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • Your springs restoration programs, your alternative water supply grant program at $60 million, as well
  • I will share, just for anecdotal commentary, other states are not going through the same FEMA grant program
  • program has shifted.
  • Those must stay within the program according to the 340B program.
  • It's earmarked for this program, only for this program, and for no other program.
Summary: The Appropriations Committee first took up SB 7010, which would authorize Roth contributions in state and local deferred compensation plans. Senator Mayfield explained that current law only allows pre-tax contributions, and the bill would let the Department of Financial Services and local governments offer post-tax Roth options. The bill had one support appearance card, no debate, and was reported favorably by roll call vote. The committee then received a lengthy presentation from the Governor’s Office of Policy and Budget on the governor’s recommended “Floridians First” budget, totaling $117.4 billion and $53.2 billion in general revenue. The presentation highlighted reserves, debt paydown, tax relief, and proposed reductions and efficiencies, along with major spending areas in education, health care, public safety, corrections, transportation, and economic development. Key proposals included higher K-12 funding, teacher salary increases, funding for Everglades and water quality projects, emergency preparedness, corrections staffing and facility funding, cybersecurity, law enforcement recruitment bonuses, and affordable housing and infrastructure investments. Members asked extensive questions about property tax reserves, litigation funding, emergency response fund balances and spending, the Alligator Alcatraz detention facility and federal reimbursement, the Second Amendment sales tax holiday, animal abuse hotline funding, Hope Florida, corrections staffing, and teacher pay. A major portion of the discussion focused on the Department of Health’s planned changes to the ADAP HIV medication program, with senators and a public witness expressing concern about access to life-saving medications and possible misuse or redirection of funds. The committee did not take further action on the budget presentation, and the meeting ended after additional comments supporting the budget and the corrections funding, with SB 7010 already approved.
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • The changes to Pell grants, student loans, and loan repayment program would take effect next year, and
  • Program, or CFAP.
  • Prevention Program, the Specialty Crop Block Grant, and the Animal Disease Prevention and Management
  • Program.
  • . programs.
Keywords: 988, house, all
US

US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

US House Floor Proceedings (Wednesday, June 3, 2026)

US Federal House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • For years, the child care and development block grant program has been vulnerable to waste, fraud, and
  • Since 2002, the block grant has been identified as a federal program at risk for improper payments.
  • Child Care Development Block Grant Child Care Development Block Grant Program<04:53:07.040> so
  • House Republicans are restoring integrity to the Child Care and Development Block Grant program, which
  • , and establish goals for eliminating fraud and improper payments under the program of block grants to
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • The grant program will be funded in Senate Bill 3 by Chairman Huffman.
  • The reason why the sub puts the grant program into the governor's office is so that things can be sped
  • Right now, this is a grant program to install, maintain, and operate the sirens.
  • It's item C on the grant program.
  • The governor may delegate to a state agency the authority to administer the grant program established
Keywords: 1185, senate, all
MS

Mississippi 2026 Regular Session

Finance - Room 216, 3 March, 2026; 4:30 PM

Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • This would be set up into a grant program that would be operated by Accelerate Mississippi, and community
  • or in a public K-12 school system that has a construction-type program and could apply for grants to
  • or in a public K-12 school system that has a construction-type program and could apply for grants to
  • or in a public K-12 school system that has a construction-type program and could apply for grants to
  • or in a public K-12 school system that has a construction-type program and could apply for grants to
Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 338, which would create a construction training assistance fund by diverting 2.75% of contractor tax revenue into grants administered by the Office of Workforce Development through Accelerate Mississippi. The grants would support construction-related programs at public community colleges and K-12 school systems to help expand training in a high-demand, high-wage sector. During questions, a senator noted the contractor tax is 3.5% and asked for the exact diversion amount before floor consideration. The committee then voted title sufficient do pass and reported the bill out. The committee next considered House Bill 898, which creates a sales tax diversion study committee to review concerns about whether sales tax diversions are being properly distributed, especially in cases where businesses may have listed the wrong address. An amendment offered by Senator Johnson added a representative of a destination marketing organization appointed by the lieutenant governor. The amendment was adopted. In discussion of HB 898, a senator asked whether the study would include county businesses such as Dollar General, and was told the committee would study municipalities only. After that clarification, the committee voted title sufficient do pass as amended and then voted to rise and report the bill.
ND

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Appropriations - Human Resources Division Apr 3rd, 2025 at 09:00 am

Appropriations - Human Resources Division

Transcript Highlights:
  • Within our traditional Medicaid program, we have our health system value-based program that operates
  • into that program.
  • Chair, that is because these rates are used by our SPED program and our expanded SPED program, which
  • Is that part of the block grant? Mr. Chair, Senator Magrum, yes, that's the block grant.
  • Way to administer this program, or the right federal authority to administer the program under.
Keywords: 908, all
Summary: The Senate Appropriations HR Division met with all members present to review the medical services portion of the HHS budget. Sarah Aker, Executive Director of Medical Services, walked the committee through several budget items, including HCBS cost-to-continue adjustments, the DD bed assessment, expansion of value-based purchasing, targeted rate increases for home health and QSP services, and the cross-disability waiver. Members generally supported the targeted increases for home health and QSP, and Aker explained that the cross-disability waiver funding would support startup work, service design, and infrastructure ahead of a planned July 1, 2028 implementation. The committee spent significant time on rate-setting and provider payment issues. Members discussed ambulance rate rebasing, with several senators expressing concern that the proposed increase was too high relative to peer states; the committee ultimately moved toward reducing that item to $1 million rather than zero so it could be revisited in conference committee. They also discussed a House-added critical access hospital networking grant and similarly leaned toward reducing it to $1 million. Aker explained the department’s value-based purchasing plans, including use of a vendor selected through RFP, and clarified how the department’s existing Medicaid managed care and hospital value-based programs work. A major portion of the meeting focused on long-term care and basic care payments, including a House-added extension of the $5 per day basic care add-on and a proposed shift in nursing facility incentive grants toward a withhold-based model. Senator Mathern indicated he would bring an amendment to delay or modify the withhold change, and Aker said the department would prefer language that directly addresses whether a withhold may be implemented. Members also discussed 1915(i) services, FMAP changes, the Medicaid legacy system modernization carryover, and a House-added legislative intent section on medical assistance. The committee adjourned for the morning with plans to return later to continue Human Services budget work and revisit unresolved items in conference committee.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee 3/3/26

Higher Education Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • You know, could you just it a grant?
  • nonredit certification programs. nonredit certification programs.
  • > efficiency, colllocate programs for efficiency, colllocate programs for efficiency, provide<
  • > goal visibility to the programs with the goal visibility to the programs with the goal of<00
  • site repurposing program. site repurposing program.
Keywords: 1183, house
Summary: The committee opened with quorum and decorum reminders, then approved the minutes from February 26, 2026. Members briefly set aside a planned follow-up on GO students from Minnesota State after being told the questions had been fully answered, and moved on to Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College’s storm damage presentation. Bemidji State President John Hoffman and facilities staff described the June 21 derecho that hit Bemidji, causing widespread roof, window, tree, and infrastructure damage across both campuses and the surrounding community. Hoffman said the institutions were already recovering from pandemic-era enrollment and budget losses, but had improved new student enrollment, retention, fundraising, and deficits before the storm. He emphasized that the campuses were well insured, but that restoring the tree canopy and campus character would take far longer than repairing buildings. Facilities worker Brent Steinmets gave a personal account of the storm response and cleanup, describing days of chainsaw work, debris removal, window repairs, and stump grinding, and noting that many employees were also dealing with damage at their own homes. Members asked what kind of funding request was being made, and Hoffman said Chair Duran was preparing a bill tied to the storm damage and reforestation needs, while alumni had already raised more than $80,000 through a “Replanting Our Roots” campaign. He said the institutions had spent about $50,000 in deductible costs and another $25,000 in unreimbursable overtime, and had hired a landscape architect to plan reforestation. Members also asked about enrollment growth and staffing reductions; Hoffman said overall enrollment was up a little more than 2% since fall 2022, new student enrollment had risen 17%, NTC headcount was up 75%, and the campuses had reduced about 30% of instructional faculty and close to 30% of overall employees while reorganizing programs and administration. Discussion also focused on preserving liberal arts and applied liberal arts offerings, with Hoffman saying the institutions were emphasizing critical thinking, communication, citizenship, interdisciplinarity, and human intelligence alongside workforce training. No vote was taken on the storm-related funding proposal during the meeting.
NY
Transcript Highlights:
  • Program.
  • This grant program would help stabilize our small and mid-sized family farms when they experience significant
  • Program, and our socially and economically disadvantaged farmers grant program.
  • 50% OF FARMS ARE COVERED THIS GRANT PROGRAM WOULD HELP STABILIZE OUR SMALL MID-SIZED FAMILY FARMS WHEN
  • PROGRAM AND OUR SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMERS GRANT PROGRAM.
Keywords: 993, senate, all
Summary: The Joint Conference Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Housing opened budget negotiations for the 2026-2027 enacted budget, with Senate and Assembly leaders outlining their one-house proposals and committee members giving brief remarks. The discussion covered environment, agriculture, housing, parks, and energy, with repeated emphasis on affordability, climate resilience, and support for rural and urban communities. Senate and Assembly chairs described the process and noted the agencies present, while minority members criticized the overall size of the budgets and urged more attention to housing affordability, building stakeholders, and energy costs. On the environment and energy side, the Senate highlighted proposals for $138 million in additional clean water infrastructure funding, a $75 million increase to the Environmental Protection Fund, $95 million in restored parks capital, $200 million for the Energy Affordability Program, and $1 billion for Sustainable Futures 2.0, including a proposed revival of the NY STUN program. The Assembly said it increased the EPF to $500 million, raised clean water infrastructure funding to $800 million, and included targeted amounts for cities, rural housing-related water projects, Cornell Ag Tech, and the Center for Sustainable Materials Management. Democrats argued that high utility bills are driven by natural gas costs rather than clean energy, while Senate and Assembly Republicans said the CLCPA and other energy mandates are increasing costs and should be reconsidered. Agriculture remarks focused on research, farm support, and resilience. Senator Hinchey described funding for Cornell’s COWS program, Farm to School amendments, $7 million for farm worker housing, and a new $20 million Farm Weather Resiliency Grant Program. Chair Lupardo said the Assembly added $16 million over the Governor’s proposal for educational research and outreach, restored support for beginning and disadvantaged farmers, and backed dairy, livestock, hemp fiber, and natural fibers initiatives, while also accepting $30 million in farmer tariff relief if guidelines are set. Minority Assembly Member Tague supported dairy infrastructure funding but criticized the farm labor overtime phase-down and the CLCPA’s impacts on farms. Housing discussion centered on major capital and assistance programs. The Assembly proposed $200 million more for the Housing Access Voucher Program, $100 million for Mitchell-Lama and NYCHA, $50 million for down payment assistance, $4 million for fair housing testing, land banks, and $40 million for the Homeowner Protection Program. The Senate outlined similar priorities, including $500 million for NYCHA, $100 million for Mitchell-Lama preservation, $250 million total for HAVP, and additional funding for mixed-income rental development, vacant rentals, senior housing, and block-by-block infill. Chair Rosenthal said rent stabilization was not being changed in the budget, while Republican members argued that affordability requires lower taxes, lower utility costs, and fewer regulatory burdens. No votes were taken; the meeting was an opening round of budget negotiations and ended with closing remarks from both sides.
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Businesses Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm

Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Businesses

Transcript Highlights:
  • This is not about adding more programs.
  • So basically, it's a grant-based program that would be applied for by local nonprofits, organizations
  • This is not just simply another program.
  • By establishing a grant fund that encourages community-led programming designed to take care of the whole
  • ; programs and access to SNAP; workforce development programs; as well as help with folks accessing the
Keywords: 995, all
Summary: The Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Business held its final hearing of the session on H. 5187 and S. 3022, the Enough Act, with Chair Andy Vargas and Senator Adam Gomez opening by thanking committee members and stakeholders for their work during the session. The bills were described as a grant-based, place-based anti-poverty initiative intended to support cradle-to-career services by funding local nonprofits, schools, community organizations, and backbone entities that can coordinate housing, education, health, workforce, and family supports in high-poverty neighborhoods. Testimony was overwhelmingly in support of the bills. Speakers including Strategies for Children, Chelsea Public Schools, Bunker Hill Community College, Senator Sal DiDomenico, Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian, Rep. Antonio Cabral, the Harlem Children’s Zone’s Kwame Owusu Kesse and Jeffrey Canada, former Education Secretary Paul Reville, AFT Massachusetts, United Way, the Boston Foundation, Give Black Alliance, Eastern Bank Foundation, and others argued that poverty is a systems issue that schools alone cannot solve. They emphasized the need for local control, community voice, coordinated services, and long-term public-private investment, often citing examples from Chelsea, New Bedford, Springfield, Lowell, Boston, and other communities, as well as the Harlem Children’s Zone and Maryland’s similar model. Committee members asked several questions about how the bill would function in practice, including what organizations would do on day one, how it would interact with existing efforts like community schools, McKinney-Vento, and the Student Opportunity Act, and how it would be sustained over time. Witnesses said the act would help create or strengthen backbone organizations, reduce duplication, align existing resources, and leverage philanthropy and future revenue sources for long-term sustainability. No vote was taken during the hearing, but multiple speakers urged the committee to report the bill favorably and quickly.
NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

IC - Legislative Finance Jul 22nd, 2025

Transcript Highlights:
  • We operate several funding programs that award grants to New Mexico startups, uh, and businesses establishing
  • Matching grant and the Science and Tech Business Startup Grant.
  • program.
  • The good news is that these programs are yielding results.
  • administering, uh, so really a direct tie to see the impact that these programs are having.
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • Additionally, we would like to reinstate the Special Circumstances Program so people can receive grants
  • The California Guaranteed Income Pilot Program provides grants to eligible entities that provide a guaranteed
  • In terms of TANF, our CalWORKs program, one of the main cuts would be a 10% block grant cut at the national
  • The first is the State Supplemental Grant Program, which provides additional financial assistance to
  • These are discretionary non-entitlement programs that uniquely grant participating counties flexibility
Keywords: 988, house, all
ND

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Appropriations - Human Resources Division Apr 9th, 2025 at 02:00 pm

Appropriations - Human Resources Division

Transcript Highlights:
  • We took the million out, but... $300,000 for programming.
  • That was the entitlement program, the 1915(i). Oh, yeah.
  • grants.
  • grants.
  • Medical services grants. Donna. So, Donna. Medical services grant.
Bills: SB2399
Summary: The committee reconvened and first reconsidered House Bill 1612, the aerospace medical and mental health support center bill. Senator Cleary offered an amendment to reduce the general fund appropriation from $500,000 to $250,000 and require the university or project sponsors to find the remaining funding from other sources. The amendment passed, and the bill was then recommended do pass as amended, with members citing concerns about university funding, but others supporting the project as a one-time seed investment. The committee also discussed a possible future FMAP increase beginning October 1, 2026, which could reduce general fund costs by roughly $9 million, though members noted the figures were still preliminary and could be addressed later if needed. The committee then returned to Human Services budget items, including early childhood and child care funding, a community cultural center grant, and several other adjustments. Members discussed reducing the “best in class” amount, changes to child care grants and quality/infrastructure funding, and clarifying that prior child care assistance appropriations were in fact being spent. They also agreed to reduce the 1915(i) Medicaid waiver line by $2 million, with the understanding that the entitlement would still be funded as needed. The committee also considered taking guardianship funding out of House Bill 1012 because a separate bill, Senate Bill 2029, would move that funding elsewhere; members agreed that removing it from the budget could help the overall bill and could be restored if the separate bill failed. Several study amendments were discussed. Senator Cleary proposed adding a maternal health study related to prenatal services, doulas, midwives, and Medicaid, and members expressed support. The committee also discussed a software/case-management study proposal, but the department said it had not requested it and would not support it as presented, so members leaned against advancing it unless the department first evaluated it. Another amendment would authorize the department to work with the city of Grafton on a long-term plan for the LSTC campus and require a report back to the legislature; members supported that as legislative intent. The committee also agreed to remove a truancy study section for later conference discussion, and it reviewed other possible study ideas, including assistive technology, before adjourning to await updated long sheets and bill text.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Health Finance and Policy Committee 3/23/26

Health Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • <00:20:32.400> So program or another community program.
  • So program or another community program.
  • Um, I think it's modeling the school-linked mental health grants program and sort of aligning for that
  • of health grants program and sort of health grants program and sort of aligning<00:33:21.919>
  • Um the um program.
ND

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Appropriations - Human Resources Division Apr 10th, 2025 at 02:00 pm

Appropriations - Human Resources Division

Transcript Highlights:
  • But once it's granted out, then it's gone.
  • And the way the—it's a federally funded program with a revolving loan fund program that's been in the
  • They had about $7 million in grants.
  • Possible to put state funds into the program.
  • However, a rent subsidy could be a federal housing program.
Bills: SB2015
Summary: The committee first discussed a wastewater infrastructure bill, centered on whether state support should be provided as a grant or through the existing Clean Water State Revolving Fund as a low-interest loan program. Department of Environmental Quality official David Brushwine explained that the SRF already finances wastewater projects, can leverage federal funds with state bond proceeds, and could accommodate the Washburn, Lincoln, and Peasant projects if they are ready to proceed. Members noted that losing federal grant support would make projects harder for local residents to afford because costs would be recovered through utility rates or special assessments, but the projects would still be eligible for loans. Senator Magrum indicated he would likely concur with the budget after this discussion, and the bill was set aside for later consideration. The committee then turned to a proposed amendment for a four-plex housing project for people with disabilities or other special needs. Senator Mathern described Sections 7 and 8 as creating a design consultation appropriation and a revolving loan fund modeled on existing hospital and nursing home loan programs, while Section 9 would transfer $3.3 million from the state infrastructure fund. Members debated ownership, rent subsidies, repayment terms, and whether the state should finance the project directly or leave it to a private developer with Department of Human Services oversight. Concerns were raised that the state should not own the housing and that the proposal needed more work to be workable, but the committee ultimately reached consensus to adopt Sections 7 and 8 and leave out Section 9 for further conference committee discussion. The committee also reviewed provider inflation and long-term care rate issues, with members discussing whether to support a 2% and 1.5% inflation adjustment and how to handle the $5-per-day basic care rate. Staff explained that the $5 payment was already in the base budget, but members debated whether it should remain ongoing or be treated as one-time funding and paired with a study of rate rebasing. The committee agreed to have draft language prepared to remove the $5 from the base budget and add study language, then moved the bill forward for drafting.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on Taxes - 04/22/25

Taxes

Transcript Highlights:
  • And the tax itself would apply to asset growth, not the assets themselves. and the state grant program
  • Section and the state grant program.
  • The University of Minnesota supports the end goal of stabilizing the state grant program, and we appreciate
  • The Neighborhood STAR program has provided business loans and grants to projects across St.
  • :05.440> provided Cultural Star program has provided Cultural Star program has provided grants
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
MN
Transcript Highlights:
  • And we in been awarded two SOS grants.
  • program as as well. program as as well.
  • <00:20:14.680> and Affairs to help them review grants and Affairs to help them review grants
  • <00:21:31.800> issued standard for competitive grants issued standard for competitive grants
  • The Minnesota similar programs.
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
Summary: The committee heard an introductory presentation from Sam Daily of Believe It Canine Service Partners, a nonprofit that trains service dogs free of charge for disabled veterans. Daily described the organization’s work with veterans, including placements with MACV and a service dog at Veteran Village in Eagan, and said the group has placed 80 teams so far. Senator Howe asked whether the organization had pursued Support Our Troops grants, and Daily said it had received two SOS grants. The first bill taken up was Senate File 4172, as amended, which would expand eligibility for burial in Minnesota state veterans cemeteries to honorably discharged reservists, National Guard members, and Air National Guard members, and would allow some honor guard use for eligible people. Senator Howe said the bill corrects an inequity for Guard and reserve members who served honorably but are not currently eligible. Glenn Pence testified in support, saying the bill recognizes National Guard service and should allow those veterans to be buried with others they served alongside. MDVA’s David Swantek supported the concept but warned that expanded eligibility would increase demand, especially at Little Falls, and could shorten its projected capacity timeline from about 48 years to about 30 years. The committee adopted the A1 amendment and then laid the bill over for inclusion in the Veterans and Military Affairs Finance Omnibus Bill. The committee then heard Senate File 4026, which sets standards for MDVA competitive grants and adds accountability and residency requirements. Senator Koran said the bill would help the department review grants and ensure funds serve Minnesota veterans and families. MDVA chief of staff Dave Belfi supported the bill, saying it reflects agency feedback, aligns with existing residency rules, and does not affect CVSO, VSO, or Support Our Troops grants. The A1 amendment was adopted, and the bill was laid over for inclusion in the omnibus bill. Next, Senate File 4807 was heard, a bill to update pay for National Guard soldiers and airmen called to state active duty. MDVA and National Guard officials said the bill would simplify statute language and raise the minimum base pay for lower ranks to the E5 level, with future adjustments tied to federal pay tables. Senator Kunesh asked about funding, and staff explained the cost would come through an open general-fund emergency appropriation, estimated at about $30,000 annually but varying with activations. The committee adopted amendments to incorporate SF 4172 and SF 4026 into SF 4807, made technical corrections, and then recommended SF 4807, as amended, to pass and be referred to the full committee. Finally, the committee heard Senate File 3603, which would create a program allowing school districts to issue high school diplomas to Minnesota veterans who left school to serve during the Korean conflict or Vietnam War. Senator Rasmussen said the bill recognizes veterans who interrupted their education for service. MDVA’s John Kelly supported the bill, noting it reflects input from MDVA and the Department of Education and that similar programs exist in other states. The committee voted to recommend the bill to pass and refer it to the full committee. The meeting also began discussion of Senate File 4560, which would formalize the Commander's Task Force, but the transcript cuts off before that bill was acted on.