Transcript Highlights:

• independent office that works outside of agencies and is just monitoring all public and private entities
• primary goal: it's an independent oversight authority that would make sure that any public or private entity
• would make sure that any public<00:02:36.560> or<00:02:36.760> private<00:02:37.080> entity
• <00:02:37.440> that<00:02:37.760> receives public or private entity that receives public
• or private entity that receives taxpayer<00:02:38.599> dollars<00:02:39.560> would<00:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The authorization would be extended to entities that engage in cash transactions on behalf of the state
• Among them, the entity is not currently suspended or disbarred, and that none of its owners, officers
• Of note, section 8, the term related entity is now defined. grants and expand the responsible grants
• Among them, the entity is not elements.
• Among them, the entity is not currently<00:52:42.160> suspended<00:52:42.760> or<00:52:

Bills: HF4364, HF4821, HF4543, HF3945

Keywords: Central and Eastern European Affairs, ethnic council, advisory council, Minnesota state government, immigrant communities, refugees, humanitarian parolees, Ukraine, Poland, Croatia, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Czech Republic, Baltic states, Slovakia, Slovenia, Kosovo, Russia

Summary: The committee first approved the April 7, 2026 minutes and then held an informal hearing on House File 4364, which would establish a Central and Eastern European Ethnic Council in Minnesota. Representative Jordan and testifiers Mykola Mager and Julia Miller described the large Central and Eastern European community in Minnesota, its contributions to the state, and the need for a formal advisory body to help address barriers to government services, support refugees, workforce development, entrepreneurship, and cultural understanding. Members expressed general support and noted the bill’s importance, but no formal action was taken on the bill during the hearing. The committee then took up House File 4543, a bill to create a centralized payroll reporting portal for prevailing wage projects. Representative Frazier said the bill would reduce administrative burden on project owners, improve transparency and accountability, and help prevent wage theft, misclassification, tax fraud, and insurance fraud. Testifiers from county, city, and contractor groups largely supported the idea of streamlining reporting, but contractor representatives raised concerns about employee data privacy, public access to sensitive payroll information, duplication of existing systems, interoperability with contractor software, and the need for stakeholder engagement. Members echoed both support and caution, and the bill was laid over as amended rather than advanced. Finally, the committee considered House File 4821, described by Chair Klevorn as addressing the “penny problem” and a related change to high-deductible insurance plans. The bill would authorize state agencies to round cash transactions because of the penny shortage and would change MMB’s obligation to offer certain high-deductible health plans from “must” to “may,” producing modest administrative savings. Members questioned the drafting of the rounding language and asked about cash transactions at state agencies and the handling of cannabis tax payments. The chair noted the bill had missed the deadline and would be caught by the chief clerk’s office; the discussion ended with the bill being laid over as amended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Patrol, and the Commissioner of Public Safety still has the authority in the functioning of that entity
• And the law enforcement entity had to be included in the work that I was supposed to do for the people
• :08:45.680> the<00:08:45.760> law<00:08:45.880> enforcement<00:08:46.640> entity
• had to be And the law enforcement entity had to be included<00:08:48.400> in<00:08:48.600>
• have a process whereby we have an entity have a process whereby we have an entity responsible<00

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: House File 3791 was laid over for possible inclusion later, with Rep. Green and Rep. Noor presenting it as a response to rising threats against Minnesota elected officials and public officers. They cited increased threat reports, the June 2025 killings of Speaker Emeritus Melissa Hortman and her husband, the shootings of Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, and other recent threats as evidence that current protective resources are insufficient. The bill would create a state officials protective services unit within the State Patrol, provide security and threat-assessment services for principal state officials, and require reporting on credible threats. Rep. Noor said the proposal would be triggered by leadership when there is a credible threat, would include legislators and constitutional officers, and would be funded at about $3.98 million in FY 2027 with an ongoing base of $3.25 million, with some ability to contract with local law enforcement for support in official-capacity situations. Members raised concerns about scope, jurisdiction, and cost. Rep. Olsen argued the bill was not narrow enough and worried it could allow Capitol Security to provide home or event security too broadly, rather than limiting the work to the Capitol and catastrophic incidents. Rep. Joy offered an A1 amendment to use existing funds instead of adding new spending, saying local sheriffs and police already handle many situations. That amendment failed on a voice vote. Rep. Olson then moved an A2 amendment focused on clarifying who should be in charge of protection at home and how local law enforcement would be involved; discussion centered on whether Capitol Security, State Patrol, or local agencies should lead response and how credible threats would be determined. Supporters of the bill, including Rep. Green and Rep. Muir, said the events of June 14 showed the need for a dedicated, coordinated protective service and that local responses were uneven across jurisdictions. Rep. Muir described delayed or inconsistent police responses after the attacks and said lawmakers need a more reliable system to keep members and their families safe. Rep. Keagle also testified about personal threats and harassment at home, including a prank pizza delivery that made her fear someone knew when she was home. The committee did not take final action on the bill beyond laying it over, and the A1 amendment failed; discussion on the A2 amendment and the bill’s details continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• referrals from DHS, from managed care organizations, from the public, from other law enforcement entities
• referrals from DHS, from managed care organizations, from the public, from other law enforcement entities
• referrals from DHS, from managed care organizations, from the public, from other law enforcement entities
• referrals from DHS, from managed care organizations, from the public, from other law enforcement entities
• The agency, we are a separate entity set up by the Minnesota Constitution, and we operate in the role

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Our public entities, like our volunteer fire departments, provide essential services to our banks, our
• That includes minuscule differences to larger entities, such as a percent of interest, a percent and
• The rest of it I raise. larger entities, larger public entities larger entities, larger public entities
• Well, the volunteer fire departments are a tax-exempt entity.
• It seems like a tax exempt entity.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so it's very important to us that every other entity that is taking tax dollars abides by the same
• And so it's very important to us that every other entity that is taking tax dollars abides by the same
• so we can have competition and not have one entity with a boot on its throat.
• To not have one entity with a boot on its throat, and that's where we are.
• Those other entities that they talk about are not. There are fundamentally different systems.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 2266, which would change school district and charter governing board policy from permissive to mandatory for excusing students for religious instruction during the school day. The sponsor and supporters framed it as a parental-choice and religious-liberty measure that preserves release-time programs, while opponents argued it would reduce local control, take students out of core instruction, create peer pressure and bullying, and raise constitutional concerns. After testimony from Secular AZ, a LifeWise Academy board member, and a school board president, the committee voted 7-5 to give HB 2266 a do pass recommendation. The committee then took up House Bill 2193, a cleanup measure related to student directory information and parent organizations such as PTOs/PTAs/APTs. Supporters said the bill would restore parent-to-parent communication that had been unintentionally limited by prior privacy legislation, while some members raised concerns about how the information could be used and suggested narrowing the language to prevent political or lobbying uses. The bill advanced on a 10-1 vote, with members generally supporting school-community communication but asking for possible amendments. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2075, which requires public school districts to submit superintendent and other top administrator contracts or attestations to ADE and have the information posted in a searchable database. The sponsor and Goldwater Institute supporters said the bill is a transparency measure because base salary reports do not show total compensation, benefits, or allowances; opponents from school administrator groups and rural districts argued the bill singles out districts while ignoring charters and other publicly funded education providers, and they said superintendent pay is already publicly available in other forms. Discussion also touched on whether the bill should be expanded to charters and private schools. The sponsor closed by emphasizing transparency and the committee continued discussion of the measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so I think that is where those two entities come in.
• So it would be from lead to license to have an entity that would then be able to license those foster
• I can get you those entities specifically.
• Each of these three, well, I believe each of these three entities discussed.
• I am not certain that the Attorney General is the right entity to do that.

Transcript Highlights:

• This change that's in the bill would kind of take away that requirement and allow the entity to meet
• And if we're going to have these entities self-governing and up and running, it seems to me that even
• <00:21:08.480> to entity to entity to um<00:21:09.760> um um um um um have<00:21:11.400
• <00:21:21.560> to<00:21:21.760> meet<00:21:22.400> more and allow the entity
• to meet more and allow the entity to meet more infrequently<00:21:23.440> than<00:21:23.600><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Madam Chair, members, entities contracted with the state statute allows entities contracted with the
• access to money's benefits or services the school provides to other community groups or independent entities
• Finally, the bill provides a private cause of action to any... ...groups or independent entities.
• creditors act that allows a person or business to assign control of their assets to another person or entity
• prohibition, prohibits a municipality from imposing a fine or penalty on a business or commercial entity

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee heard a long series of Senate bills, mostly on third-read consent, covering education, public safety, health, courts, labor, and water. Several bills were briefly explained and then pulled from consent for further discussion, including measures on public records review standards (SB 1078), sexually explicit materials in schools/libraries (SB 1435 and SB 1567), burial costs in death cases (SB 1135), military flags in HOAs/COAs (SB 1184), court-ordered treatment guardianship (SB 1243), standardized state hiring (SB 1665), released-time religious instruction (SB 1741), firearm safety instruction in schools (SB 1424), student participation in extracurriculars after certain convictions (SB 1475), Celebrate Freedom Week (SB 1572), federal scholarship-granting organizations/vouchers (SB 1142), immigration-related arrest notifications (SB 1055), defamation standards (SB 1099), peace officer certification for military police veterans (SB 1107), mandatory reporting of child abuse/neglect directly to DCS (SB 1127), attorney licensing and discipline issues (SB 1148 and SB 1039), concealed weapons on college campuses (SB 1068), and firearm muffling devices/silencers (SB 1069). Members also raised constitutional, policy, and school-safety concerns on several of these bills, while supporters emphasized alternative pathways for students, veterans, and workers, and tighter reporting or licensing rules. Other bills were described without extended debate, including claims against the state for unpaid contracted services (SB 1097), workers’ compensation death benefits for surviving spouses who remarry (SB 1136), burial expense increases (SB 1135), state agency web pages for internal guidance (SB 1586), court-ordered treatment procedures and service of process in mental health cases (SB 1113), medical examiner authorization (SB 1123), tribal MOUs with DCS (SB 1125), controlled-substance scheduling conformity with federal classifications (SB 1188), EMT personal information protections (SB 1193), mammography notice updates (SB 1318), assisted-living referral disclosures (SB 1477), accommodation school GED instruction for 11th graders and students over 16 (SB 1166), credit enhancement board continuation (SB 1422), school district and charter school obligations related to religious release time (SB 1741), school firearm safety instruction (SB 1424), and school civics/freedom-week instruction (SB 1572). The committee also heard bills on CPA certification pathways (SB 1181), insurance adjuster licensing (SB 1415), county voter-registration rules online (SB 1040), campaign address privacy (SB 1259), federal land acquisition notification (SB 1281), water supply/demand assessments (SB 1202), environmental compatibility for power plants and small modular reactors (SB 1418), and groundwater recovery rules (SB 1785). The meeting ended with announcements and a brief recognition of Rep. Stephanie Hamilton with an “Affordability Award.” No final votes are shown in the transcript excerpt; instead, many bills were either left on consent, pulled for later discussion, or flagged for closed caucus. The chair then asked guests to leave so members could hold a closed caucus.

Transcript Highlights:

• While there are several entities that have a statutory role in the state's real estate, it's the Office
• The Oklahoma Capitol Improvement Authority, a lending entity, can either lend from the legacy capital
• on a deal Yeah, so could somebody talk about the increase of going into that leasing with private entities
• you know 74s61.8, the Office of Management and Enterprise Services shall determine if the applicant entity
• federal government and other states, it is clear that better property decisions are made when one entity

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• However, it does not apply to taxpayers paying as pass-through entities and partnerships.
• If a pass-through entity elects, they can choose a pass-through entity tax instead of the corporate income
• This increases state revenue a bit by subjecting all of these pass-through entities that elect this to
• stay with the marginal tax rates and are capped with their deduction, Again, these pass-through entities
• federal bill, starting in January, you have to start reducing the amount of payments to whatever entities

Transcript Highlights:

• All of these entities, all of us together are what make the Minnesota Senate the special place that it
• All of these entities, all of us together are what make the Minnesota Senate the special place that it
• All of these entities, all of us together are what make the Minnesota Senate the special place that it
• All of these entities, all of us together are what make the Minnesota Senate the special place that it
• All of these entities, all of us together are what make the Minnesota Senate the special place that it

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• institutions of higher education, allowing Texas to reclaim oversight from private. non-governmental entities
• So that's why we require that this new entity has to be federally recognized before the schools transition
• That is what we want to have—a mix of higher education represented on that new TAA entity.
• Obviously, that could be winnowed down some because we allow other states to use our state accrediting entity
• So I think at the end of the day, this is putting Texas in control of accrediting entities that. are

Bills: SB1998, SB646, SB2786, SB2076, SB2615, SB1961, SB1418, SB2647, SB1322, SB2788

Keywords: pediatrics, medical education, subsidiary, preceptorship, medical training, student programs, mental health, loan repayment, education funding, mental health professionals, healthcare access, Texas Success Initiative, exemption, public officers, employees, higher education, Capitol view, Austin, urban planning, construction

Transcript Highlights:

• We've been collaborating with other entities outside of the institution.
• As the oversight entity, we only have the capacity to try and get to that goal of 25%.
• Whether or not it goes out to an outside entity is a determination that the CDCR executives make, and
• but I could just tell you from my experience talking to the population and talking with outside entities
• We have the outside entities, such as the Sister Warriors Ambassador Program that comes in that they

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I do not have the specific definition in front of me, but it is, I Marcus Adams: believe, an entity that
• Marcus Adams: There's third-party entities that provide some wallet solutions for the cold wallets or
• Given that the Department of Banking regulates entities that are both permitted PFC Chairman Lambert:
• hope they put their faith in Marcus Adams: The Department of Banking, and we would regulate that entity
• to prohibit or remove someone who has engaged in certain malfeasance activity from working in any entity

Transcript Highlights:

• But when you've got the unity of command, the guy that commands each of those entities, in fact, the
• only entity that, based upon a resource witness, there may be others, but based upon a resource witness
• , OCA is a judicial branch entity, the Office of Court Administration, but by putting it in the governor's
• Even with the change to the governor's office, we don't believe that this is the appropriate entity.
• Is there, with OCA being a judicial branch entity, would the bill need to contemplate giving direction

Bills: SB825

Keywords: illegal immigration, economic impact, environmental impact, financial impact, annual study, Texas, government report

Summary: The Senate Committee on Border Security heard testimony on Senate Bill 825 by Senator Middleton, as substituted, which would require an annual or biennial study of the economic, environmental, and financial impacts of illegal immigration in Texas. Middleton said the bill is intended to provide lawmakers with comprehensive data on costs to law enforcement, health care, education, infrastructure, and taxpayers, and to support possible federal reimbursement claims. Several senators, including Hinojosa and Eckhardt, agreed that a study is needed but raised concerns about bias, the scope of the study, and whether the Comptroller’s Office rather than the governor’s office should conduct it. Middleton argued the governor’s office was the best coordinating entity because it could direct multiple agencies to provide data, while Hinojosa and others emphasized the Comptroller’s expertise and prior 2006 study. Public testimony was generally supportive of the idea of a study but critical of the bill’s framing. Sarah Cruz of the ACLU of Texas said the study should be a full cost-benefit analysis and warned that focusing only on costs could create an anti-immigrant narrative. Danny Woodward of the Texas Civil Rights Project also supported the concept but recommended moving the study to the Comptroller or, alternatively, creating a neutral commission. Jaime Pointe of Every Texan likewise supported updating the 2006 analysis and said state agencies should be able to cooperate with a governor-led study. Resource witnesses from the governor’s office, HHSC, TEA, OCA, TDCJ, and DPS explained that data collection would be uneven across agencies. HHSC and TEA said they often do not collect immigration status and, in TEA’s case, federal law limits schools from requesting such information; OCA and TDCJ said they could provide only partial or indirect data unless new reporting requirements were added. DPS said it already has Operation Lone Star data but would need to collect additional information if tasked with the broader study. The chair asked the governor’s office to provide a follow-up answer on separation-of-powers and related authority questions by the following Tuesday, and the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair without taking a vote on the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's important to be there because we already have the infrastructure in place in that entity for stroke
• It's important to be there because we already have the infrastructure in place in that entity for stroke
• It's important to be there because we already have the infrastructure in place in that entity for stroke
• Will the advisory committee kind of be the entity within the state that any research entity would contact
• Will the advisory committee kind of be the entity within the state that any research entity would contact

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Health Services met with a quorum, first taking up referred administrative regulations. One regulation was deferred, and two others were noted as deficient; with no one wishing to speak, the committee treated the regulations as reviewed. The committee then heard Senate Bill 13 from Chairman Meredith, which would reduce the number of Medicaid managed care organizations from five to three. Meredith argued the bill would reduce administrative burden, improve oversight, help rural providers, and potentially lower costs for families and the Medicaid program. Senators Berg, Herron, and Douglas asked about data, patient impact, network adequacy, and prior authorization burdens; Meredith said the effect on patients would be indirect through better access and less administrative delay. The committee approved a committee substitute and passed SB 13 favorably on a 10-0 vote. The committee next considered Senate Joint Resolution 26, presented by Senator Richardson and Kentucky Pharmacists Association Executive Director Ben Mudd. The resolution asks the Department of Medicaid Services to provide data and cost analysis on paying pharmacists fairly for clinical services already within their scope of practice under Medicaid and KCHIP. Supporters said pharmacists can improve access, especially in rural areas, by providing services such as medication therapy management, chronic disease management, and preventive care, and that the resolution is intended to gather information before any future bill. Senator Douglas questioned whether expanded pharmacy duties have actually improved access or outcomes and whether there is published data; Mudd said the Board of Pharmacy tracks use of protocols but that more data is needed. The committee approved the resolution by roll call, with all members voting aye. At the end of the meeting, Chairman Meredith announced that Senate Bill 27 would be heard for discussion only and not acted on that day so members could review it further. Senator Brandon Storm introduced SB 27, which would create a Kentucky Parkinson’s disease research registry, and noted that a Michael J. Fox Foundation representative could not attend because of a winter storm; her letter was included in the packet. Storm said the registry is intended to support research and policy by tracking Parkinson’s disease in Kentucky, citing national prevalence and cost figures. No vote was taken on SB 27 during this meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• We get these funds differently than any other entity.
• We get these funds differently than any other entity.
• We get these funds differently than any other entity.
• We get these funds differently than any other entity.
• We get these funds differently than any other entity.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Minnesota House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee met on January 22, 2025, for its first meeting and took up House File 5, introduced by Representative Jim Joy and moved to the Tax Committee. Joy said the bill would make Minnesota more affordable by eliminating the Social Security tax, repealing the motor fuels tax inflator, removing the retail delivery fee, and changing vehicle-related taxes and metro-area sales tax allocations. Committee fiscal staff reviewed the bill’s fiscal effects, including impacts on the general fund, the Highway User Tax Distribution Fund, the Transportation Advancement Account, and the split between Metropolitan Council and metropolitan counties. Testimony was largely divided along stakeholder lines. The Minnesota Grocers Association and Minnesota Propane Association supported repealing the retail delivery fee, arguing it creates administrative burdens, requires costly software changes, and raises costs that are passed on to consumers; propane representatives said the fee is especially burdensome because most of their deliveries are exempt but still require tracking and reporting. In contrast, the League of Minnesota Cities, Minnesota Association of Small Cities, Metro Cities, and Minnesota Association of Townships emphasized the need for stable, predictable transportation funding for local roads and said they support the Transportation Advancement Account and related revenue streams, though some were neutral on the exact source of funding. The League and small cities groups said local governments need reliable annual revenue and that past funding has been inconsistent. Committee members asked about who pays the delivery fee, its exemptions, and how much revenue it has generated versus earlier forecasts. Fiscal staff said current estimates for delivery fee revenue are below original projections, and explained the fee’s exemptions and $100 transaction threshold. Representative Joy said his intent was to keep small cities and townships whole as the bill moves forward. No vote was taken in the portion of the meeting provided; the bill was heard and referred as noted at the outset.

Transcript Highlights:

• We get these funds different than any other entity.
• Other entities get their payment in kind of one lump sum.
• we get our funds paid twice a entity we get our funds paid twice a year<00:28:49.120> in<00:28
• <00:28:57.399> gets<00:28:57.559> their gets split every other entity gets their gets
• split every other entity gets their payment<00:28:58.159> in<00:28:58.360> kind<00:28:

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: House File 5 was heard in the Transportation Committee and moved by the author, Representative Jim Joy, to be referred to the Tax Committee. Joy described the bill as a package to make Minnesota more affordable by fully eliminating the Social Security tax subtraction, ending the motor fuels tax indexing, repealing the retail delivery fee, and studying vehicle registration/license taxes compared with neighboring states. Committee fiscal staff explained the bill’s fiscal effects across the general fund, highway user tax distribution fund, transportation advancement account, and metro county sales tax allocations, including that the delivery fee repeal would reduce Transportation Advancement Account revenue and that the bill would shift some revenue sources to offset losses. Several stakeholders testified. The Minnesota Grocers Association strongly supported repealing the retail delivery fee, arguing it is costly and complex for retailers to administer, especially small businesses, and that the costs are ultimately passed on to consumers. The Minnesota Propane Association also supported repeal, saying the fee is burdensome for propane businesses, that only a small share of deliveries are actually subject to it, and that compliance costs can exceed the fee revenue collected. Fiscal staff noted that delivery fee revenue forecasts have fallen below earlier projections, and explained that the fee is imposed on sellers with several exemptions, including a $100 transaction threshold and exemptions for some sales such as bars, restaurants, nonprofits, and certain small businesses. Opposition came from local government groups. The League of Minnesota Cities said it supported the Transportation Advancement Account and its 2023 funding sources, including the delivery fee and motor vehicle parts sales tax, and warned that the bill would prematurely alter a funding structure that cities rely on for predictable transportation revenue. The Minnesota Association of Small Cities said small cities had long lacked dedicated transportation funding and wanted a stable, ongoing revenue stream, but were neutral on the exact source as long as it was reliable. Metro Cities echoed support for stable, predictable transportation funding for metro-area cities. The committee took testimony and discussion only; no final vote was recorded in the excerpt beyond the motion to refer the bill to the Tax Committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• television or radio station or cable or satellite provider to run, liability doesn't attach to those entities
• that liability doesn't attach to to run that liability doesn't attach to those<00:01:39.439> entities
• c> only<00:01:40.400> attached<00:01:40.720> to<00:01:40.880> the those entities
• It only attached to the those entities.

Keywords: Technology - Room 210, 3 February, 2026; 11:30 A.M., 925, all

Summary: The committee heard a bill aimed at regulating artificial intelligence in qualified political advertisements. The sponsor explained that the measure applies only when an ad uses AI-generated image, audio, or video and is made on behalf of a candidate, committee, or other person in connection with an election or ballot issue. The bill would require clear disclosures: visible disclaimers for text or graphic ads, spoken disclaimers for audio ads, and both visual and spoken disclaimers for video ads. It was emphasized that the bill does not ban AI use in campaigns, does not regulate captions or written posts, does not apply to private social media activity, satire or parody, or news coverage/documentaries, and does not create criminal penalties. The sponsor also said liability would attach only to the person or committee that created the AI-generated ad, not to broadcasters or cable/satellite providers that air it. Penalties were described as up to $250 for a first violation by an individual, up to $1,000 for subsequent violations, and $1,000 per violation for committees. Enforcement would be available to the attorney general and to an injured or likely injured candidate, with venue in Hinds County or the county where the violation occurred or where voters were targeted. The sponsor said the attorney general’s office had been sent the bill and was monitoring it. During discussion, a senator praised the sponsor’s work and said the issue was already arising in practice. The sponsor then noted that, because the bill would have to return to the elections committee, an amendment would be added to adopt the universal definition of artificial intelligence and remove the current language for consistency. A motion to “sub pass” was made, and the committee proceeded to a vote.