Transcript Highlights:

• Align appropriations among strategies and methods of finance between years and to appropriate bill patterns
• . and general government agencies to the appropriate agency or functional grouping of agencies by method
• as retirement and group insurance, Social Security and benefit replacement pay, bond debt service payments
• , and lease payments.

Transcript Highlights:

• This gives us an earlier intervention that we can use before payment withholds.
• This gives us an earlier intervention that we can use before payment withholds.
• <00:12:31.240> The as fraud evolve their methods The as fraud evolve their methods The Proposal
• use before payment use before payment withholds<00:12:49.079> challenge<00:12:49.839>
• <00:32:23.000> being 2370 which is the program payments being 2370 which is the program payments

Bills: HF1470, HF1310, HF1837

Keywords: opioids, substance use, addiction recovery, mental health, state cabinet, HF1310, Office of Cannabis Management, cannabis, marijuana, tribal consultation, government-to-government relationship, Minnesota tribes, Tribal governments, state government, consultation, rulemaking, Indian affairs, cannabis regulation, tribal sovereignty, state-tribal relations

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, this is only a technical difference between the House and the Senate in terms of how the payment
• after that, I would of those payments after that, I would appreciate<00:25:49.039> it.
• Um, one of the things that we have identified as a potential challenge is as we get to that last payment
• Um, one of the things that we have identified as a potential challenge is as we get to that last payment
• Potential challenge is as we get to that last payment of the year, and if we have a set budget, we'll

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• moved to a different amortization method moved to a different amortization method referring<00:08
• For example, each December now, we have to come up with the lump-sum COLA payment of approximately a
• of approximately a billion payment of approximately a billion dollars<00:36:59.520> regardless
• Has the board looked at any method of having some sort of payment when someone privatizes something or
• It makes the payments more stable.

Keywords: Finance - Room 216, 20 January, 2026; 10:30 AM, 925, all

Summary: The committee heard an update from PERS Executive Director Higgins, who reported that the system has about $38 billion in assets, earned roughly 11.7% last fiscal year, and is about 57% funded. He thanked lawmakers for a newly passed $1 billion funding bill and emphasized that funding the existing system remains the top priority. Higgins also noted that the board’s actuarially recommended contribution is about 26% of payroll, while the system is currently receiving about 18.4%, and said PERS will return later in session with a few requested bills. Higgins addressed several policy topics under discussion this session, including return-to-work rules, first responders, and Tier 5. He said return-to-work changes are possible if the law is changed and funding implications are addressed. For first responders, he said any special treatment should be done within PERS rather than by creating a separate system, with the affected group and parameters clearly defined and fully funded. He also said the new Tier 5 hybrid plan is being implemented on track for March 1 and is projected to improve the system’s long-term financial position by reducing future liabilities and helping pay down the unfunded liability. Members then questioned Higgins about the system’s funding policy, the 30-year closed amortization period used in the ADC calculation, and whether that approach should be revisited in light of recent funding actions and changes in assumptions. Higgins said the board reviews the policy annually, that the closed amortization approach was chosen to better pay down the unfunded liability, and that the annual valuation and experience studies already incorporate recent funding changes, Tier 5, and the phased employer-rate increases. He acknowledged that a significant new infusion of funding could justify reviewing the amortization period, but cautioned against changing it too often because it could undermine progress toward paying down the unfunded liability.

Transcript Highlights:

• bill<00:05:09.639> is<00:05:09.919> not<00:05:10.280> a<00:05:10.479> method
• of success to the bill is not a method of success to keep<00:05:12.240> health<00:05:12.520><
• This bill says that people must not receive any service, payment, grant, loan, subsidy, or other form
• I want to find better methods. Thank you. Representative Mahamoud, you took your name off? Yes.
• Seeing none, thank you. find a better methods thank you thanks find a better methods thank you thanks

Bills: HF10, HF27

Keywords: undocumented immigrants, state funding, MinnesotaCare, scholarship ineligibility, state assistance, permit to carry, concealed carry, handgun permit, firearm permit, pistol training, sheriff, application process, electronic filing, mail application, fax submission, certified mail, certified delivery, gun rights, Second Amendment, firearms regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, this essentially is a change from the previous method that we used, which was attendance-based payment
• <05:22:49.520> methods<05:22:50.240> for uh enrollmentbased payment methods for uh
• enrollmentbased payment methods for the<05:22:50.718> child<05:22:51.040> care<05:22:51.360
• So the system had uh payment method.
• payment method to pay providers payment method to pay providers prospectively.<05:24:03.200>

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:26:50.800> of certain information regarding payment of certain information regarding payment
• more inner workings as to claims payment more inner workings as to claims payment process<01:31:
• carrying interest from premium payments carrying interest from premium payments made<01:32:37.360
• <01:32:44.400> There's<01:32:44.639> been claims payments as well.
• There's been claims payments as well.

Bills: SB2045, SB2354

Keywords: combat sports, boxing, mixed martial arts, health regulations, safety standards, licensing, event regulation, 912, senate, all

Summary: The committees first took up SB 2071 on rent-to-own housing. Testimony was generally supportive from HHFDC and Hawaii Realtors, but Sierra Club of Hawaii and others opposed the bill unless it was amended to exclude ceded lands from the 99-year lease provision. Members discussed the scope of ceded versus non-ceded lands and whether an inventory exists. The committees ultimately recommended passage with amendments, including HHFDC’s proposal to make the fixed-price period flexible by tying it to an option period and Sierra Club’s language limiting the program to non-ceded state or county land. They then heard SB 2191 on limited profit housing associations. HHFDC supported the measure, while the Tax Foundation of Hawaii and the Office of the Auditor urged caution about tax exclusions and asked for clearer, more targeted limits and measurable outcomes. The committees adopted amendments to add a statement of purpose, include measurable metrics, apply the tax provisions to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025, and delay the effective date to allow for administrative changes. SB 2191 was recommended for passage with amendments. The committees also considered SB 2197, which would have replaced the five-year fixed-price period in rent-to-own housing with an option period set by HHFDC, but deferred it indefinitely because its issues were addressed in SB 2071. SB 2180 on deposits of public funds drew comments from the Hawaii Bankers Association questioning definitions and noting banks are already subject to Community Reinvestment Act requirements; decision-making was deferred to the next day in the CPN committee and to a later date for the housing committee. Finally, SB 2210 on housing discrimination received support from disability advocates and the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, which asked for one additional investigator; the committees passed it with amendments adding a blank appropriation for one full-time position and planned to notify Ways and Means for possible re-referral.

Transcript Highlights:

• Align appropriations among strategies and methods of finance between years and appropriate bill patterns
• provisions and general government agencies to the appropriate agency or functional grouping of agencies by method
• retirement. and group insurance, social security and benefit replacement pay, bond debt service payments
• , and lease payments.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• TEACH PROGRAM AND WE RECEIVED 282 APPLICATIONS AND WE HAVE ISSUED SIX POINTS ALMOST 6.7 MILLION IN PAYMENTS
• IN PAYMENT HOSPITALS WILL USE A DIAGNOSTIC RELATING METHODOLOGY DRG AND WHAT THIS DID IS INCREASE ALL
• WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF ISSUING PAYMENTS FOR SLOTS FOR DOCTORS AND WE ANTICIPATE THREE PAYMENTS TO BE
• FOR THE LABS WE ARE WORKING ON MAKING SURE THEY USE APPROPRIATE METHODS AND WHEN WE CHECKED THEIR DATA
• IT MATCHES THE METHOD AND IN FACT SUPPORTS THE NUMBERS.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We can make our federal payments until you make your payments, and we'll just hold this.
• One is the payment in lieu of taxes, and that sort of starts on page 11.
• The payment in lieu of taxes is what the federal government gives to counties.
• It's been in the Farm Bill in the past, and so it may show up in some method or form of that.
• Snap payments are mandatory programs, are they not?

Transcript Highlights:

• They did the $3 bills and the single payment.
• and timing of payments needed to pay for that unfunded liability.
• 26:40.159> to amounts and timing of payments needed to amounts and timing of payments needed to
• Whether an amortization method costly.
• , liability, an amortization method, liability, an amortization method, choice<01:27:16.159> is

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Companies like ADP payroll, Airbnb payments are all examples of companies that have money transmitter
• Companies like ADP payroll, Airbnb payments are all examples of companies that have money transmitter
• When a payment method is overwhelmingly tied to fraud and offers victims very little chance of recovery
• Let's cut off at least this method that allows them to do that. Thank you. Thank you.
• For House Bill No. 435, House Bill 435 promotes payment parity in anesthesiology by prohibiting health

Bills: HB373

Keywords: infused beverages, THC, alcohol control, regulation, non-intoxicating cannabinoids, marijuana, legalization, taxation

Summary: The Senate Banking, Business, Insurance & Technology Committee met in hybrid format and heard testimony on several bills. HB 373, as amended, would regulate hemp-derived THC-infused beverages by defining the products, limiting them to 10 mg of Delta-9 THC per container, restricting sales to package stores and licensed marijuana retail stores, requiring testing and labeling, and imposing a 50-cent per container tax; the sponsor said the bill is intended to create guardrails and protect youth, and a wholesaler representative testified in support. HB 398 would allow racinos to serve alcohol until 2 a.m. and remove local authority to require earlier closing times; the sponsor and Bally’s representative said it would help Delaware remain competitive and increase revenue, and no opposition was heard. HB 433 would let municipalities and counties extend last call for bars, restaurants, and clubs from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m.; a witness from Connect Delaware supported it as a competitiveness and retention measure, emphasizing that it is permissive rather than mandatory. The committee also heard extensive testimony on HB 441, which would ban cryptocurrency kiosks/crypto ATMs in Delaware and require existing machines to be removed within 90 days. The sponsor and supporters, including AARP, the Delaware Department of Justice, and the League of Women Voters, argued the machines are heavily used in scams, especially against older adults, and that regulation has not been effective. CoinFlip opposed the bill, saying it is a regulated operator, that the fraud statistics are overstated or incomplete, and that Delaware should instead adopt a regulatory framework and amendment. HB 465 would update the criminal code to formally define virtual currency and incorporate it into theft, money laundering, racketeering, and search-and-seizure provisions; the sponsor said it would align Delaware law with modern crypto-related crimes, and no opposition was presented. The committee then heard HB 467, which would prevent landlords from requiring renters to buy insurance from a specific company while still allowing them to require coverage meeting lease terms; the sponsor described it as a consumer-choice bill and there was no public opposition. HB 435 would require payment parity for certified registered nurse anesthetists and physicians when the same services are provided; the sponsor, nurse anesthetists, the Delaware Health Care Association, the Department of Insurance, and ChristianaCare supported it as a workforce and access-to-care measure, with no opposition. Finally, HS 1 for HB 450, the Road DE Act, would overhaul permitting and traffic-impact review, emphasize peak-hour traffic, set density standards in growth areas, create a transportation impact fee, and direct some revenue to open space, farmland, and coastal restoration; realtors, builders, environmental groups, engineers, and GEAR supported it as a way to speed permitting, reduce sprawl, and improve infrastructure planning. The committee adjourned after public comment; no votes were recorded in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• employee uh a certain fixed payment employee uh a certain fixed payment based<04:01:49.520> on
• they would still be part of of payments they would still be part of of payments for<04:10:52.239
• interest and so you got a fixed payment interest and so you got a fixed payment it's<04:31:17.439
• for us to change that method for us to change that method um<04:34:18.080> it<04:34:18.439
• <05:37:22.080> from<05:37:22.280> the the payments from the the payments from the employers

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 622, but after the sponsor said further research raised concerns, he asked that the bill be tabled. The committee then moved in executive session and voted unanimously to find the bill inexpedient to legislate, sending it to consent. The committee also retained House Bill 349, the ophthalmologic laser bill, after members said more time was needed for the professions involved to work out training standards and provide additional information; that motion also passed unanimously. The committee then discussed House Bill 244, a municipal building/fire code recodification measure. Members said the bill needed more review and careful scrutiny because of its length and possible unintended effects, and they voted unanimously to retain it as well. House Bill 534 was then heard; the sponsor said the bill did not do what was intended because of a misunderstanding about current processing, and the committee voted inexpedient to legislate and placed it on consent. The committee next considered House Bill 233, with an amendment to remove a requirement affecting the New Hampshire Vaccine Association. Supporters argued the bill would reduce an unnecessary burden and improve transparency, while opponents said the committee should not single out one private 501(c)(3) organization. The amendment was adopted 8-5, and the bill as amended then passed 7-6; a minority report was requested. Finally, the committee opened House Bill 536, a proposed 1.5% cost-of-living adjustment for certain state retirees. The sponsor and supporters argued retirees had not received adequate COLAs and that the bill would help offset inflation, while the retirement system testified that the proposal would add significant costs, including an estimated $1.5 million for the state, $6.6 million for political subdivisions, and about $100.7 million in present-value unfunded liability, with the impact reflected in future employer contribution rates.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is there any tracking methods by hospital as far as public versus private insurance?
• Is there any tracking methods by hospital as far as public versus private insurance?
• Is there any tracking methods by hospital as far as public versus private insurance?
• Is there any tracking methods Is there any tracking methods by<00:41:46.520> hospital<00:
• HCMC does get federal directed payments because they're government owned.

Bills: HF4343

Keywords: sales tax, use tax, advertising tax, taxable services, digital advertising, online marketing, marketing services, search engine marketing, lead generation, internet advertising, ad agency, media buying, campaign planning, Minnesota tax law, service tax, broadening tax base, web advertising, promotional services, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And again, this declining student enrollment payment.
• The bill aligns the scholarship payment installments from quarterly to monthly and aligns the payments
• , or a monthly payment, rather, they receive front-loaded monthly payments, and that money goes into
• I do have a question when it comes to the monthly payments.
• So they're the ones that are making the payments.

Summary: The committee first heard the proposed Pre-K-12 education budget for fiscal year 2025-26, totaling $34.7 billion. The chair highlighted major increases for the FEFP, including $29.6 billion for public schools and K-12 scholarships, a $984 million year-over-year increase, along with higher per-FTE funding, $4 billion for the Family Empowerment Scholarship, $431.4 million for VPK, funding for school safety, the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, school hardening, Jewish day school security, and an education enrollment stabilization fund. With no public comment, the committee adopted a motion for staff technical corrections and then approved the budget proposal as a recommendation to the full Senate Appropriations Committee. The committee then considered SB 1402 on dropout retrieval programs. The bill expands eligibility so any individual who has withdrawn from high school may enroll in dropout retrieval services and clarifies how school grades are calculated for virtual instruction providers that offer those services. An amendment clarifying the grading calculation was adopted, and the committee reported the bill favorably. Next, the committee took up SPB 7030 on educational scholarship programs, a broad measure addressing school choice funding and administration. The bill would fund the Family Empowerment Scholarship as a separate categorical, expand the education stabilization fund, create fall and spring application windows, require a single scholarship application and more documentation, assign student IDs, standardize payment timing to monthly installments, require continued eligibility verification, and add Level 2 background checks for providers receiving state funds. Members raised questions about background-check enforcement, payment timing, data sharing, and the impact on homeschool and private-school families. Public testimony included support from school-choice advocates and concerns from private-school representatives about added regulatory burdens and deadlines. The committee adopted the bill as a committee bill and reported it favorably, with Senator Osgood voting no. Finally, the committee considered SB 508 on the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program, which requires private schools to disclose in writing what accommodations, modifications, and services they will provide to students with existing plans such as IEPs, EEPs, 504 plans, or ELL plans before enrollment. An amendment was adopted to require public schools to consult with private schools about equitable services. Testimony was mixed: supporters said the bill would give parents needed information for informed choice, while private-school representatives said the language could be burdensome and vague. The committee reported the bill favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• A $5,000 payment for the co-ops to become certified, so to go through a process where we would evaluate
• A $5,000 payment for the co-ops to become certified, so to go through a process where we would evaluate
• A $5,000 payment for the co-ops to become certified, so to go through a process where we would evaluate
• And what that does is then would open up the per-acre payment, so it may keep it focused and limited
• up the per acre payment so it may<00:20:57.240> keep<00:20:57.400> it<00:20:57.600>

Bills: HF363, HF2155, HF1524, HF821, HF1677, HF1292

Keywords: HF363, property tax credit, agricultural water quality credit, Minnesota agricultural water quality certification program, clean water fund, class 2a, class 2b, certified acres, conservation incentive, water quality, agricultural property, county assessor, county auditor, Department of Revenue, Department of Agriculture, property tax reimbursement, school district reimbursement, legacy finance, taxes committee, southeastern Minnesota

Transcript Highlights:

• It also identified a potential limit to DHS's current authority to withhold or reduce payments on the
• We also identified a potential limit to DHS U.S. current authority to withhold or reduce payments on
• Those are the terminations, the sort of permanent payment holds.
• The ongoing issue that we're identifying is the suspension of payments during an investigation.
• Prepayment review and post-payment review is underway for the IDB.

Transcript Highlights:

• But the code does not make it clear if the payment is accepted by the claimant after the pre-suit notice
• The final attorney's fees associated with the expenses are not limited to or affected by the payment
• Uh, Section 542a.008, effective of payment after notice of deadline, to read that the payment made after
• IUDs, as you have heard, are a method of birth control that is placed inside the uterus.
• Payment by more than 20% of the estimated repair costs minus the deductible.

Transcript Highlights:

• that we we saw and all the ones methods that we we saw and all the ones that<00:20:36.080> you
• So, we sold land under contract for deed, got interest payments on that, things of that nature.
• on that, things of got interest payments on that, things of that<00:57:40.960> nature.
• distribution method. distribution method.
• receipts or payments to uh the pupils. receipts or payments to uh the pupils.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And it was a deliberate choice by lawmakers to address it in that method.
• to address it in that method. to address it in that method.
• some level of payment from the fund. some level of payment from the fund.
• to eligible consumers so that more eligible consumers will receive payment from the fund.
• I think the bill as it sits before us would require payment at full, you know, professional levels for

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard public testimony on a health insurance/home care nursing provision and on other consumer protection items. Nick Keis and Emily Walters, both parents of medically complex children, testified that commercial health plans had recently begun capping home care nursing as if it were intermittent home health visits, which they said was contrary to Minnesota law and legislative intent dating to 2010. They described severe impacts on their families, including hospitalizations, loss of nursing coverage, strain on waiver budgets, and the risk of children being forced out of the home and into institutions. Representative Bierman echoed that the bill was a straightforward clarification of existing law, not a new mandate or added cost, and a staff member later cited the statutory definition of home care nursing as ongoing, continuous nursing services that cannot be met through intermittent or visit-based care. The committee also discussed the practical difference between home health visits and private duty/home care nursing, with testimony emphasizing that the latter is medically necessary, assessed, and not unlimited in practice. Laura Sales of the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office testified on changes to the Consumer Protection Restitution Fund (CIPRA). She said the fund has begun distributing restitution, starting with consumers harmed by the closure of Woodbury Dental Arts, but that current statutory language limits the office’s flexibility to prorate payments. She asked for an amendment allowing the AGO to distribute available funds more equitably so more eligible consumers can receive some payment, rather than requiring full payment to the oldest claims first. Annette Meeks, representing Citizens Against Gambling Expansion, testified in support of banning sweepstakes gambling in the Commerce Committee omnibus report. She argued that online sweepstakes casinos are an illegal gray-market form of gambling, cited rapid growth and billions in revenue, and said other states have acted through enforcement and legislation to stop them. She urged the committee to include language from Senate File 4474 to clarify state law and prohibit sweepstakes gambling. No votes were taken in the portion of the meeting shown; members mainly asked questions and received testimony.