Transcript Highlights:

• Now, that's the type of testimony we need on a day like today.
• I need to just exercise some old reflex mode. Are you ready? House Bill 103.
• We heard last time the House bill came over, we need a motion to reconsider.
• You need to lay it down. All right.
• I need to make one phone call, which I don’t have right now.

Bills: HB103

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• a lot of work and still does need a lot of work.
• I think it needed a lot of work and still does need a lot of work, and I just want to confirm your commitment
• OIR needs direction.
• And it doesn't need OIR regulation to make sure that it's doing the right thing.
• For some reason, the OIR feels they need to regulate the management companies, which is fine.

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several insurance, financial regulation, and public safety bills. The most extensive discussion centered on SB 1656, a major Office of Insurance Regulation bill covering reciprocal insurers, rate transparency, data calls, cybersecurity notification, and stronger oversight of continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs). The sponsor and OIR described the bill as aimed at transparency and preventing insolvencies, especially after recent CCRC failures. CCRC residents and industry representatives testified both in support and in opposition, with supporters emphasizing resident protection and opponents warning about liens, reserve requirements, management-company regulation, and higher costs. After debate and assurances that problematic provisions would be refined, the committee adopted a delete-all amendment and then reported the bill favorably. The committee also passed SB 1658, which creates a public records framework for the uniform mitigation verification of inspection form database while protecting policyholders’ personal information; a clarifying amendment was adopted before the bill was reported favorably. SB 1612 on financial institutions was approved after a substitute amendment restored current limits on credit union investments and kept only reimbursement, not salary, authority for certain board members and officers. SB 1740, an insurance bill intended to reduce premiums and insurer insolvency risk, was amended to prioritize rate-decrease filings and prohibit claim denials based solely on AI, then reported favorably. Two public-safety bills also moved forward. SB 1212 on firefighter health and safety would update OSHA-related protections, address toxic exposure in gear, encourage safer replacement equipment, and support best practices and mental health resources; an amendment refined terminology and added related provisions, and the bill was reported favorably. SB 1184 on residual market insurers was amended to preserve existing consumer protections and disclosure rules for excess and surplus lines and to clarify Citizens-related appointment requirements before being reported favorably. Throughout the meeting, members repeatedly noted ongoing stakeholder negotiations and intent to refine several bills further in later committee stops.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you need further aisles.
• identified as a student in need of care. identified as a student in need of care.
• Our children need our help.
• overwhelmed, they need safety first. overwhelmed, they need safety first.
• I don't need to do this as well."

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Sensory processing needs are medically and functionally relevant.
• need is real.
• He has severe behavioral needs. hour. He has severe behavioral needs.
• person's needs. person's needs.
• uh needs to be vetted. uh needs to be vetted.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:36:02.480> is 2018 all the way to 2024 the need is 2018 all the way to 2024 the need is
• students and non High between High need students and non High need<00:58:26.520> students<00:
• again just trying to meet uh the needs again just trying to meet uh the needs of<01:09:55.159>
• support and what people are needing support and what people are needing support<01:22:37.719>
• coast but that's definitely a high need coast but that's definitely a high need area<01:44:29.800

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:31:45.440> social Um and to do that we need social Um and to do that we need social security
• think that the legislature we all need think that the legislature we all need to<01:19:20.239>
• And so their needs are different.
• And so um and their needs are different. And so um and their needs are different.
• They may need to get a driver's license. They may need to get their certification.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Need to send $30 into Hennepin County.
• get out the information that they need get out the information that they need so<00:39:44.240>
• communication but if we need communication but if we need clarification<00:47:42.480> either<
• <00:48:24.880> to<00:48:25.040> address need to address need to address representative<
• Elections need to be a shared cost or a partnership in the cost of administering the elections.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And we need to do biological reality.
• groups have different needs. groups have different needs.
• <01:20:46.360> to And when I think about what we need to And when I think about what we need
• So we need to keep our girls safe. So we need to keep our girls safe.
• then we need to pass this bill. then we need to pass this bill.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And much like us, they are the same needs and values, but they have really made strides in the advocacy
• AND VALUES AND MUCH LIKE US, THEY ARE THE SAME NEEDS AND VALUES BUT THEY HAVE REALLY MADE STRIDES IN
• we need to eliminate.
• MENSTRUAL HYGIENE PRODUCT DRIVES BECAUSE THE NEED IS THAT GREAT.
• How is this going to function?

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate opened with routine business, approved the prior journal, and received several motions to discharge identical Assembly bills from committee and substitute corresponding Senate bills. Members also offered brief recognitions for visitors, including Yemeni American community advocates and Cheri Davis, who was honored for her Alzheimer’s advocacy and support work. The chamber then took up several previously adopted resolutions, including Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, Period Poverty Awareness Week, and Nurses Week, with senators speaking in support of each measure’s purpose and importance. The body then moved through a long calendar of bills, passing a wide range of measures on education, public health, correction law, environmental conservation, municipal law, agriculture, and consumer protection. Notable floor discussion included Senator Ramos explaining her support for a bill requiring salons and similar businesses to display multilingual domestic violence resource information, and Senator Gianaris and Senator Borrello debating a bill to prohibit electronic shelf labeling in stores over concerns about surveillance, dynamic pricing, and impacts on brick-and-mortar retailers. Senator May and Senator Skoufis also spoke on an environmental conservation bill concerning American eel management, with May supporting the species protections and Skoufis objecting to the bill’s structure. Most bills were adopted by wide margins, though several drew recorded negative votes. The Senate passed the domestic violence information bill, the electronic shelf-labeling bill, and multiple other measures, including bills on eviction notice procedures, surrogate court procedure, and environmental conservation. After completing the calendar, the Senate reported no further business and adjourned until the next day at 11:00 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• They might need to sell the house or they may need it cleaned quickly so their life can move forward.
• They might need to sell the house or they may need it cleaned quickly so their life can move forward.
• may need it clean cleaned or they may need it clean cleaned quickly<00:14:18.079> so<00:14:18.320
• Thank you. the even that they need remediation. So, the even that they need remediation.
• that state I need my eyeballs again. that state I need my eyeballs again.

Bills: HF3465, HF3782, HF4075, HF391, HF3946, HF2976, HF3350

Keywords: theft, vulnerable adults, public safety, penalties, Minnesota statutes, chemical irritants, law enforcement, transparency, building owners, tenant rights, notification, remediation, firearm restrictions, domestic violence, court orders, criminal convictions, firearms prohibition, gun surrender, order for protection, protective order

Transcript Highlights:

• That's the primary function of this committee.
• Aid spending that's the primary function Aid spending that's the primary function of<00:23:29.400
• <00:47:04.880> to district doesn't necessarily need to district doesn't necessarily need to
• If need be, I can definitely break that out for you.
• <01:37:26.360> to then the legislature would need to then the legislature would need to neutralize

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Education Finance Committee met on January 21, 2025, for its first hearing of the session and began with organizational business. Members and staff introduced themselves, described their districts and backgrounds, and the chair reviewed committee procedures, including how to request bill hearings, amendment deadlines, and handout deadlines. The committee also heard introductions from nonpartisan and partisan staff, including House Research and House Fiscal Analysis personnel who will support the committee’s work this session. The main substantive item was an overview presentation on the state budget and education finance process. Staff explained how Minnesota’s general fund is forecast twice a year, how the committee should read the budget documents and aid/levy tracking sheets, and how the current biennium compares with the upcoming budget window. They described the November forecast, noted that the committee will later receive the February forecast, and outlined the committee’s role in reviewing K-12 state aid spending, school district revenue, and property tax impacts. Staff walked through the aid appropriation summary spreadsheet and explained its columns, including end-of-session spending, fiscal year 2024-25 actuals and estimates, and the 2026-27 and 2028-29 planning horizons. They emphasized that many education programs are forecast-driven and can change with enrollment and other data. The presentation also summarized the state’s overall revenue mix and spending priorities, noting that K-12 education is the largest general fund category and that state aid makes up the majority of school revenue. No bills were heard and no votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are always talking in the election space about how we need more poll workers.
• You know, I think we need to look at protocols.
• of the prison pipeline, and the state has something that the counties need.
• And the state has something that the counties need, and now is money.
• We need to put it where we're going to get our best return on investment.

Bills: SB1317, SB1655, SB1656, SB1751, SCR1049

Keywords: reentry programs, criminal justice, funding, grants, recidivism, attorney general, jury duty, election worker, Arizona Revised Statutes, temporary appointment, civic duty, family court, professional personnel, parenting time, legal decision-making, evidentiary hearings, child custody, ethical standards, capital punishment, death penalty

Transcript Highlights:

• And if you are a member and you need to have a conversation with someone who is not a member, let's take
• If they built out half the network, we would need to do something with that.
• We would need to do something with that.
• Like I say, I think we got where we need to be.
• The Medicaid program will try to function with the current balances as we implement those.

Summary: The committee considered several appropriation and transfer requests, beginning with a $273,000 temporary appropriation for the Department of Labor and Licensing to cover administrative costs for its enterprise licensing platform, funded by license and application fees. It then reviewed two large Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requests: $280 million for the Department of Transportation for the final quarter of the fiscal year, and $195 million for the State Broadband Office to support the Arkansas BEAD broadband grant program, including an extra help position and grants to internet service providers. The broadband item drew extensive questions about awardees, contract amendments, accountability, build-out timelines, backup plans if providers default, the definition of broadband serviceable locations, and the cost per location. The State Broadband Director said no providers had requested amendments, the program would use milestone-based disbursements and a four-year build-out period, and the first tranche would serve 51,566 homes and businesses with $126.1 million in grants. Both Section B and Section C items were approved. In Section D, the committee approved a $458,000 transfer within the Department of Correction from the female work release program to the Tucker Unit water treatment plant, a $25 million transfer within the Department of Education to cover declining enrollment, teacher incentive, school recognition, and Easter Seals funding, and a $229,000 transfer for the Department of Shared Administrative Services to support two project management office positions. The education transfer prompted questions about how declining enrollment funding is calculated, how many districts receive it, and how long districts can continue to receive it; agency staff said 152 districts were on the preliminary list and the formula is based on the prior two-year average ADM compared with the previous year. The committee also gave favorable advice on a proposed $4.7 million loan for the Office of State Technology to implement ServiceNow and related IT modernization tools; agency officials said the loan would be repaid through cost recovery rates over five years and would replace an existing loan that is ending, with expected savings from consolidating applications but no precise savings estimate yet. The committee then reviewed cash fund and federal grant requests, including $200,000 for wage and hour claimant payments, $15 million for unclaimed property claims, $8,000 for a heritage program grant, and $1.1 million for a College and Career Coaches grant to expand services in rural districts. It also reviewed pay plan and budget manual items without objection. The most extensive report discussion focused on the Medicaid trust fund, where DHS and DFA officials said the balance has been declining and that the state may need to add capital back into the fund. Senators and representatives asked about the current balance, the projected year-end level, the role of the $100 million set-aside, the impact of outstanding Medicaid rules from the prior session, and whether future federal funding could help reduce long-term Medicaid costs. Officials said they are still working through more than 10 outstanding rules with CMS and do not yet have a final price tag for those changes. The meeting ended after the reports were reviewed and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• We need to make sure that they're doing their job. That's what we need to check.
• for this at this... ...that I don't see a need for this at this time.
• We need to be able to make sure that these ballots are real.
• And that's something else that we need to look at.
• I mean, you need to use it with the device.

Bills: HB30, HB263, HB357, HB359, SB60, SB102, HB30

Keywords: elections, post-election audit, election audit, risk-limiting audit, ballot audit, election integrity, voter confidence, Secretary of State, judge of probate, canvassing board, poll watchers, ballot containers, manual tally, recount, county election, statewide election, general election, absentee ballots, provisional ballots, election transparency

Transcript Highlights:

• work, and it always needs work.
• work and it always trail system needs work and it always needs<00:33:24.600> work<00:33:25.399
• <00:37:05.720> we the maintenance and safety needs we the maintenance and safety needs we
• c> State capacity we need to get some State capacity we need to get some State funding<01:38:10.040
• and I was about to retire and needed and I was about to retire and needed something<01:38:21.639

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• feed are the two biggest areas of need. feed are the two biggest areas of need.
• This bill is needed because program.
• <01:18:58.880> to you're not you know if you need to you're not you know if you need to utilize
• Um, happy to provide any answers if you folks need.
• You need specific expertise consuming.

Bills: SB2350, SB2349, SB2407, SB3320

Keywords: agriculture, aquaculture, livestock, agribusiness, Department of Agriculture, regulatory functions, employee benefits, restorative practices, sustainability, environmental stewardship, local food systems, Native Hawaiian, workforce development, agricultural development, Hawaii Island, property manager, state employment, SB3320, Hawaii, Agribusiness Development Corporation

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SP 2350, which would transfer oversight of the Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Development Division and the aquaculture and livestock support services branch to the Agribusiness Development Corporation. The Department of Agriculture and ADC both testified, with ADC opposing the bill as written while supporting the goal of strengthening agriculture. ADC said the transfer could create federal operational and coordination risks, jeopardize federal funding and program continuity, and was unnecessary because ADC is a business development entity, not a regulatory agency. The Hawaii Farmers Union also expressed concern that moving the programs could weaken the department’s ability to access federal resources, while the Hawaii Farm Bureau submitted written testimony and the Hawaii Aquaculture and Aquaponics Association and H-Plan were noted as supporting the measure; the Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council was noted as opposing it. Much of the discussion focused on aquaculture’s economic potential and the role of regulation, permitting, and funding. Committee members questioned why aquaculture had not grown faster, citing current gross revenues of about $66 million last year, a prior high of $82 million, and a possible long-term target of $500 million. Testimony identified permitting and feed costs as major barriers, along with market conditions and water quality issues affecting producers. ADC described ongoing efforts on feed development, permitting streamlining, coastal-state collaboration on seaweed and restorative aquaculture, and national advocacy for more parity in seafood import standards. Members also pressed the Department of Agriculture on its leadership and priorities, criticizing the lack of bills and resources dedicated to aquaculture and asking whether the department should have more authority to pursue land purchases and development opportunities. The department said it relies on divisions and industry feedback for bill ideas, noted it funds an annual aquaculture survey, and said it was pursuing congressional earmarks and other funding for aquaculture parks, research, and export/import issues. ADC said it would work with the department if the bill passed, but that its current statute does not give it regulatory authority and any such change would require a statutory amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, members, please use the raise hand function to be recognized if possible.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• reviews and works on getting people into Veterans Treatment Court, particularly for post-adjudicatory functions

Summary: The Judiciary Committee met and considered two bills. HB 145, by Rep. McFarland, would update sovereign immunity financial liability caps for claims against government entities, raising them to $500,000 per person and $1 million per incident, with a future automatic increase, aligning the statute of limitations with private claims, and allowing governments to settle valid claims above the cap without further legislative action. Several local government and related organizations waived in opposition. The bill passed on a 12-2 vote and was reported favorably. The committee then took up CS for HB 199, by Rep. Maney, which makes a short change to veterans treatment court law to align its procedures with mental health and drug courts and emphasize the state attorney’s role in the multidisciplinary review process. An amendment clarifying the state attorney’s role was adopted without objection. Public testimony on the bill was in support, and the committee reported the bill favorably as amended on a 14-0 vote. After completing both measures, the chair thanked members and adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• We really need some help.
• And we really need the attention brought.
• And then so it's just the fact that we need some help.
• And we just want to, you know, you don't need, Or another.
• For four hours, you need to pay an additional admission fee.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The committee on Crime and Public Safety heard testimony on Senate Bill 1652, which would create a permanent office in the Missouri Department of Public Safety focused on missing and murdered African-American women and girls. Senator Angela Mosley said the office would review cold cases, improve data collection, support community organizations, and include a proposed Phoenix Alert for missing persons. Supporters, including family members and advocates, described long-standing disparities in how missing Black women and girls are treated, said cases are often mislabeled as runaways, and argued the state needs dedicated staff and resources. Some members raised questions about whether the office should serve all missing persons and about the bill’s estimated cost and staffing, but the bill was generally supported in testimony and no vote was taken in the hearing. The committee then heard Senate Bill 1572, sponsored by Senator Mike Henderson, which would change the membership structure of the St. Louis Police Retirement System board. The bill would stagger the mayor’s two appointments and require the three elected board members to be active commissioned officers elected by active members of the system, with travel time provided for board duties. Henderson said the change was prompted by a prior quorum problem caused by vacancies and illness. The St. Louis Police Retirement System and related city stakeholders supported the bill, describing it as a technical fix to avoid future quorum failures. The measure had already passed the Senate 31-0 and was reported to have passed the House pension committee unanimously. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 3533, which would raise casino admission fees and gaming taxes and direct additional revenue to state funds, including natural resources, historic preservation, education, and the Gaming Commission. The sponsor framed it as a revenue measure, while the Missouri Gaming Association opposed it, arguing the bill would significantly increase costs on casinos, could reduce reinvestment, and might require voter approval for some sports betting-related changes. The Missouri Chamber of Commerce also opposed the bill in principle, saying it did not want to pick winners and losers through targeted tax increases. No action or vote was taken during the hearing, and the committee adjourned after the HB 3533 testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• So these services that we're proposing that they provide that they need the extra training for have a
• We need to change that. I respectfully ask for an aye vote. Thank you.
• This is all, of course, coming from our massive wildfire risk and the need for greater coordination.
• The state currently puts up about $500 million each year, which is 10% of the annual need.
• We know that we also need to really focus on community resiliency.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development met as a subcommittee due to the lack of a quorum, then later established quorum and took up a series of bills, mostly sunset extensions for licensing boards. SB 1302, SB 1303, SB 1304, SB 1363, and SB 1368 all dealt with extending board operations to January 1, 2031 and making related technical or policy changes. SB 1303 for the Board of Naturopathic Medicine added a fictitious name permit program and other administrative changes, while SB 1304 for the Respiratory Care Board drew significant testimony over whether licensed vocational nurses should be allowed to perform basic respiratory tasks in skilled nursing facilities and hospitals. SB 1363 updated barbering and cosmetology apprenticeship and licensing rules, and SB 1368 added a retired license category and strengthened continuing education oversight for speech-language pathology, audiology, and hearing aid dispensers. The committee also heard SB 865, which would create a California Music Festival Preservation Grant Program to support large independent multi-day music festivals. Supporters, including Visit Sacramento and festival promoters, said the bill would protect jobs, tourism, hotel nights, and local tax revenue; opponents raised concerns about using state funds during a deficit year and questioned whether profitable events should receive subsidies. The committee also heard SB 1297, which would create regional public-private partnerships and financing tools for wildfire mitigation projects; the author and supporters said it would help address the state’s large wildfire prevention funding gap by leveraging local and private investment, while members asked how the bonds would be repaid and whether the state would bear costs. SB 993, presented on behalf of Senator Ochoa-Bogue, would restore privacy protections for mental health professionals working in correctional and state hospital settings by limiting routine disclosure of identifying information while preserving a complaint process. Supporters described safety threats, stalking, and staffing concerns, and the bill passed unanimously. SB 1304 also passed after committee discussion, with members and the author noting ongoing negotiations over LVN scope and training in higher-acuity settings. SB 865 passed on a 9-1 vote, SB 1297 passed 10-0, and the sunset bills SB 1302, SB 1303, SB 1363, and SB 1368 all advanced unanimously to the Senate Appropriations Committee. SB 1333 was not heard, and SB 1445 was on the consent calendar.