Transcript Highlights:

• forward and do this, that we can also, I think you mentioned that with the reservations with the tribes

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 3901 was heard in committee and amended with the A26 amendment, which the author described as cleanup language clarifying confidential data and other wording changes. The bill concerns the Office of the Foster Youth Ombudsperson’s access to records in the Social Services Information System (SSIS) so it can investigate foster care decisions more effectively and in a timely way. Representative Johnson said the issue stems from outdated technology and interagency barriers that make it difficult to share information needed to serve foster youth and families. Misty Coons, the foster youth ombudsperson, testified that the office has struggled to obtain records from DCYF, with delays growing longer and some requests remaining unfilled. She said direct SSIS access would reduce burdens on agency staff and improve investigations, while privacy concerns could be handled through training or interagency agreements. Rebecca St. George, assistant commissioner for DCYF, acknowledged the delays but said the department is understaffed and working on software improvements; she argued that broad direct access would risk exposing privileged and protected information and could conflict with state and federal privacy laws. She also noted concerns from tribal nations about access to tribal data without request and approval. Members discussed the mechanics of data requests, redaction, and whether the bill raised data practices issues. The chair noted that a referral to Judiciary and Civil Law was automatic under chapter 13. Representative Johnson closed by emphasizing that the goal was to better serve children and foster families and said he had received a letter from White Earth Reservation expressing reservations. The committee then approved re-referral of House File 3901, as amended, to the Committee on Judiciary and Civil Law.

Transcript Highlights:

• The tribes and pueblos make a recommendation. I'm probably getting close to 10.

Bills: SB104, SJR3, SM3

Keywords: wildlife commission, removal procedures, malfeasance, appointed officials, governance, education reform, public education, state board of education, superintendent, chartering authority, constitutional amendment, policy setting, insects, insect workshop, insect identification, ecology, monitoring, management, pollinators, pollination

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, we might want to say tribes on there too.

Transcript Highlights:

• I really appreciate the breakdown on rules... because that sort of overlays where tribes, nations, and

Transcript Highlights:

• a Number and tribal leaders, most importantly, I mean the major components of this are the 23 uh tribes

Transcript Highlights:

• Different braid patterns often signify a person's tribe, social status, marital status, or even their

Transcript Highlights:

• I represent the Grand Portage Tribe. They use this nursing home.
• of who I am as an Indigenous woman is that I end up doing a lot of work in partnerships with our tribes
• :54.319> our a lot of work in partnerships with our a lot of work in partnerships with our tribes
• 02:18:55.760> is<02:18:56.719> all<02:18:56.880> of<02:18:57.040> our tribes
• because the reality is all of our tribes because the reality is all of our tribal<02:18:57.599> nations

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• losses under the Colorado Crime Victim Compensation Act for enrolled members of a federally recognized tribe
• enrolled members of a<03:43:44.200> federally<03:43:44.680> recognized<03:43:45.200> tribe
• <03:43:46.000> Senator a federally recognized tribe.
• Senator a federally recognized tribe.

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, approved the journal, and received committee and House messages on a large number of bills. Committee reports advanced several measures, including House Bill 1335 from Health and Human Services, House Bills 1281, 1315, and 1255 from Judiciary, House Bills 1345 and 1417 and Senate Bill 139 from Education, Senate Bill 192 from Transportation and Energy, and a number of Appropriations recommendations. The chamber also received House-passed and revisor-transmitted bills, and later laid over the special-order second reading calendar until later in the day. A major floor action was adoption of Senate Resolution 26-009, which proclaimed May 2026 as ALS Awareness Month. The resolution described ALS as a fatal neurodegenerative disease, highlighted the need for research, multidisciplinary care, and support for patients and caregivers, and recognized Colorado ALS advocates and medical professionals. Senators spoke personally about the disease’s impact, including the minority leader’s remarks about his mother’s death from ALS. The resolution passed 35-0, and the current roll call was added as co-sponsors. The Senate then took up third-reading consent calendar bills and passed Senate Bill 186, Senate Bill 188, House Bill 1420, House Bill 1341, House Bill 1015, and House Bill 1423, with recorded no votes on Senate Bill 188 and House Bill 1015. Senate Bill 191, concerning gifts, grants, and donations for nursing-facility reimbursement, was amended on third reading to correct reporting language and then passed 32-3. Senate Bill 125, which would codify disability-rights protections in public schools in response to reduced federal enforcement capacity, generated debate over state responsibility and passed 24-11. Senate Bill 187, creating a commission to study Medicaid and adding managed care entities as stakeholders, passed 31-4 after supporters cited rising Medicaid costs, fraud concerns, and data problems. Senate Bill 189, concerning automated decision-making technology and consequential decisions, was introduced and discussed as an AI-regulation measure, but no final action is shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• grow and think that a light is going to be able to shine more than your own connection of cultural tribe
• c><01:21:22.520> of your own connection of your own connection of cultural<01:21:24.600> tribe
• cultural tribe. cultural tribe.

Bills: HF3665, HF3002, HF4217, HF4125, HF4174

Keywords: foster care, early childhood education, child care programs, placement plan, social services, extended foster care, kinship care, relative custody, permanent legal and physical custody, Northstar kinship assistance, independent living plan, transition services, youth aging out of care, medical assistance, Medicaid, child welfare, children youth and families, out-of-home placement, case plan, relative placement

Transcript Highlights:

• move forward and do this that we can also, I think you mentioned that with the reservations with the tribes
• reservations you mentioned that with the reservations with<00:54:07.520> the<00:54:07.600> tribes
• they<00:54:08.600> had<00:54:09.160> I<00:54:09.280> hadn't with the tribes
• that they had I hadn't with the tribes that they had I hadn't had<00:54:09.560> a<00:54:09.640

Bills: HF4277, HF3819, HF3489, HF4408, HF3901, HF4316

Keywords: child care, child care center, day care, licensed child care, video security cameras, surveillance, security cameras, maltreatment, child abuse, child safety, public and shared areas, camera mandate, child care assistance program, CCAP, Great Start Compensation Support, early learning scholarships, licensed provider, Minnesota Statutes 142B.68, Harvey's Law, privacy

Transcript Highlights:

• Number two, it creates time and space for counties, tribes, and state-approved navigators to meet with
• and space Number two, it creates time and space for<00:42:03.200> counties,<00:42:03.839> tribes
• ><00:42:04.480> and<00:42:04.800> state<00:42:05.200> approved for counties, tribes
• , and state approved for counties, tribes, and state approved navigators navigators navigators to<00:

Bills: HF45, HF1148, HF3624, HF3586, HF777

Keywords: HF45, Lake Benton, capital investment, bonding bill, state bonds, bond proceeds fund, Public Facilities Authority, public infrastructure, sanitary sewer, water main, storm sewer, utility replacement, U.S. Highway 75, road reconstruction, municipal infrastructure, local government grant, Minnesota bonding, capital appropriation, food insecurity, prepared meals

Transcript Highlights:

• the biggest changes since the ACA, and they will result in a lot of work for our local governments, tribes
• 35:57.840> local<01:35:58.159> governments<01:35:59.040> uh,<01:35:59.120> tribes
• <01:35:59.520> and for our local governments uh, tribes and for our local governments uh,
• tribes and counties.<01:36:00.800> So,<01:36:01.040> we<01:36:01.280> are<01:36:

Keywords: 918, senate, all

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:

• And so we're working with tribes to design the benefit and drafting the waiver, and have a goal to post
• And so we're working with tribes<00:56:03.839> to<00:56:04.160> design<00:56:04.400>
• the<00:56:04.640> benefit<00:56:05.040> and tribes to design the benefit and tribes

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• education committee of the school, if they have one, and the geographically closest American Indian tribe
• geographically closest<01:23:15.520> American<01:23:16.000> Indian<01:23:16.320> tribe
• <01:23:16.719> to<01:23:16.960> approve closest American Indian tribe to approve closest
• American Indian tribe to approve uh<01:23:18.000> the<01:23:18.239> exemption<01:23:18.719

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Sections 4, 5, and 6 all contain property tax exemptions for properties owned by tribes.
• exe exemptions for properties<00:14:49.760> owned<00:14:50.000> by<00:14:50.480> tribes
• <00:14:51.040> So<00:14:51.279> section properties owned by tribes.
• So section properties owned by tribes.

Bills: HF2730, HF2257, HF2768, HF1932, HF2437

Keywords: local government debt, municipal bonds, county bonds, capital improvements, public financing, bond issuance, public hearing, notice period, bond guarantee, Minnesota Public Facilities Authority, volume cap, private activity bonds, housing finance, residential rental bonds, LIHTC, low-income housing tax credits, redevelopment, courthouse financing, jail financing, law enforcement center

Transcript Highlights:

• So I'm assuming the owners of Elk Run didn't disclose, which would then leave Prairie Island Tribe probably
• c> disclose which would then leave fie disclose which would then leave fie Island<01:04:48.799> tribe
• <01:04:49.799> probably<01:04:50.240> legal Island tribe probably legal Island tribe

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

Keywords: HF1621, CelluComp, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, appropriation, grant, commercialization, fiber-based barrier packaging, packaging materials, PFAS, perfluoroalkyl substances, polyfluoroalkyl substances, plastic reduction, sustainable packaging, environmental health, materials innovation, bio-based packaging, food packaging, agriculture finance, one-time grant, state subsidy

Transcript Highlights:

• one allowing both some of our Indigenous communities from our two different federally recognized tribes
• federally our two different um federally our two different um federally recognized<01:32:33.520> tribes
• so<01:32:34.320> having<01:32:34.880> um<01:32:35.400> experts recognized tribes
• so having um experts recognized tribes so having um experts from<01:32:36.119> ANA<01:32:36.400

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We want to remove the competitive requirement for tribal nations so that removes the burden for tribes
• c><00:58:46.799> the<00:58:46.920> burden<00:58:47.240> for<00:58:47.599> tribes
• <00:58:48.480> to removes the B the burden for tribes to removes the B the burden for tribes

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Health and Human Services Committee met on January 28, 2025, to review Governor’s budget proposals for several health-related licensing boards. The chair said no formal action would be taken and noted that final budget language was not yet available. The committee began with an overview from Bridget Anderson of the health-related licensing boards, who explained that the boards are fee-funded, operate as independent executive agencies, and handle licensing, complaints, rulemaking, and disciplinary matters. She also noted that the Board of Dentistry’s budget includes the Administrative Services Unit and criminal background check program, which can make the budget graphs appear larger than the dentistry board’s own operations. The Board of Dentistry requested funding for a new administrative staff position, estimating about $100,000 in salary, insurance, and fringe costs, to replace support lost when an administrative position was reclassified. Anderson said the board handled more than 300 complaints last year, with cases becoming more complex, especially involving surgical and implant procedures and imaging. Members asked about dental Medicaid access, but Anderson said that issue would be better directed to DHS’s Medicaid oral health division. The Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy requested a full-time position due to rapid growth in the number of regulated professionals, from about 4,000 in 2014 to nearly 10,000 now, and also sought authority to set a fee for out-of-state applicants under the Counseling Compact, with a cap of up to $100 though the board expects to charge much less. The Board of Podiatric Medicine asked to raise its fee ceiling, saying fees had not been increased since 1999 and that the board now faces a structural deficit of about $40,000 per year and declining reserves. Several senators expressed concern about “not-to-exceed” fee authority, calling it too open-ended and suggesting the legislature should scrutinize specific fee needs rather than approve broad ceilings. Similar concerns were raised during the Board of Chiropractic Examiners presentation, where the board sought $100,000 in additional spending authority and a fee increase after 32 years without an adjustment; members questioned the proposed ceiling approach and asked for more historical information before deciding. The Board of Dietetics and Nutrition Practice also discussed fee-setting authority, with the executive director explaining that the board had previously lowered fees without clear authority and later faced audit questions; she requested funding for a vacant administrative position, saying applications and revenues have increased sharply and no fee increase would be needed. The final presentation began with the Board of Pharmacy, which said it serves more than 26,000 licensees and oversees the Prescription Monitoring Program and opioid product registration. The board requested an extension of previously appropriated general fund dollars through fiscal year 2027 to continue paying legal costs tied to the insulin safety net lawsuit, emphasizing that this was not a new funding request but an extension of existing authority. No votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're also working on a tribal environmental justice strategy, involving the tribes and Indigenous communities
• I'll also mention that we have partnered with several tribes right now to offer access to these traditional
• with the Herring Pond Wampanoag, the Mashpee Wampanoag, the Aquinnah Wampanoag, as well as the Nipmuc tribe

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held a hearing at UMass Amherst on Governor Healey’s fiscal year 2027 budget, focusing on energy/environment-related transportation issues and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The chairs and members opened with thanks to UMass, university leadership, court officers, and legislative staff, and Chancellor Javier Reyes highlighted UMass Amherst’s research, workforce, sustainability, and transportation contributions, including energy research, transit operations, and partnerships with MassDOT. The hearing then moved to MassDOT and MBTA testimony on the administration’s transportation funding package, including House 2, the FY26 Fair Share supplemental, and a proposed four-year Chapter 90 authorization. MassDOT officials described the budget as part of a broader multi-year transportation investment strategy, citing funding for operations, snow and ice removal, regional transit authorities, the MBTA, the Merit Rating Board, sustainable aviation fuel credits, micro-transit and last-mile grants, unpaved road improvements, bridge and pavement work, and housing-related transportation infrastructure. They emphasized workforce expansion, capital delivery capacity, safety improvements, and local aid, including the new lane-mile-based Chapter 90 formula intended to benefit rural communities. Officials also discussed major projects and programs such as Grant Central, culvert and unpaved road grants, work zone speed cameras, congestion hotspot fixes, the Sagamore and Bourne Bridge projects, and MBTA operating support and safety upgrades. Testimony from the MBTA and rail/transit staff focused on improved ridership, service frequency, accessibility, and safety, including progress on the Green Line Train Protection System, reduced delays, expanded bus and commuter rail service, and the South Coast rail extension. Regional transit authorities reported increased ridership and described new fare-free, connectivity, and community transit grants. Aeronautics testimony covered airport capital work, drone and data programs, sustainable aviation fuel efforts, and workforce development in aviation maintenance. Committee members then asked questions, especially about Western Massachusetts priorities, Chapter 90 funding, bridge repairs, snow and ice costs, Cape Cod bridges, Buzzard’s Bay rail, and Compass Rail/West-East Rail. Officials said several federal rail grants were moving forward, that Sagamore Bridge procurement would begin soon, and that the administration remained committed to pursuing federal funding and multi-year transportation investments.

Transcript Highlights:

• Both bodies provide that a federally recognized Indian tribe, both off-reservation tribal lands, may
• within five business days and a separate notice must be provided for each primary and general election. tribe
• , both off-reservation tribal tribe, both off-reservation tribal lands,<01:09:26.000> may<01:09

Keywords: 1183, house