Transcript Highlights:

• It's a program within Health and Welfare.
• What the governor's office had done initially to get rid of some of these programs.
• They kicked that money back in just to try to get this program along.
• math initiative programs, and limited English proficiency programs; directing the use of monies for
• It's a 287 program requiring law enforcement to submit an application. Thank you.

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , a new attendance program.
• </c> have spent years in the ship program. have spent years in the ship program.
• If they go into the SHIP program, they've earned their way to the program.
• They go into the SHIP program.
• them in the SHIP program.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Or, I looked up like a police program that's about a 2-year program at the Hibbing College.
• about a like a police program that's about a 2-year<00:26:17.440><c> program</c><00:26:17.920><c> at
• </c> updates across several programs updates across several programs including<00:49:36.080><c> the</
• </c> of the federal voucher program. of the federal voucher program.
• Next slide, please. pre-kindergarten program. And this is an pre-kindergarten program.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> then third the farm advocate program. then third the farm advocate program.
• They cover our programs from the department, but also a number of our partners' programs.
• They cover our programs from the department, but also a number of our partners' programs.
• He supervises this program.
• Just looking at the ROST program.

Bills: HF2103, HF4508

Keywords: energy, renewable energy, ammonia, hydrogen, certificate tracking, funding, environment, elk, cervidae, cervid importation, chronic wasting disease, CWD, animal health, livestock, wildlife disease, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, state veterinarian, zoo, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, AZA

Transcript Highlights:

• Brownfields is another program. Yeah, it's a revolving loan program, excuse me.
• </c> to the to the federal federal program. to the to the federal federal program.
• I was fearful that program areas.
• </c> workforce related programs I described. workforce related programs I described.
• And how many the program. Sure.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Dedicated Funds met to review the House budget provision that would impose a 5% administrative charge on a broad list of dedicated funds, with some exemptions. Members discussed the House approach versus the Senate’s more general approach of leaving the governor discretion over which funds could be charged. The chair explained the committee was hearing from agencies about any legal, contractual, or practical reasons their funds should be exempt, and the agenda was expanded to include several departments and written submissions from others. The Department of Education testified first, identifying several funds it said should be exempt: a printing revolving fund that is funded by transfers rather than fees; teacher certification, which is self-funded by educator licensing fees and would require an immediate fee increase if charged; a vending stand set-aside tied to the federal Randolph-Sheppard program and subject to federal approval and vendor committee procedures; and a public school infrastructure/safety account, where most revenue is transferred from the education trust fund or general fund rather than generated by fees. Members questioned the department about the effect on school safety projects and whether the fee would simply reduce the number of projects completed each year. The Veterans Home asked for exemptions for three funds: a donation benefit account used for recreational activities and quality-of-life expenses for residents, a small memorial trust fund whose interest supports veteran activities, and a resident member account that holds veterans’ personal income such as Social Security and pensions. The department argued the charge would reduce donations, cut services, and effectively function like an income tax on vulnerable veterans. The Banking Department also requested exemption for its consumer credit administration license fund, saying it is used to keep exam fees low and is expressly intended by statute to reduce costs on regulated businesses; it said the 5% charge would undermine that framework and could eventually force higher fees. The Department of Justice began testimony on its dedicated funds, starting with the medical legal investigative fund, which pays for death investigations and related services under statute and without general fund support. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided; the committee mainly heard testimony and asked questions about the practical and legal effects of applying the administrative charge.

Transcript Highlights:

• We issued an unmodified opinion on the federal program, a clean opinion on the federal program.
• The three programs that we audited this year were the mortgage insurance program, the Ginnie Mae program
• Care Assistance Program.
• We have been carrying over funding from our TANF program, so it's not The TANF program—so that $22.3
• Is that a similar program? Yeah. Is that a similar program?

Summary: The committee met to receive a series of audit presentations, beginning with the statewide Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for fiscal year 2025. The State Auditor’s Office and OMB reported a clean, unmodified opinion for the state, with strong financial results including a $40.6 billion net position, $30.99 billion in assets, $1.81 billion in liabilities, and continued Legacy Fund growth. OMB also explained the new GASB 101 compensated-absences reporting change and discussed pension-liability fluctuations tied to discount-rate assumptions and investment performance. Members asked about how the state compares to others and about the effect of short-term commodity price swings, and OMB said the report reflects actual fiscal-year results rather than forecasts. The committee then heard the University System audit, which also received a clean opinion but included four findings: misreporting of Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund revenue, insufficient monitoring of service organizations at CTS, NDSU, and UND, improper bank reconciliations at Dakota College of Bottineau, Dickinson State, and Williston State, and investment/cash reconciliation problems at Bismarck State College related to bond proceeds. University officials agreed with the findings and said corrective actions were underway, including internal review of bank reconciliations. Members raised questions about NDSU’s use of certificates of deposit, and university staff explained that CDs are used to earn interest on funds being accumulated for future projects. Several other audits were presented, most with clean opinions and no findings, including the State Auditor’s Office, Workforce Safety and Insurance, Housing Finance Agency, Housing Incentive Fund, Job Service North Dakota, the Retirement and Investment Office, PERS, the Center for Distance Education, the Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents, the Ethics Commission, and the Office of Administrative Hearings. Notable exceptions included a State Fair Association audit with an adverse opinion on the foundation component unit because its financial statements were not available for audit, and a Securities Department performance audit finding that performance-based pay increases and bonuses were issued without required evaluations. The committee also discussed the State Auditor’s future needs, including more staff capacity, data analytics, cybersecurity reviews, possible subpoena authority, independent legal counsel, and whether some audits—such as the Ethics Commission and State Fair—should be handled by independent third parties or under different statutory arrangements.

Transcript Highlights:

• "I took advantage of the programming.
• So I got enrolled in the program, and I took those programs, even knowing that I was serving a sentence
• "I didn't start any programs, but I did facilitate all the programs that I took.
• One of my favorite programs was the transition training program.
• So that was one of my favorite programs, and I facilitated that program for about seven years."

Summary: The Committee on Corrections and Public Institutions resumed consideration of Senate Bill 888, focusing on sentencing changes, juvenile certification provisions, and the Department of Corrections’ fiscal impact. Department officials clarified that courts, not the DOC, impose sentences, and said the bill’s main elements for the department were sentencing transparency and changes affecting people in DOC custody. Members questioned whether the bill amounted to “truth in sentencing,” whether any federal incentives still exist for such laws, and whether the department would need a supplemental appropriation if prison populations rose; the department said it was not aware of any current federal incentive dollars and would likely seek a quick supplemental if costs exceeded budgeted capacity. Officials also explained that most federal funds received by DOC are pass-through grants, mainly for education and substance abuse treatment, and that the fiscal note uses boilerplate language tied to population and capacity changes. The committee then heard opposition testimony from Clifton Davis of the Missouri Justice Coalition, who described being certified as an adult at age 16 and serving 26 years in prison. He argued the bill’s juvenile certification provisions are too broad because they would allow adult prosecution based on Class A or B felony charges alone, before facts are fully developed, and would expose more children to adult records and prison conditions that increase trauma and recidivism. In questioning, Davis said the bill would have changed his life by avoiding an adult record and likely placing him in juvenile treatment instead of adult prison. Other members raised concerns about the bill’s impact on juvenile rehabilitation, prison programming, and whether the legislation is purely punitive. In executive session, Representative Davis offered an amendment to clarify that vaccination status alone cannot prove first-degree child endangerment; he argued the bill’s reclassification of the offense could otherwise create strict-liability concerns and undermine existing religious or medical exemptions. Representative Hovis opposed the amendment as unnecessary, citing existing statute and the lack of a history of such prosecutions. The committee split 8-8 on the amendment, so it failed. The committee then voted on Senate Bill 888 itself and passed it do pass by a 9-7 roll call vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> the library construction grants program the library construction grants program for<00:01:24.880
• Uh the program like I Minnesota.
• Uh, this program requires a libraries.
• Murphy program.
• Murphy program.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And again, the paramedic program operation line is increasing to $19,053,743.
• So that's a program that was run by DART for at least a couple decades.
• So this program was started, I think, 30 or 40 years ago. And that amount, and Mr.
• program providing breakfasts, as well as activities at their center.
• as part of the SNAP and WIC program. ...as part of the SNAP and WIC program, and I believe this was

Summary: The Joint Finance Committee met to review and vote on the fiscal year 2027 Grants and Aid Act, which was expected to be pre-filed as Senate Bill 337. Members first reviewed Section 1, covering county seat payments, paramedic operations, senior center allocations, senior center transportation, and Homeland Security grants. They approved Section 1 after discussion of how senior center transportation is being moved from DART to grant-in-aid and how some organizations can appear in both the senior center formula and the general aging category. The committee then worked through Section 2, which included one-time appropriations and the various grant categories for aging, arts/historical/recreation, economic housing or labor services, family and youth services, health or disability services, and neighborhood and community services. Members discussed several specific items, including New Castle County reassessment-related funding, Friends of Cooch’s Bridge, Slaughter Neck Community Action Organization, Plastic-Free Delaware, Love, Inc. of the Delmarva, and the Southern Delaware Horse Retirement Association. One aging line for Slaughter Neck was reduced back to flat funding after members questioned a large increase, and the revised category total was adjusted accordingly. Each of the Section 2 subcategories was then adopted. Section 3, covering fire companies and public service ambulance companies, was approved with increases across apparatus, ambulance, rescue truck, aerial truck, rescue boat, substation, and insurance rebate equalization funding. Section 4, for veterans organizations and youth programs such as Boys State, Girls State, and Trooper Youth Week, was also adopted. The committee then approved the epilogue sections, which included eligibility, audit, payment, and reporting rules; special provisions for the Wilmington Senior Center contingency; conditions tied to several one-time appropriations; withholding funding from Merri-Dell Volunteer Fire Company pending a corrective report; and reprogramming $1,485,000 from a prior SMART food program appropriation toward SNAP/WIC-related food access initiatives. The meeting ended with remarks thanking staff and noting that it was likely the last JFC meeting for two members, followed by adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:03:35.360><c> For</c> child care assistance programs. For child care assistance programs.
• </c><00:07:04.199><c> Um</c> fraud and misuse in our programs. Um fraud and misuse in our programs.
• Section 9 is also from the programs.
• And the sharing, you know, if we've got a bad actor in one program, the ability to let other programs
• ><c> to</c> to let other programs know that um to to let other programs know that um to flag<00:09:13.440

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee heard House File 2260, a Judiciary Committee clone of portions of the larger DHS policy bill, and adopted the A1 amendment, which was described as largely technical but also incorporating changes from the related human services bill. The bill was presented as covering several DHS-related policy areas, including background studies transparency, anti-kickback provisions for medical assistance and child care assistance, and personal data protections for human services judges. The amendment also added a number of provisions related to direct care and treatment, competency restoration billing and data sharing, fraud enforcement tools, behavioral health fund eligibility, and clarifications to prior law. Testimony from DHS Office of Inspector General legislative director Ardian Diddy emphasized that the bill would improve transparency in background studies, update investigative and arrest data access, extend a limited set-aside to similar provider types, and correct an effective-date error from last session. He also said the anti-kickback language would mirror federal Medicaid law for medical assistance and create a state-level prohibition for CCAP, giving DHS and law enforcement more tools to investigate fraud and misuse. Additional provisions would add human services judges to existing personal data protections for judicial officials. Diddy also explained amendment sections from the governor’s fraud package, including authority to act against entities convicted of fraud or theft, data-sharing improvements, and a disqualification from management and billing positions. Members raised questions about possible conflicts of interest involving DHS employees with outside LLCs and about the need for stronger safeguards against fraud. The chair and other members referenced recent fraud cases and said the bill would help prevent similar abuses. Christy Grumman of DHS testified on the judge privacy section, saying there are about 35 human services judges and describing a recent incident in which a judge received violent threats serious enough to require the family’s temporary relocation by the State Patrol. Representative Hudson supported the anti-kickback provisions as a needed codification of agency authority. The committee then approved the amended bill and recommended it be re-referred to the Committee on Public Safety, Finance, and Policy.

Transcript Highlights:

• federal program has tax credits and tax incentives as part of the program.
• And that federal program has tax credits and tax incentives as part of the program.
• (TAP), and the Capital Infusion Program (SIP).
• The Small Business Assistance Programs, which are one of the largest programs across the state, include
• We want to ensure the program continues to include trusted community-based nonprofit providers.

Summary: The committee met as a subcommittee until quorum was established, then took up a series of bills on business, professions, health, cannabis, and consumer protection. AB 72, creating an electric vehicle economic opportunity zone in Riverside County, drew questions about whether the state should target one region over others, but supporters argued it would help bring EV manufacturing and related jobs to the Inland Empire. The bill passed on a 8-1 vote to Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement. AB 685, which would create the Small Business Resiliency and Innovation Fund to support technical assistance and capital infusion programs, drew broad support from small business networks and chambers, but some groups raised concerns that the June amendments could affect eligibility and that the funding should be clearly supplemental rather than replacing existing support. The author said discussions were ongoing, and the bill passed 10-0 to Senate Appropriations. The committee also approved AB 173, a resolution, on a 7-0 vote, and AB 1760, a Dental Practice Act cleanup bill sponsored by the Dental Board, on a 10-0 vote. AB 1637, which would limit changes to physician-authored medical records and make unauthorized alterations a misdemeanor, was supported by physicians and labor groups who said it would protect patient safety and professional accountability; it passed 10-0 to Senate Appropriations. AB 1785, allowing online sales of pseudoephedrine products with existing age and quantity safeguards, passed 10-0. AB 1973, expanding the ability of advanced practice clinicians to perform procedural abortions within their training, drew strong support from reproductive health providers and strong opposition from anti-abortion witnesses who raised safety concerns; after questions about training and oversight, it passed 7-3 to Senate Appropriations. The committee then considered AB 2025, requiring disclosure when rental listings use digitally altered or AI-staged images. Supporters said it would prevent renters from being misled, while the California Apartment Association said it was working with the author on implementation; the bill passed 8-1 to Senate Privacy, Digital Technologies and Consumer Protection. AB 2697, allowing drive-through cannabis sales with local approval and security requirements, was supported by cannabis businesses and operators as a way to improve access and compete with the illicit market, while narcotics officers opposed it over ID verification and public safety concerns; it passed 7-3 to Senate Appropriations. Finally, AB 2249, responding to a state audit on cannabis packaging attractive to children by defining prohibited imagery and creating a public rubric and pre-review process, received support from the cannabis operators association and the state auditor’s office, while small independent farmers raised concerns that some categorical bans could sweep too broadly. The transcript cuts off during that bill’s opposition testimony, and no final action on AB 2249 is shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• By investing fifth... ...as UGA, our key local aid program.
• In fact, in FY26, we did not fund the C-3 program at $150 million.
• But the C-3 program, which we're...
• But the C-3 program, which was a COVID-era program, was originally funded through so-called ARPA dollars
• , but only part of a program.

Keywords: 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• approved SUD monitoring program.
• in the stipend program.
• in the stipend program.
• and, if recommended by the program, contracts with and participates in the program.
• , for the grant program.

Bills: HB2340, HB2155, HB2531

Keywords: HB 2340, nursing assistants, nurse aide, substance use disorder monitoring program, monitoring program, credentialing, licensure, disciplinary records, enforcement action, public disclosure, privacy, third-party website, stipend program, financial assistance, treatment costs, drug testing, peer support, recovery, rehabilitation, board-approved program

Transcript Highlights:

• Placement Services Program, which is a very helpful program for people that get jobs when they might
• This program we needed to...
• Which is the IPS program.
• They do support this shift in funding from the EE program to the IPS program because of a surplus in
• The program works. People do depend on it.

Transcript Highlights:

• We see that pattern over and over, program after program, day after day.
• Residential consumers can buy into ADER programs or lease into ADER programs, and the most common way
• We used to have a program, and there's been some discussion about restarting that program, but we don't
• currently have a program. ...some discussion about restarting that program, but we don't currently have
• a program.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c><01:05:05.119><c> its</c> resident expert on the program, its resident expert on the program, its
• </c> supports the operation of the program supports the operation of the program paid<01:07:45.119><c
• ,</c><01:08:10.640><c> but</c> mean, it sounds like a good program, but mean, it sounds like a good program
• ,</c><01:10:02.080><c> and</c> have been registered in the program, and have been registered in the program
• </c><01:16:15.920><c> while</c> benefits of of the program while benefits of of the program while providing

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> impact of the direct admissions program impact of the direct admissions program on<01:09:38.799>
• </c> can take advantage of this great program can take advantage of this great program by<01:12:54.679
• It's a very exciting program.
• </c><01:36:45.560><c> up</c> their day um to set this program up their day um to set this program up
• </c><01:37:10.760><c> would</c> options are but this um program would options are but this um program

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um programs.
• program.
• </c> public programs. public programs.
• </c> removed from the program. removed from the program.
• </c> the program. Good. Thank you, Mr. Chair. the program. Good. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Bills: HF4110, HF4101, HF4144, HF3546

Keywords: workplace regulations, employee rights, meal breaks, rest breaks, exemptions, medical assistance, data matching, eligibility, reporting, human services, assisted living, health regulations, inspection authority, vulnerable adults, local government, program integrity, high-risk providers, enrollment requirements, fraud prevention, compliance

Transcript Highlights:

• It's about DHS program integrity.
• </c> with the legislature around program with the legislature around program integrity<00:01:57.600><
• um program integrity increase program um program integrity and<00:08:27.520><c> make</c><00:08:27.759
• </c> prevent fraud in those programs. prevent fraud in those programs.
• in the 14 we've seen across programs in the 14 high-risisk<00:21:37.440><c> programs.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And so programs uh could help engage.
• </c><01:05:46.079><c> at</c> loan committees and loan programs at loan committees and loan programs at
• workforce programs.
• </c> workforce development programs workforce development programs particularly<01:14:09.600><c> in</
• Um, 10,000 of them that program.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all