Transcript Highlights:

• The rule raised costs by five to $10,000 per door with little to no environmental benefit.
• with<00:55:41.200><c> little</c><00:55:41.440><c> to</c><00:55:41.680><c> no</c><00:55:42.000><c> environmental
• </c> with little to no environmental benefit. with little to no environmental benefit.
• demonstrated a deep commitment to historic preservation, responsible governance, public safety, and environmental

Transcript Highlights:

• And could I call up Chris Bond and Jen Duval?
• </c><02:07:51.040><c> call</c><02:07:51.199><c> up</c><02:07:51.599><c> Chris</c><02:07:51.840><c> Bond
• And could I call up Chris Bond and you.
• And could I call up Chris Bond and Jen<02:07:52.560><c> Duval?
• I'm Chris Bond for the record. Chris Bond, associate attorney general.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• we wanted to highlight for you, as committees have wanted to see this information, is we have two bonding
• proposals in front of the bonding committee.
• So this is a bonding proposal.
• our scientists we cannot and so this is our scientists we cannot and so this is a<01:09:00.480><c> bonding
• proposal it's a $68 million a bonding proposal it's a $68 million project<01:09:02.880><c> to</c><01

Bills: HF2432

Committee: House Public Safety Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• An economy that is more inclusive, more competitive, more environmentally sustainable, and faster growing
• 00:29:35.760><c> more</c> inclusive, more competitive, more inclusive, more competitive, more environmentally
• <00:29:36.799><c> sustainable</c><00:29:37.919><c> and</c><00:29:38.159><c> faster</c> environmentally
• sustainable and faster environmentally sustainable and faster growing<00:29:39.279><c> than</c><00:29

Bills: HF4862 , HF4598

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• to have to become experts in diversionary devices, chemical gas remediation, insurance law, and environmental
• ,</c><00:07:48.560><c> and</c> remediation, insurance law, and remediation, insurance law, and environmental
• 49.840><c> just</c><00:07:50.080><c> to</c><00:07:50.240><c> make</c><00:07:50.319><c> their</c> environmental
• testing just to make their environmental testing just to make their home<00:07:50.880><c> safe</c><00

Bills: HF4133 , HF3419

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• He said the pros and cons would have to be laid out, and then gave the environmental trust fund as an
• one we just let's use the current the one we just had<01:12:46.880><c> the</c><01:12:47.280><c> environmental
• </c><01:12:48.640><c> We</c> had the environmental trust fund. We had the environmental trust fund.

Committee: Senate Elections

Transcript Highlights:

• So the repealer here, that is why I'm here today, is to repeal the Environmental Hazards and Information
• of 2019, and the PACT Act of 2022 all now recognize widely these illnesses that are linked to environmental
• The repealer here, that is why I'm here today, is to repeal the Environmental Hazards and Information
• of 2019, and the PACT Act of 2022 all now recognize widely these illnesses that are linked to environmental

Bills: HF3521 , HF3563 , HF82 , HF2689 , HF1794 , HF3544 , HF3516 , HF1752

Committee: House Health Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• doing so, paying for it by cutting our healthcare and our food and our energy assistance and our environmental
• assistance and our food and our energy assistance and<01:50:44.159><c> our</c><01:50:44.320><c> environmental
• </c><01:50:46.159><c> I</c> and our environmental regulations. I and our environmental regulations.

Summary: The Senate Rules and Administration Select Subcommittee on Federal Impacts on Minnesotans and Economic Stability met on February 20, 2026, to hear from Minnesota Management and Budget State Budget Director Anna Mingi about federal funding changes affecting the state budget. Before testimony began, Senator Rasmusson objected to a draft committee report that had been prepared in advance of the hearing, arguing it was inappropriate to summarize testimony before it occurred. The chair responded that nonpartisan staff had prepared the draft from Mingi’s submitted presentation and could revise it after the hearing if needed. Director Mingi explained that federal dollars make up more than one-third of state spending and support about 650 federal awards totaling over $23 billion this year, with more than $15 billion supporting state entitlement programs. She said the federal funding environment had changed significantly since January 2025 through executive orders, pauses, terminations, new grant conditions, delayed awards, and the July 2025 passage of H.R. 1, the federal reconciliation bill. Her main focus was H.R. 1’s effects on health care and food assistance, including work requirements for some adults, changes to eligibility for legal non-citizens, limits on retroactive Medicaid coverage and directed payments, new limits on provider taxes, and SNAP changes that shift some benefit and administrative costs to the state and counties. She estimated H.R. 1 would reduce federal funds to state-administered programs by about $327 million in the current biennium and $1.6 billion in the next, with additional costs to hospitals, counties, and other partners beyond the budget horizon. Members asked follow-up questions about whether the estimates were relative to the forecast and whether federal Medicaid funding would still rise over time. Mingi said the estimates were based on the November forecast baseline and that Medicaid federal dollars would likely continue growing overall, though the law still creates significant losses relative to prior projections. Senator Rasmusson emphasized that point in remarks to the committee. The discussion then shifted to federal grant pauses and cancellations: MMB’s tracker showed about six awards on hold totaling roughly $491 million, 13 confirmed cancellations across areas including clean energy, education, food assistance, and public health, and additional threatened or litigated cuts not included in those totals. Mingi identified two canceled violence-prevention-related grants, including a FEMA public safety grant and a justice reinvestment grant, and noted that CDC had recently moved to cancel or seek cancellation of several Minnesota public health grants, including a $65 million public health infrastructure award.

Transcript Highlights:

• was this one single email between, uh, the Department of, um, or excuse me, MPCA and the Federal Environmental
• ><00:46:18.960><c> Federal</c> excuse me, MPCA and the Federal excuse me, MPCA and the Federal Environmental
• <00:46:20.000><c> Protection</c><00:46:20.400><c> Agency</c><00:46:21.119><c> that</c> Environmental
• Protection Agency that Environmental Protection Agency that basically<00:46:21.839><c> asked</c><00:46

Summary: The committee approved the October 15, 2025 minutes and then held a broader discussion on current challenges with data retention and government transparency. Judy Randall of the Office of the Legislative Auditor said historical data is essential for post-audits, which often look back three to five years, and that retention decisions must balance audit needs with the burden of separating public and nonpublic data. She described the records-retention panel process as informal and largely based on individual judgment, noting she had objected to a proposed 60-day email retention period and generally uses a three-year guideline, though she said that standard is not grounded in a formal rule. Members discussed whether auditing standards should set retention periods, with Randall saying auditing is a good starting point but other offices, including the attorney general, also have needs, and that some agency discretion is unavoidable because of the gray area between official records and non-records. Representative Elkins raised the related principle of data minimization, arguing that government should not keep data longer than needed and citing a University of Minnesota legacy data warehouse breach as an example of the risks of retaining unnecessary sensitive information. Randall agreed that data no longer needed is a liability and said her office purges workpapers after five years. Representative Scott pressed whether three years is enough for fraud investigations and financial records; Randall responded that a reasonableness standard is needed and that longer retention can produce diminishing returns, though she said she would follow up on whether financial records should be treated differently. Tanya Tacker of the Rum River Special Education Cooperative testified in support of updating Minnesota’s data-retention laws for schools. She said districts want to protect student information and maintain transparency, but the current general retention schedule dates to 1985 and 2000 and does not reflect digital records, modern systems, or the volume of special education data. She urged modernizing the schedule, clarifying what must be kept in paper versus digitized form, aligning state rules with IDEA and other federal requirements, and providing practical guidance and tools. Members praised the specificity of her recommendations. Dr. BB Newman testified that retention failures in St. Anthony Village have made it difficult to obtain routine municipal and police data, with records delayed, missing, or inconsistently produced and no clear explanation of what systems were searched or whether records were destroyed. Newman argued these gaps undermine statutory access rights and force residents into costly litigation, and recommended stronger retention auditing, documentation of destruction, mandatory disclosure of systems searched, and consequences for noncompliance. In response to questions, Senate counsel said there is generally no direct penalty, but affected parties may seek mandamus, Data Practices Act claims, or informal mediation/opinions from the Data Practices Office. The discussion closed with calls for clearer standards and possible legislative updates to improve compliance and transparency.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the executive director of KDA's Office for Consumer and Environmental Protection.
• :53:13.440><c> for</c><00:53:13.680><c> consumer</c><00:53:14.160><c> and</c><00:53:14.480><c> environmental
• </c> office for consumer and environmental office for consumer and environmental protection.<00:53:16.160

Summary: The task force met with a quorum, approved the minutes from the August 20 meeting, and then heard testimony from Representative Steven Doan on House Bill 439, a school nutrition bill aimed at restricting certain ultra-processed foods in schools. Doan said the bill was inspired by his own health journey and his work in agriculture, and he described the measure as targeting specific chemical additives in foods served during the school day, not concession sales or after-hours activities. He said the bill would phase in later to give schools time to adjust and noted that the list of restricted additives was drawn from efforts in other states and advocacy groups. Members asked about the chemical abstract numbers, fiscal impact, summer meal programs, fundraisers, and whether the bill would affect parent-provided items; Doan said he had not done a fiscal note and explained that the bill was intended to apply only during instructional time on school property. Committee members generally reacted favorably, with some raising practical concerns about cost and implementation. One member asked about high fructose corn syrup, which Doan said was not included because it is too pervasive in the food system. Another member noted that schools already limit some homemade items and asked about the line between school-provided and parent-provided food. Doan also said the list was based in part on Turning Point USA materials and similar laws in other states, and he referenced federal efforts to define ultra-processed foods. The committee then heard from Kentucky Department of Education officials Matt Ross, Lauren Moore, and Katie Embry on school meals and nutrition programs. They outlined Kentucky’s school lunch, breakfast, summer meals, and other USDA child nutrition programs, including participation and reimbursement figures, and explained how community eligibility provision schools, meal patterns, offer-versus-serve, smart snacks, and local wellness policies work. They said USDA and FDA are currently seeking public input on a uniform definition of ultra-processed foods, that there are no current USDA requirements specifically on ultra-processed foods, and that schools already operate under federal and state rules governing competitive foods, including a state time restriction on smart snacks. They also discussed local purchasing, noting its benefits but also the procurement and staffing challenges schools face. No votes or final actions on the bill were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• He added that line 20 of the bill also allows the state to reach out to the United States Environmental
• 19.040><c> States</c> to reach out to uh the United States to reach out to uh the United States Environmental
• <04:13:20.000><c> Protection</c><04:13:20.479><c> Agency</c><04:13:20.880><c> for</c> Environmental Protection
• Agency for Environmental Protection Agency for approval.<04:13:21.600><c> So</c><04:13:22.399><c> point

Summary: The committee held public hearings on three transportation bills. SB 154 would add the Snow Traveler Foundation to the list of charitable organizations authorized to offer multi-use decal plates through the existing Department of Safety program. Senator David Roford said the bill would create a non-tax funding source for snowmobile trail maintenance, especially after flood damage, and Dan Gold of the New Hampshire Snowmobile Association said the foundation would accept tax-deductible donations for projects such as upgraded trail signage. He explained that the association’s 96 volunteer clubs maintain about 7,000 miles of trails and that the sign program is costly. No opposition was presented, and the hearing was closed after questions from members about the foundation’s status and fundraising goals. SB 271 would expand eligibility for veteran license plates to include veterans with a general discharge under honorable conditions. The sponsor’s representative said the change would recognize service members who are already eligible for many veterans benefits but are excluded from plates under current law. Supporters included Phil Grizzo, who argued that general discharges often reflect service that was otherwise honorable, and Kevin Grady of the State Veterans Advisory Committee, which said it strongly supported the bill and was also considering broader statutory cleanup to standardize the definition of veteran across state law. Committee members asked whether the change should be limited to plates or applied more broadly, but the sponsor said broader changes would be a separate policy question. The public hearing was then closed. SB 273, titled “Cheryl’s Law,” would update New Hampshire’s move-over requirements for motorists approaching stopped or standing vehicles on the roadside, including stranded vehicles and those with warning signals. Senator Donovan Fenton said the bill was intended to save lives and honor Staff Sergeant Jesse Cheryl and Brigadier General John Pogo, both of whom died in roadside incidents. He said the measure would require drivers to slow down, change lanes if safe, and move over for roadside vehicles, with the intent of education rather than punishment. Committee members asked about enforcement, the lack of a fiscal note, whether the bill applied statewide, and whether the language could be read as weakening the move-over requirement; the sponsor said it applied to all roads, did not change fines, and was meant to clarify and broaden safety obligations. The hearing continued with additional questions, and the sponsor said state police and other safety stakeholders supported the approach.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's not an environmentally great practice.
• green fertilizer it it it's uh not not a green fertilizer it it it's uh not an<00:25:51.240><c> environmentally
• c> uh</c><00:25:52.679><c> great</c><00:25:53.039><c> practice</c><00:25:53.480><c> so</c> an environmentally
• uh great practice so an environmentally uh great practice so anything<00:25:53.960><c> we</c><00:25:

Bills: HF1621 , HF1701 , HF1796 , HF1676 , HF40 , HF1428 , HF1540

Committee: House Agriculture Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• many of the people working part-time on farms are, for example, students going to college for environmental
• is<00:26:17.880><c> going</c><00:26:18.200><c> to</c><00:26:18.520><c> for</c><00:26:18.919><c> environmental
• </c><00:26:19.720><c> or</c><00:26:20.039><c> U</c> is going to for environmental or U is going to for
• environmental or U agricultural<00:26:21.039><c> studies</c><00:26:21.480><c> and</c><00:26:21.600><

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Our mission is to promote animal species and advocate for environmental conservation through partnerships
• animal species and AD advocate<01:03:56.400><c> for</c><01:03:56.599><c> the</c><01:03:57.039><c> Environmental
• </c> advocate for the Environmental advocate for the Environmental Conservation<01:03:58.880><c> through

Bills: HF47 , HF434 , HF1503 , HF1702

Committee: House Agriculture Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• The other problem that we have at the federal level is that they require archaeological and environmental
• level is that they require federal level is that they require archaeological<00:37:01.240><c> environmental
• </c><00:37:02.240><c> uh</c><00:37:02.400><c> permits</c> archaeological environmental uh permits archaeological
• environmental uh permits to<00:37:03.040><c> be</c><00:37:03.200><c> in</c><00:37:03.440><c> place</

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development

Transcript Highlights:

• We regulate a number of entities both through our Health Regulation Division and our Environmental Health
• long-term health and well-being, which means protecting people from infectious disease and from environmental
• We prevent illness before it starts. infectious disease from environmental infectious disease from environmental

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• That just restarted again when there was some money from the Environmental Trust Fund directed towards
• when there was some money<01:50:28.440><c> from</c><01:50:28.639><c> the</c><01:50:28.800><c> environmental
• </c><01:50:29.480><c> trust</c><01:50:29.840><c> fund</c> money from the environmental trust fund money
• from the environmental trust fund directed<01:50:30.760><c> towards</c><01:50:31.280><c> that</c><01

Committee: Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy

Transcript Highlights:

• Our Health Protection Bureau is home to environmental health, where we inspect, test, and provide technical
• Our Health Protection Bureau is home to environmental health, where we inspect, test, and provide technical
• is also where our State Health Improvement Program lives, which promotes policy, systems, and environmental
• building blocks for long-term health and well-being, including protection from infectious diseases, environmental

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• focusing on specific industries or specific types of applications like chatbots or particular environmental
• focusing on specific industries or specific types of applications like chatbots or particular environmental
• it really is this kind of the On the local issues, it really is the bread and butter of local environmental

Committee: Joint Artificial Intelligence and Data Center Committee

Summary: The committee held its first meeting on artificial intelligence and data centers, establishing its purpose as a study and policy-development body rather than one aimed at producing many bills. Majority Leader Hogue urged members to move quickly, focus on federal and other states’ AI laws, consider possible federal preemption, child protections, and the siting and economic impacts of data centers. Committee leadership echoed that the goal is practical, balanced governance that protects North Dakota while allowing innovation to continue. Legislative Council staff provided a background memo and NCSL presented a detailed overview of AI concepts and the current state legislative landscape. The presentations distinguished narrow AI, generative AI, agentic AI, and theoretical AGI/ASI, and summarized major state policy themes: comprehensive AI laws in states such as Utah, Colorado, Texas, California, and Illinois; targeted laws on deepfakes, chatbots, health, education, notifications, and digital likeness; and growing use of appropriations and agency inventories. Members asked about Colorado’s repeal and reenactment, Texas’s sandbox and training provisions, oversight structures, and whether AI regulation is bipartisan; presenters said most issues cut across party lines, with broad agreement on child safety and deepfakes but more division on broader regulatory approaches. The federal update focused on executive orders, preemption, and congressional activity. NCSL described a White House framework favoring a single federal standard, a DOJ litigation task force, Commerce Department review of state laws, and possible funding conditions tied to state AI policy, though no formal state-law challenge had yet occurred. The presentation also covered a recent executive order creating a voluntary federal vetting process for advanced frontier models after safety concerns, and congressional proposals including a failed 10-year state moratorium, Senator Blackburn’s child-safety bills, the Kids Online Safety Act, a House-passed children’s digital safety package, a Senate data center moratorium proposal, and a House ratepayer/data-center bill. The committee took no formal action beyond receiving testimony and asking questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• sudden we decide to put a trigger law into place, a trigger bill like this, in place for federal environmental
• sudden we decide to put a trigger law into place, a trigger bill like this, in place for federal environmental
• sudden we decide to put a trigger law into place, a trigger bill like this, in place for federal environmental

Bills: HF4401 , HF4466

Committee: House Health Finance and Policy