Transcript Highlights:

• requires DLNR to contract its review of requires DLNR to contract its review of proposed<01:32:29.199
• the work of these thirdparty reviewers the work of these thirdparty reviewers to<01:34:04.480>
• It does by the third party reviewer.
• <01:39:58.480> what then wait for somebody to review what then wait for somebody to review
• you can't find a third party reviewer? you can't find a third party reviewer?

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committees heard several housing-related bills and resolutions. HB 1298 HD3 would create a government employee housing revolving fund and a government employee 99-year leasehold rent-to-own program; testimony was generally supportive from HHFDC, labor groups, and the Maui Chamber, with the Tax Foundation and Budget and Finance raising concerns about the revolving fund. The committees recommended passage with non-substantive amendments for clarity and consistency, and the motion was adopted. HB 741 H2, which would exempt certain affordable housing projects financed by a certified nonprofit CDFI from prevailing wage requirements, drew support from housing advocates and opposition from several construction unions; the chairs said they were concerned about the labor objections and deferred the measure, with the labor committee agreeing to defer it as well. The housing committee then took up HB 417 HD1, which creates a housing efficiency and innovation subaccount in the rental housing revolving fund and allows HHFDC to transfer funds between the subaccount and the main fund without legislative approval. Testimony was largely supportive. The chair described a series of amendments, including changing the funding-efficiency standard, adding perpetual affordability language, allowing any land tenure type, broadening eligible financing tools, adding priority criteria for mixed-income projects and government-employee projects, and inserting blank appropriations tied to a requested $75 million per year and a $75 million subaccount appropriation for the HCDA 99-year leasehold project. The committee recommended passage with amendments, and the recommendation was adopted. HB 422 HD1, which would repeal school impact fees and move remaining balances to the school facilities special fund, drew broad support from housing and taxpayer groups and opposition from the Department of Education and some individuals. The School Facilities Authority and DOE argued the current system had not produced enough usable land or school sites and suggested narrowing the exemption to government housing projects’ construction costs instead of repealing the fee entirely. Members pressed DOE and SFA on how much land had actually been obtained and whether the fee had been effective; the discussion highlighted concerns about unused balances, school overcrowding, and the role of the Land Use Commission and county zoning in securing school sites. The committee did not take final action on the bill in the portion shown. The committee also heard STR 60/SR 45, urging HHFDC to develop a plan to meet housing demand, and STR 77/SR 60, addressing continued eligibility for housing credits for certain projects after repeal of Act 31; both sets of resolutions had HHFDC support, with DHHL supporting STR 77/SR 60 and Johnny May Perry opposing both.

Transcript Highlights:

• for large use and energy classifications for large use electric<02:33:44.880> facilities.
• Um, HB 1722 is customer protections for, uh, and large use electric facility classification.
• I think I'm creating a new classification.
• I'm asking them to create a separate classification and just to be ready for the existence of that classification
• We just don't have the knowledge, but we have a process for how it could be reviewed.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I have reviewed the minutes. They look good, and so I will move the minutes. All right. Thank you.
• Section two outlines the classification of company data under chapter 13 and allows for summary-level
• been reviewed. been reviewed. Okay.<00:30:42.000> Representative<00:30:42.399> Steer.
• The data classification provisions are consistent with existing data classification of similar data reported
• The data classification system.

Bills: HF2354, HF1672, HF2389, HF2870, HF2743, HF1918, HF2551, HF1671

Keywords: medical assistance, fraud prevention, subpoena authority, criminal penalties, consumer protection, medical cannabis, medical marijuana, cannabis, cannabinoids, hemp, marijuana registry, patient registry, visiting patient, Tribal cannabis, Tribal medical cannabis program, Tribal sovereignty, Office of Cannabis Management, designated caregiver, home cultivation, adult-use cannabis

Transcript Highlights:

• So if the classification is category 3, or classification three, let's use C3.
• So with C1s, C1s are actually our lowest classification.
• So with C1s, C1s are actually our lowest classification.
• So with C1s, C1s are actually our lowest classification.
• <00:49:32.000> level<00:49:32.240> they're classification level they're classification

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• challenges espe in our classification challenges espe in our classification Branch<00:05:23.000>
• What are they going to do for us to review? And that's open for discussion too.
• And how many employees do you have in your classification branch right now?
• So you have a compensation and a classification in the division?
• I thought we were on number on HR for the department. classification and compensation and they classification

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The classifications are already in statute.
• <01:46:55.800> of<01:46:55.880> the uh specific classification of the uh specific classification
• <01:47:05.160> and the vehicle's classification and the vehicle's classification and application
• ,<01:58:29.640> the classification system, you know, the classification system, you know,
• mandatory standards for classification mandatory standards for classification and<01:59:24.680><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• topic permitting the classification of topic permitting the classification of individuals<01:06:18.880
• 01:10:18.040> concerns such classifications raise concerns such classifications raise concerns
• And this was a review of 10 years of literature, peer-reviewed studies.
• The review testosterone suspension.
• literature peer peer-reviewed studies. literature peer peer-reviewed studies.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 1745 by Bell of Kaufman relating to the procedures for protest for the appraisal review boards or
• HP 1769 by Darby relating to the classification of certain entities as primarily engaged in retail for
• HB 2080 by Curtis relating to the review of the duties of the Groundwater Conservation District by the
• Relating to the classification of certain sales of firearms as occasional sales for purposes of sales
• HB 1540 by Bella Kaufman relating to the government entity subject to the sunset Review processor for

Transcript Highlights:

• Subsection 5 provides details on an application and review process by the bank, and the details of the
• Did you happen to review the research that we did with DHS and DMF six years ago, maybe?
• Did you happen to review that? Okay.
• Now we are doing what we're calling a classification.
• classification.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee opened with roll call and a review of special-session procedure: bills would be heard in filing order, with related school-lunch bills grouped together, and any bill advancing would require a motion, second, and majority vote to be introduced. Members also discussed that the committee was functioning much like a delayed-bills committee, with final referral to either Appropriations or Policy depending on the bill’s fiscal impact. The first major proposal was Senator Schibley’s bill to create a narrow, statewide Bank of North Dakota bridge-loan program for struggling nonprofit medical facilities, prompted by Jacobson Memorial Hospital’s financial crisis. He argued the hospital and surrounding EMS services could close without short-term help, while committee members questioned the added language, the population cap, the $10 million fund with $5 million per applicant limit, and whether the program could open the door to future requests. Representative Headland then presented two cleanup bills from the prior property-tax session: one to fix notice and tax-certification issues for local taxing districts, and another to correct how the primary residence credit is applied so taxpayers receive the full benefit rather than counties retaining part of the reimbursement. Members asked about township hearing timing, the estimated $10–15 million annual impact, and whether the credit issue could be fixed retroactively; Headland said the bill was intended to correct the problem going forward. Three school-lunch bills drew extensive discussion. Representative Vetter proposed a small administrative appropriation to add an FTE to help eligible families enroll in the existing free/reduced lunch program, saying the goal was to ensure needy children are signed up and that the state should not subsidize meals for wealthy families. Representative Nathe offered a broader bill mirroring the pending initiated measure but placing the program in statute instead of the Constitution, moving implementation up a year, and funding it with a one-time $65 million from the strategic investment fund; he said this would preserve legislative flexibility and avoid constitutional entrenchment. Representative Dressler proposed raising the state-funded eligibility threshold from 225% to 300% of poverty, arguing it would expand access while still preserving federal reimbursements and encouraging better enrollment systems. Members debated costs, future budget pressure, whether the bills set a precedent for responding to ballot measures, and whether the program should include breakfast and other operational details. Other proposals included Senator Powers’ bill to create a hyperbaric oxygen board and support rural access to hyperbaric chambers for wounds, concussions, PTSD, and other conditions; Representative Tolman’s reporting-requirements bill to force new or expanded programs to justify purpose, alternatives, evaluation methods, and full implementation costs; Representative Frelich’s bill addressing the ongoing redistricting litigation and what happens if the Supreme Court or lower courts alter the current map; and a bill requested by the Public Service Commission and ITD for FERC litigation support and ADA website/document compliance. The committee also heard a rural-health eligibility bill from Representative Twait aimed at steering federal rural health dollars toward rural providers, with questions focused on whether the mileage limits would exclude some communities. One Holocaust education item was deferred until the sponsor could be located.

Transcript Highlights:

• I just had one question, having had the opportunity to review the language of the Senate bill, and so
• the language of the Senate bill review the language of the Senate bill and<00:07:21.680> so<00
• That provision includes the addition of floor culture properties to qualify for the ag classification
• <00:20:07.280> So qualify for the egg classification.
• So qualify for the egg classification.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Classification of the data, please. I appreciate that.
• Classification of the data, please. I appreciate that.
• Primo, anything we should know about the data classification here?
• Point out there's also a data privacy classification on page three, um, lines 5 through 7.
• <01:27:07.600> um number of them who have been reviewed um number of them who have been reviewed

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills and a Department of Corrections budget overview. On Senate File 9, Senator Rest explained a bipartisan campaign finance refund bill that had previously moved through the Elections Committee and the tax bill process. Members asked about the $10 minimum contribution threshold for reporting and refund eligibility, and Rest said it was a reasonable number suggested by Senator Karan to make the system more efficient. The bill also included data practices language classifying certain refund-related information as private data, with a separate nonpublic classification noted for receipt validation reports. The committee voted to recommend the bill to pass and re-refer it to the Taxes Committee. The committee then took up Senate File 11, a sales tax exemption for firearm safety devices such as trigger locks and gun safes. Rest described the bill as an extension of prior tax exemptions and clarified that it does not apply to the firearm itself. An A1 clarifying amendment defining “government entity” by reference to statute was adopted. Members discussed the bill’s scope and data privacy language, including a provision making purchase or transfer information private if collected by a government entity. The committee then voted to recommend the amended bill to pass and re-refer it to the Taxes Committee. Next, the committee heard Senate File 456, a bill to update Minnesota’s drug statutes to address fentanyl more directly. Anoka County Assistant County Attorney Sebastian Mesa and Senator Oumou Verbeten testified in support, arguing that fentanyl has become more dangerous than methamphetamine and that the law needs to be updated to give prosecutors a better tool. Members discussed overdose trends and whether more recent statistics were available; one member noted 2023 fentanyl deaths exceeded 1,000, while another said national fatal overdoses had declined since mid-2023. The bill was laid over, with the committee noting it would wait for fiscal analysis before further action. Finally, Commissioner Paul Schnell gave an overview of the Department of Corrections, describing its mission, staffing, prison population, community supervision responsibilities, and budget context. He emphasized rehabilitation, evidence-based practices, reentry support, and the public safety benefits of reducing recidivism. No vote was taken on the department presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• <03:16:01.920> this Uh when I first reviewed this Uh when I first reviewed this recommendation
• ,<03:38:32.160> we words, if there's a classification, we words, if there's a classification
• That’s going to give you that overall classification.
• So, if someone overall classification.
• 40.800> a classification necessarily as a classification necessarily as a motorcycle<04:08:41.439

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The book itself was reviewed and edited by a cross-disciplinary team that represented the House, the
• book include Senate-specific policies, Senate compensation procedures and salary ranges, job classifications
• <00:02:17.040> and<00:02:17.280> deferred ranges, job classifications and deferred
• ranges, job classifications and deferred compensation<00:02:18.560> match.
• going to turn to Miss Stangle to review going to turn to Miss Stangle to review uh<00:21:21.200>

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration met virtually on January 6, 2026, and took up four administrative policy items. Darren Hoff, Senate Human Resources Director, presented updates to the Legislative Coordinating Commission benefit book, including insurance changes tied to SEGIP, mental health and substance use office visit cost sharing, dental plan updates, dependent eligibility clarifications, a new voluntary legal services benefit, a 17% increase in Medicare premiums, and multiple leave-policy revisions to conform with the new paid leave law and other employment rules. Senator Pappas moved adoption of the benefit book with the LCC’s November 10, 2025 changes and staff technical corrections, and the motion passed. Secretary Tom Bern described a proposed Senate Policy 1.56 allowing written rules of conduct for visitors in Senate spaces, aimed at setting clear expectations for behavior such as not blocking hallways or using shouting and profanity, while being developed with consultation to address First Amendment concerns. Senator Marty moved adoption, and the committee approved the policy. Council Lexi Stangle then presented a change to Senate Policy 2.47 on severe weather emergencies that would allow employees who work remotely on severe weather days to accrue compensatory time with supervisor approval; Senator Johnson moved adoption, and the motion passed. The committee also considered a modernization of the Senate information systems policy. Secretary Bern and staff explained that the policy had not been substantially updated in about 20 years and was being condensed and updated to reflect current technology and practices. The revisions reduced the policy from 29 pages to 10, removed obsolete references, added a purpose statement, clarified email inspection and hardware/software procedures, updated website rules and accessibility guidance, and removed the secondary member page option. Senator Coleman moved adoption of the Senate information systems update, and it was approved. After the Rules Committee adjourned, the Subcommittee on Committees met and approved two appointments: one public member to the Legislative Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources through December 31, 2030, and Senator Gustafson to the Financial Crimes Advisory Board Task Force. Members asked about the task force’s scope and the public appointee’s background; staff explained the task force advises on identity theft and financial crimes, and identified the public appointee as Sha Lang of Preston, Minnesota. Senator Pappas moved adoption of the appointment list, and the subcommittee approved it before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, just on Friday, I wrote the demand letter to send to our attorney to have them review.
• <00:23:17.919> The<00:23:18.159> legislature have them to review.
• The legislature have them to review.
• Uh, does this have anything to do with DEEQ classification of the SPs or the deposit of it?
• The higher the water goes, reviewing it.

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 210; 20 January, 2026: 8:45 AM, 925, all

Summary: The committee heard an update from the Mississippi State Port Authority at the Port of Gulfport on operations, finances, and recent developments. The port emphasized that it is an enterprise agency that does not seek state general fund support, and reported a regional economic impact of $3.8 billion, about $62 million in state and local taxes, and thousands of direct and indirect jobs. The witness highlighted growth in refrigerated cargo, especially efforts to bring more Mississippi poultry through Gulfport, along with continued container traffic and intermodal work. Several major investments and new business lines were discussed. Ports America is required under its lease to invest $43 million, and the port recently received a fourth crane, a $20 million investment that allows two vessels to be worked simultaneously. The port also announced American Cruise Lines stops in Gulfport, which is expected to bring high-end cruise passengers spending time and money locally. Additional updates included growth in technology and blue economy activity at the Roger F. Wicker Center, NOAA’s autonomous vessel operations center, Oceanero’s workforce expansion, and military moves that generated about 70,000 man-hours of local labor. Committee members asked about the FY27 budget, travel, and capital outlay requests. The port said the travel increase was for flexibility and that it spends conservatively, and explained that the larger capital figures reflect a strategic plan and potential private-sector and grant-funded projects rather than expected annual spending. The FY27 request was described as a slight decrease from the prior year, with the main salary increase tied to PERS and health insurance costs, and no special appropriations language was requested. Members also discussed the effort to regain chicken exports through Gulfport, including plans for a future freezer warehouse and the impact of the Kansas City Southern railroad merger, which the port said has had some hiccups but may help in the long run.

Transcript Highlights:

• I can’t imagine drafting those in the first place, but I just simply reviewing them takes a lot of effort
• crews within the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to a permanent firefighter employment classification
• In this case, with just hours of review and questioning possible, I find that inadequate to say the least
• facility in the country and the largest solar farm in state history went through full environmental review
• That review was incredibly important for surrounding communities to ensure the project is built safely

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, and on deck, Brian Wells, Cass County Sheriff. neutral review of a Brady designation neutral review
• And it's for these reasons that some sort of reconsideration review process is necessary.
• And it's for these reasons that some sort of reconsideration review process is necessary.
• And it's for these reasons that some sort of reconsideration review process is necessary.
• And it's for these reasons that some sort of reconsideration review process is necessary.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee heard House File 962, the Brady-Giglio bill, which seeks to create a more uniform statewide process for how prosecutors identify and manage law enforcement officers whose credibility may be questioned. The author explained that the bill grew out of stakeholder work over the past year, and the committee adopted the DE3 amendment, which reflected much of that negotiated language. Testifiers from the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, Law Enforcement Labor Services, the Minnesota Sheriffs Association, the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association, and the Minnesota County Attorneys Association all said the bill was moving in the right direction and emphasized the need for consistency, predictability, security, and due process in Brady-Giglio decisions. Several witnesses said the bill should prevent Brady designations from being used as the sole basis for discipline and should prohibit prosecutor-maintained do-not-call lists. County attorney and law enforcement representatives said the current draft is a major step forward but that work remains, especially on data access, data retention, sharing, and security provisions. They also noted that the language had not yet been fully approved by all stakeholder boards, though they supported continuing the process and asked the committee to advance the bill so negotiations could continue. Members raised questions about whether public defenders, defendants’ rights groups, and other public employees had been included in the discussions. The author and other supporters said the main alignment so far has been among prosecutors and law enforcement, with additional input from other groups to come later. In closing, the author described personal experiences that illustrated how an error or misunderstanding could unfairly affect an officer’s career and argued for a statewide standard. The committee then voted to re-refer House File 962, as amended, to the Judiciary Committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• Madam Chair, Member, SB 1078 asserts that the standard of review for a question of law that arises in
• That the standard of review for a question of law that arises in a public records lawsuit is de novo.
• If they are rescheduled, they would then now fall under that classification in state statute.
• It would move that classification to the state statute.
• Madam Chair and members, SB 1099, now defamation elements review, establishes the legal standards for

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:

• Upon reviewing all the 55 procedures.
• features<00:52:30.720> numerous So the review process features numerous So the review process
• And again we reviewing tax documents.
• And I think I classifications were.
• Uh and in-depth review of an individual.

Bills: HF3217, HF2252

Keywords: bioindustrial facilities, economic development, renewable energy, advanced biofuels, state funding, HF2252, Minnesota bonding, volume cap, private activity bonds, tax-exempt bonds, public facility bonds, public facilities pool, unified pool, bond allocation, municipal finance, bond cap, housing bonds, residential rental projects, manufacturing bonds, enterprise zone bonds

Summary: The committee first approved the prior day’s minutes as amended, correcting the meeting number from the 46th to the 45th meeting. It then took up House File 3217, which would restore funding for the Minnesota Bioincentive Program. Representative Kisha argued the state should honor commitments made to companies that met program requirements and had not received full reimbursement. Testifiers from the Great Plains Institute and Minnesota Biofuels Association said the program has supported bioeconomy investment, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and generated strong economic returns, but has been underfunded, leaving unpaid claims. Members raised questions about whether the bill was retrospective and whether it should be reviewed by another committee; the bill was laid over for further consideration without a vote. The committee then heard House File 2252, a proposal to modernize Minnesota’s private activity bond volume cap by shifting unused allocation from the small issuer/manufacturing bucket to the public facilities bucket while leaving the overall cap unchanged. The bill’s public finance testifier said the current allocation formula is outdated, housing would remain the top priority, and the change would be budget neutral. Testifiers from the Minnesota Milk Producers Association and Minnesota Biofuels Association supported the bill, saying it would better align financing with rural infrastructure, clean water, manure management, renewable natural gas, dairy processing, and low-carbon fuel projects, and could lower borrowing costs for those sectors. Members questioned whether the bill fit the committee’s jurisdiction and noted it might be more appropriate for another committee; the bill was also laid over for further consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are the only chiropractic board with an actual chiropractor. on staff that reviews cases, gives us
• And what we're learning is that several. did not and so what we are using to justify these reviews is
• It's the product of back-to-back sunset reviews in 2017.
• Statutorily, you have us obligated to review NPDB reports for all of our...
• I know that you know, we would have had staff review the complaints, send out the letters, then draft

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Today's hearing, we will review the May revision proposals, have an update on Gen A.
• And under CDT's review, it was not approved by CD.
• Does this order apply to all employees at every classification?
• And then lastly, to require legislative review of whatever policies are implemented.
• We review our spending every year, but we haven't reviewed or updated our tax code in decades.

Keywords: 988, house, all