Transcript Highlights:

• THIS IS A GRANT PROGRAM, THERE WOULD NOT BE ANY COSTS TO THE PUBLIC WERE TO IN INDUSTRY.
• TO AID FLORIDIANS IN GETTING GRANTS TO PARTNER. >> Rep.
• HERE IN REGARDS TO THE RULEMAKING AUTHORITY GRANTED TO THE DEPARTMENT FOR THE FOSTERING PROSPERITY GRANTS
• JUST DIDN'T RECEIVE FUNDING FOR THE GRANT PROGRAM SO THERE WAS NO PROGRAM TO IMPLEMENT BECAUSE THERE
• WAS NO FUNDING RELATED TO THE PROGRAM. >> Rep.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• programs.
• Aspire program.
• program.
• grant leverage there.
• I think the good news is the supplemental state grant program that the legislature initiated last session

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• on a four-year program there and with the Hormel Foundation, became part of Grant creating the Austin
• on a four-year program there and with the Hormel Foundation, became part of Grant creating the Austin
• on a four-year program there and with the Hormel Foundation, became part of Grant creating the Austin
• on a four-year program there and with the Hormel Foundation, became part of Grant creating the Austin
• on a four-year program there and with the Hormel Foundation, became part of Grant creating the Austin

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The forum focused on the University of Minnesota system’s future, with candidates largely agreeing that the five campuses should remain distinct while working more closely together. Speakers emphasized the land-grant mission, the importance of serving Greater Minnesota, and the need for each campus to have a clear value proposition tied to local communities. Several suggested stronger cross-campus partnerships, more use of technology, and more seamless student pathways between campuses, while also noting enrollment declines and the need to preserve campus identities. A second major topic was public trust in higher education and the perceived value of a college degree. Candidates pointed to rising tuition, student debt, and concerns about post-graduation job prospects as key challenges. Proposed responses included better storytelling about university outcomes, stronger partnerships with schools, legislators, and communities, more targeted fundraising and commercialization of research, and clearer evidence of return on investment for students and families. The discussion then turned to athletics, where most candidates described sports as the university’s “front door” but said academics must remain the priority. They raised NIL, revenue sharing, and the need to keep athletics funding separate from core university funding, while also recognizing athletics’ role in campus culture and student recruitment. In later questions, candidates discussed why they sought regent service and how to support diversity, equity, and inclusion, with responses stressing access, belonging, open debate, and meeting students where they are. No formal votes or actions were taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• key program partners through those spaces.
• Some of you know about this program.
• The recommendation currently is the funded programs already exclude 20, The funded programs already exclude
• Grant, and the EETD, as was highlighted by CDE in another panel.
• One is to fund the center-based programs, well, actually all the subsidized programs, for enrollment

Summary: The committee took up issue number seven, Child Care Rate Reform Transition Plan, and heard a presentation from the LAO on an eight-part transition plan for the period before implementation of the alternative methodology-based child care rate system. The plan would provide interim rate increases to existing regional market rates and standard reimbursement rates beginning January 1 of the budget year, keep the higher of SRR or ARMR as the single rate, annualize cost-of-care supplements, update hold-harmless language, eliminate the private market cap, authorize one-time systems transition funding with JLBC approval, and require annual reporting on parent co-pays. Members asked about the timeline and public/legislative feedback process, and administration staff said they were working toward the July 1, 2025 deadline while continuing stakeholder engagement through the rate and quality advisory process. Public comment was overwhelmingly focused on child care and early learning funding. Providers, county offices, advocacy groups, and education organizations urged the Legislature to move quickly on the alternative rate methodology, provide interim relief through a cost-of-living adjustment, reimburse based on enrollment rather than attendance, and preserve health and retirement benefits and workforce stability. Many speakers also pressed for funding to expand the promised 200,000 child care slots, warning that waitlists remain long and providers are under financial strain. Several commenters supported maintaining or extending grants and technical assistance for transitional kindergarten, inclusive early education, and mixed-delivery early learning programs. A separate set of comments addressed the Inclusive Early Education Expansion Program, with Sacramento County education officials and others urging a statewide plan that would extend support to the 20 counties not currently receiving grants, especially rural areas. Other speakers raised concerns about facilities and staffing impacts from TK expansion, the need for consistent eligibility rules across subsidized programs, and the importance of statewide systems-level funding. The chair thanked the LAO, administration, and public commenters, said the item would remain open until after the May Revision, and adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• environmental fund where those programs environmental fund where those programs currently<00:05:
• <00:08:40.959> capacity<00:08:41.760> and<00:08:42.000> grant additional program
• capacity and grant additional program capacity and grant funding<00:08:42.800> that<00:08:43.039
• Since 2022, this program has awarded dozens of grants to local governments across the state.
• This program is focused on Agency.

Bills: HF2439

Keywords: environmental protection, pollution reduction, waste management, climate change, funding allocations, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:08:57.440> area's that states that it's the program area's that states that it's the program
• for testing came from that pre-program for testing came from that pre-program report<00:15:46.120
• routine part of of handling the program routine part of of handling the program right<00:20:08.679
• And we do see a lot of that, especially related to grants and grants management, where we'll go out and
• look to see if a grant program has been executed properly, and we'll go and try to measure it.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee approved the January 16, 2024 minutes without objection. Members then heard a presentation from the Office of the Legislative Auditor on its December 2024 performance audit of the Department of Human Services’ outstanding provider debt in Minnesota’s Medicaid fee-for-service program. Legislative Auditor Judy Randall said the audit was launched after the office noticed a large accounts receivable balance during the state financial statement audit and became concerned that DHS did not understand the extent of the overpayments, had poor data, and planned to forgo recovery of some recoverable balances. Deputy Legislative Auditor Lori Lyson explained that DHS had reported $51.7 million in provider debt across about 2,500 providers in fiscal year 2023, with testing focused on long-term care facilities and the largest balances. The audit concluded DHS did not comply with legal requirements and lacked adequate internal controls. Findings included that DHS had not attempted to recover more than $40 million since collection notices were last sent in 2015 and 2019; that the department planned to write off some balances under $1,000 and some older than six years despite the auditors’ view that at least some of that debt may still be recoverable; that DHS overstated accounts receivable in its financial reporting because it had not updated its allowance calculation since 2019; and that MMIS data were insufficient to verify balances, with 20 of 59 sampled providers not reconciling and many dates inaccurate. In response to member questions, the auditors said the overpayments appeared to be routine program adjustments rather than fraud, but the department could not explain many of them because detailed data are only retained for about three years. They also said they did not know which specific DHS leader approved not collecting the debt, and that responsibility for recovery appeared split between program and finance staff, with each pointing to the other. The auditors recommended DHS recover the debt where possible, improve internal controls, retain better documentation, ensure accurate financial reporting, and work with the legislature if needed to clarify recovery authority.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a really interesting program.
• So it's a career exploration program where if a student is interested in a particular program, they will
• So there's three categories under the grants. One of them is new and existing programs.
• program.
• This legislation provides a $5 million appropriation to establish a Rural Catalyst Grant Program aimed

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer, pledge, and roll call, establishing a quorum. It then took up a series of appropriations and policy bills, with the most extensive debate centered on Senate Bill 2025, the Department of Veterans Affairs budget. The House approved amendments that shifted governance of the department and veterans’ home from ACOVA to the governor, citing concerns about ACOVA’s salary-setting actions and broader appropriation oversight. Members opposed to the change argued ACOVA had studied compensation and acted within its role. The amended bill passed 57-34, and the final bill passed 69-22 with the emergency clause carrying. The House also passed Senate Bill 2001, the legislative branch budget, which funds the 2027 session, legislative staff, chamber upgrades, IT improvements, and salary adjustments for legislative leaders; the bill passed 62-29, but the emergency clause failed. Senate Bill 2019, the Career and Technical Education budget, passed 82-10 with emergency clause. Senate Bill 2021, the Information Technology Department budget, passed 75-17 after discussion of data center migration, service automation, mainframe transition, ERP study, and DPI’s move from PowerSchool to Infinite Campus. Other measures passed included Senate Bill 2228 for rural grocery store sustainability grants, Senate Bill 2390 creating a rural catalyst community grant program, Senate Bill 2188 adjusting the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority, and Senate Bill 2265 authorizing a veterans national cemetery grant and line of credit with added reporting safeguards. Several House bills returned from the Senate were concurred in and then passed, including House Bill 1361 on mandatory minimum sentences for human trafficking offenders, House Bill 1017 for the Game and Fish Department, House Bill 1588 on firearms and dangerous weapons provisions, House Bill 1429 on harassment and stalking involving robots, House Bill 1591 on county fair resiliency grants, House Bill 1537 on service agreement protection for water projects, House Bill 1203 on edible medical marijuana products, and House Bill 1027 transferring administration of the State Fire and Tornado Fund from the Insurance Commissioner to OMB. The House also rejected a motion to reconsider Senate Bill 2307, which dealt with library materials and obscenity-related restrictions, by a vote of 48-51. In addition, the chamber appointed conference committees on several House and Senate measures where concurrence had failed, and laid over Senate Bill 2340 for two legislative days.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so by by granting these programs.
• I oversee the therapy program and our outreach program.
• I oversee the therapy program and our outreach program.
• We received a Medica grant, a Sensia grant, a Southern Minnesota grant.
• We received a Medica grant, a Sensia grant, a Southern Minnesota grant.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Solar Garden Program. Solar Garden Program.
• Um the program nationleading uh program.
• . in this program.
• revised community solar program. revised community solar program.
• program in honor of Melissa Hortman. program in honor of Melissa Hortman.

Bills: HF3556

Keywords: community solar, energy, solar power, renewable energy, Melissa Hortman, 1183, house

Summary: The committee approved the February 26, 2026 minutes and then took up House File 3556, which would rename Minnesota’s community solar garden program the Melissa Hortman Community Solar Garden Program. The bill’s author described the measure as a tribute to Hortman’s leadership and her role in creating the program, noting its importance to Minnesota’s solar industry and the broader clean energy transition. The author moved HF 3556 to the general register, and the committee proceeded to testimony. Testifiers from the Public Utilities Commission, Department of Commerce, solar industry groups, clean energy organizations, and community solar advocates all supported the bill. They credited Hortman with authoring and advancing the 2013 legislation that created Minnesota’s community solar program and said it became a national model that expanded access to solar for renters, lower-income households, and others who could not install rooftop systems. Several witnesses highlighted the program’s growth, including more than 1 gigawatt of approved projects, strong participation by low- and moderate-income subscribers, and job creation and private investment in Minnesota. Witnesses also emphasized Hortman’s personal leadership style, describing her as prepared, persuasive, collaborative, and deeply committed to clean energy and public service. Some recounted personal interactions with her and said the name change would preserve her legacy and ensure future Minnesotans remember her impact. No vote on the bill itself was taken during the testimony shown, beyond the motion to send HF 3556 to the general register.

Transcript Highlights:

• . programs. programs.
• This proposal would modify the description of four grant programs designed to address workforce shortages
• program, the rural and underserved clinical rotations program, the primary care residency training grant
• <00:31:58.480> programs description of four grant programs description of four grant programs
• grant program, and the international grant program, and the international medical<00:32:38.160><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This program would provide grants of up to $9,500 to New Hampshire homeowners for projects that will
• Uh, 8,000 grants were issued as of 2025, last year, and they've had great success with the program.
• Uh, 8,000 grants were began the program.
• grant money comes from.
• grant money comes from.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• agency's capacity building grant agency's capacity building grant programs<00:13:50.680> out<
• or the Workforce and Affordable Homeownership Program would be eligible for a grant under that program
• <00:14:41.240> program,<00:14:41.880> so housing infrastructure grant program, so housing
• > so Contribution Grant and Loan Program, so Contribution Grant and Loan Program, so that<00:15:12.240
• That language will help the program better align with the Workforce Housing Development Grant Program

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.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Mung Cultural Center has successfully carried out a legacy grant to support programs including museum
• The Mung Cultural Center has successfully carried out a legacy grant to support programs including museum
• to support program out a legacy Grant to support program including<01:24:40.600> Museum<01:24
• grants.
• grants.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Granted.
• Granted.
• Granted.
• It also eliminates the recycling grants and low-interest loan program and repurposes the Delaware Recycling
• Granted.

Summary: The House convened with quorum, offered prayers and moments of silence for community members who had recently died, and recognized several guests and family members in the chamber. After routine communications and passage of consent calendar 29, the chamber took up a series of measures on the main and colored agendas, with several bills and resolutions passing by voice vote or roll call. Among the measures approved were House Concurrent Resolution 157, which as amended requested a State Lottery report on options to support traditional lottery retailers; Senate Bill 53 on the Delaware Farm to Community Program; Senate Bill 307 on PSC authority for Lifeline telecommunications carriers; Senate Bill 339 clarifying health directive forms in mental health facilities; Senate Bill 235 on manufactured home community rent increases; Senate Bill 325, as amended, updating fire prevention and volunteer fire/EMS background check rules; Senate Bill 309 on inmate work and discharge of incarceration-related balances; Senate Bill 324 on deadly weapons and constable agency representatives; Senate Bill 293 on youth camp child care licensing; Senate Bill 94 on respiratory care practitioners and ECMO medication delivery; and Senate Substitute 2 for Senate Bill 100, proposing a constitutional amendment protecting the right to marry regardless of race or gender while preserving religious freedom. House Bill 188, changing Delaware primary elections to allow unaffiliated voters to choose a party primary, also passed after debate. Two measures drew extended discussion and amendments. Senate Bill 233, requiring snow and ice to be removed from vehicles, was tabled once, then later amended and passed after debate over whether the law was workable for truck drivers and other vehicle operators; a proposed truck-related exemption amendment failed. House Substitute 1 for House Bill 404, creating a pilot program for artificial intelligence and extended reality in schools, passed after testimony from the Department of Education emphasizing guardrails, privacy, and educator oversight, alongside concerns from members about data, bias, and long-term effects. Several items were tabled or reconsidered during the session, and the House adjourned after completing the day’s business.

Transcript Highlights:

• Coal impacted communities economic and workforce development grant program established.
• And then it creates a grant program where any overflow beyond that would go into this program and it
• And then it creates a<00:13:31.040> a<00:13:31.519> program<00:13:32.079> grant<
• /c> a a program grant program where um any a a program grant program where um any overflow<00:13:36.639
• Um this whole program the grant<00:18:37.679> fund<00:18:38.400> program<00:18:38.720><

Bills: HB304, HB285, HB312, HB311, SB60

Keywords: impoundment, driver licenses, vehicle redemption, local identification cards, law enforcement, HB285, TJ's Law, traffic infraction, traffic ticket, uniform traffic ticket and complaint, minor driver, juvenile driver, parent notification, guardian notification, emergency contact, citing agency, traffic citation, driver safety, youth safety, Alabama traffic law

Transcript Highlights:

• in the future, because right now, as it stands, you're running grant programs to schools who apply.
• in the future, because right now, as it stands, you're running grant programs to schools who apply.
• That typically is what we're funding is, you know, our robotics programs, our art programs, programs
• program necessarily?
• So the land grant is currently... So the land grant is currently...

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Grant program.
• <00:25:11.720> The<00:25:11.840> initial planning grant program.
• The initial planning grant program.
• The two sections just extend the application deadline for the solar public building grant program.
• solar for public building grant program. solar for public building grant program.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of programs that are already done.
• <01:01:10.039> to in through these formula programs to in through these formula programs to
• few days we've started to have program few days we've started to have program officers<01:03:02.119
• knowledge where that Grant knowledge where that Grant assistant<01:04:57.000> commissioner
• were the grid improvements for the grant were the grid improvements for the grant money<01:09:54.920

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm Doctor Sarah Dents, principal program evaluator with your LFC.
• That's because they received a grant.
• The hospital's just barely got this program up and running with Medicaid program.
• and it's we don't see it as this program has failed.
• it's a good program that it's not being implemented properly.

Transcript Highlights:

• because we didn't get the grant. >> Well, what programming was occurring before that you won't be able
• Yeah, are those programs, the federal free and reduced lunch program and our state farm to school program
• school snacks program.
• snacks program.
• vegetable program?

Keywords: 916, all