Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:38:47.839><c> that</c> treatments in minors practices that treatments in minors practices that
• Practice.
• So my current practice is not—I don't see pediatric patients in my current practice.
• </c> age range in your pediatric uh practice age range in your pediatric uh practice so<01:54:59.119>
• </c> what's recognized as best practice what's recognized as best practice medically<02:19:56.880><c>

Committee: House Health, Human Services & Elderly Affairs

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So the first assess, after, I thought we brought someone in after the first assessment.

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the April 16 minutes, and then considered several water-system funding and deadline requests. For Magnolia Plantation Water System, members approved a deadline extension for plans and specifications to December 31, 2026, after hearing that the project still needed a test well, water-quality confirmation, and finalization of an LDH loan for matching funds. For St. Mary Parish Water and Sewer Commission No. 5, the committee approved an additional $619,850 to cover construction/engineering shortfalls and contingencies, bringing the grant total to $5,192,850 and requiring later JLCB approval. Members also approved revised phase two guidance, which updated emergency subfund language to align with recently passed legislation and clarified eligibility and process for limited fiscal administrators and fiscal administration. The committee then took up an emergency subfund request for Tallulah’s water system: staff explained that a temporary filtration skid must remain in place while permanent filters are designed and bid, and that the lease is expiring soon. After discussion of the timing, the need for a new engineer, and the possibility of a lease-purchase arrangement, the committee approved $1.4 million in emergency funding contingent on appointment of a limited fiscal administrator. Staff reported that the new payment process for the program is now moving funds more quickly and that updated expenditure projections will be provided at the next meeting. Members discussed the need to keep pushing projects toward closeout and acknowledged that some projects may need to be cut off if they cannot spend funds in time. The meeting ended with no further business and adjournment on a motion without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• and neglect reporting procedures, to provide for the assignment of reports for investigation and assessment
• So we adjusted that language of who would be doing that assessment. Let's see.

Bills: SB237

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Keywords: child welfare, Department of Children and Family Services, mandatory reporting, abuse prevention, investigative teams, child ombudsman, forensic interviews, confidentiality

Summary: The House Committee on Health and Welfare met on April 20 and took up Senate Bill 237 by Senator Barrow, a child welfare measure addressing the duties of the state child ombudsman, DCFS, public reporting, confidentiality, critical incident reviews, multidisciplinary investigative teams, forensic interviews, mandatory reporter training, and related child abuse and neglect procedures. Before discussion, the committee reconsidered and withdrew a previously adopted amendment set, then heard the bill re-read and reviewed a new amendment package developed through meetings among Senator Barrow, Representatives Spell and Berault, DCFS, and the ombudsman’s office. Members described the revised bill as narrowing and clarifying several provisions: reducing the number of law enforcement liaisons, limiting death/near-fatality notifications to legislative leadership and committee chairs with later notice to affected district members if substantiated, adjusting medical review language, and adding quality-improvement and training components. Other changes included keeping school-related reports routed to law enforcement, changing some mandatory language to discretionary language for certain child-on-child sexual abuse situations, aligning multidisciplinary team procedures with existing interagency protocols, and making technical revisions to reduce burden and likely lower the fiscal note. The committee also adopted a separate amendment to include recreation language for the Department of Children and Family Services. Senator Barrow and several representatives emphasized that the goal was to improve child protection and review processes while making the bill workable for DCFS and other agencies. They noted the importance of outside review, ombudsman access to records, and using review findings to drive implementation changes. After no objections, the committee adopted the amendment sets and reported Senate Bill 237 favorably with amendments. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• what I was reading here, to release, yeah, prior to release, but there's a need, there's a needs assessment
• that goes on You all know this, the needs assessment, when they come in, to determine where they, where

Bills: HB2993 , HB3850 , HB3595 , HB3763 , HB3760

Committees: House Public Safety , House A&B Public Safety Subcommittee

Keywords: rural law enforcement, grant fund, public safety, financial assistance, coordination districts, grant funding, law enforcement coordinators, municipal assistance, education, inmates, literacy, high school equivalency, Department of Corrections, parole, rehabilitation, HB3595, Safer Counties Revolving Fund, Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, county grants, traffic barrier equipment

Transcript Highlights:

• and they, you know, today were alerting me to there are some requirements here about getting an assessment
• forward to see what we can do because it'll help not only the ICF but it'll help the folks being assessed

Summary: The Senate Health and Welfare Committee considered two Medicaid rule dockets from the Department of Health and Welfare. The first docket repealed the consumer-directed services chapter that had been inadvertently omitted from last session’s House Bill 345 Medicaid rule consolidation, with the understanding that the same material would be incorporated into the consolidated Medicaid rules. The committee asked for confirmation that no substantive policy changes were being made in the repeal-and-replace process, and the docket was adopted on a voice vote. The second docket, Medicaid plan benefits, consolidated Medicaid provisions into a single chapter and updated the rules by removing duplicative or outdated language, aligning case management and personal care provisions with appropriations and other services, reverting one definition to federal guidance, removing references to programs now supported in the provider handbook or state plan, and adding speech-language pathology assistants as providers. Senators noted the document was lengthy and discussed the need for transparency and stakeholder input in rulemaking. The department said the docket contained no new policies beyond the consumer-directed services material and the listed cleanup changes. Senator Wintrow raised a stakeholder concern about psychological evaluation timelines affecting payment for providers serving individuals with disabilities. A provider testified that psychologist shortages and long wait times, sometimes four to seven months, delay eligibility determinations and reimbursement, and asked the department to work on a solution. The department said the policy itself was unchanged but was willing to continue discussions during the interim. The committee then approved the Medicaid plan benefits docket, including the temporary and pending rule, by voice vote and adjourned after a brief announcement about a future rule-process presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, of course. join in your assessment of needing to put more money into efforts that are going to go
• not getting addressed and things fall into cracks things like that and maybe you have a better assessment

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Would that be a fair assessment? That's a fair assessment.

Committee: Senate Banking and Insurance

Keywords: 923, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As of October 1st, 2027, states will be assessed a fee that is based on the payment error rate.
• I think what this bill does, what Representative Lee said, is sets up a rather robust assessment.
• </c><01:03:29.760><c> is</c> those folks because the assessment is those folks because the assessment
• And if you look at the very assessment.
• vocational assessment indicating their ability<01:04:37.200><c> to</c><01:04:37.520><c> consistently

Bills: HF45 , HF1148 , HF3624 , HF3586 , HF777

Committee: House Children and Families Finance and Policy

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:

• far as the risk to human trafficking, the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women did an assessment
• and found that we weren't talking about gambling houses when they did their assessment.
• and found that we weren't talking about gambling houses when they did their assessment.
• and found that we weren't assessment and found that we weren't talking<01:23:09.280><c> about</c><01
• it was in terms of did their assessment it was in terms of a<01:23:13.080><c> casino</c><01:23:13.639

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint hearing covered three measures on the 1 p.m. agenda. SB 817, relating to out-of-state offices, drew support from DBEDT and several community groups, with questions focused on the requested funding, staffing level, whether the office would expand broadly, and whether the Philippines was being singled out. SB 1578, relating to international affairs, received support from DBEDT and the Attorney General, with the chair noting the bill was intended to help DBEDT analyze Hawaii’s international partnerships and plan next steps. SB 1639, establishing Hawaii Beach Day, had limited testimony and was moved along without substantive debate. SB 582, relating to DBEDT, was also heard with support from state agencies and a few individuals, and was described as a vehicle for organizational and funding changes affecting the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, including moving some positions and programming to general funds and narrowing the works-of-art special fund's uses. The committees then took up recommendations. All three measures were advanced with amendments: SB 817 was amended to include technical changes and a defective effective date of July 1, 2025; SB 1578 was amended to address the Attorney General’s concerns, make the commission subject to Senate confirmation, and add technical changes and a defective date; and SB 582 was amended to incorporate provisions from SB 1577, clarify SFCA authority over performing arts, shift SFCA positions and programming to general funds, restrict the works-of-art special fund, and add a defective date. Each committee voted to adopt the chair’s recommendations, with no reservations or no votes noted in the Transportation and Culture and the Arts committee and only Senator Dela Cruz voting no on SB 817 there; in the Economic Development and Tourism committee, SB 817 passed with Senator Kim in reservation and Senator Awa voting no, while SB 1578 and SB 582 passed with Senator Awa voting no. The later 10:00 a.m. agenda hearing focused on SB 1589, relating to the stadium development special fund, and SB 1629, relating to taxation. On SB 1589, the Attorney General asked for clarification of section 3, particularly the proviso about remaining monies lapsing to the general fund if the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District is terminated before completion; the interim stadium manager explained the bill would allow spending of $49.5 million already in the special fund for consultant, construction management, quality assurance, and contingency costs. On SB 1629, testimony was sharply divided: supporters, including film industry and business representatives, said the measure would support local film production, restore prior GET treatment, and help attract studio development; opponents argued the bill was vague, overly favorable to a specific project, and lacked oversight and accountability. The hearing ended with extensive questioning about whether the bill was effectively tailored to a particular studio project and how it related to other film tax credit measures, but no final committee action on SB 1589 or SB 1629 was included in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• spread the costs when and if they occur through using a temporary sales tax or other broad-based assessments
• requiring potential increases in policyholder premiums and also significant capital or post-event assessments
• Finally, Or post-event assessments that are detailed more in our report.
• And then we have a small layer of risk transfer to our participating insurers through assessments.
• We could have wildfire bonds, wildfire bonds, second home assessments, tax assessments.

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• on provisions from the public executive summary of the Minnesota State Capitol Complex Security Assessment
• And I also appreciate the threat assessment work that our security staff has been doing, and I know that
• our members are deeply appreciative of the new changes you've made with respect to threat assessments
• changes you've made with respect to changes you've made with respect to threat<00:34:41.760><c> assessments
• Um I too am uh glad threat assessments.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee reconvened in open session after a closed discussion of sensitive security details and reviewed the public executive summary of the Minnesota State Capitol Complex Security Assessment by Axtel. Members discussed weapon screening and access control at length, including testimony from Capitol security and judicial center staff about screening procedures, prohibited items, and how screening is managed for visitors and authorized personnel. The chair emphasized that the committee was voting on high-level recommendations to be included in the final ACAST report and that the Department of Public Safety and Department of Administration would be encouraged to pursue the necessary work, including any legislative or budget requests. The committee then took a series of roll-call votes on the Axtel recommendations. Access control screening and visitor management (5.11) passed 4-2, while authorized access control and credential oversight (5.12), internal circulation and zoning controls (5.13), perimeter and exterior grounds (5.14), staffing models/post orders/operational readiness (5.15), technology and system integration (5.16), and protective intelligence (5.18) all passed unanimously 6-0. Each approved item was added as a recommendation in the final report. After the votes, the Department of Administration, Department of Public Safety, and House and Senate Sergeant-at-Arms offices walked through the draft final report. They highlighted staffing improvements, security infrastructure already installed, and remaining needs, including an estimated $41.008 million request for future enhancements such as kiosks, glass-resistant film, door access controls, cameras, lighting, bollards, and an updated distributed antenna system. The report also includes recommendations on trauma-informed safety drills, conduct rules for hearings, and designating the Minnesota State Patrol Capital Security Division as the primary investigative authority for potential criminal activity on Capitol grounds.

Transcript Highlights:

• And what it does is reallocates the way that the board assesses its costs for investing the various funds
• reallocates the, um, way that<00:07:47.480><c> the</c><00:07:47.600><c> board</c><00:07:48.200><c> assesses
• </c><00:07:48.880><c> its</c><00:07:49.200><c> costs</c><00:07:49.640><c> for</c> that the board assesses
• its costs for that the board assesses its costs for investing<00:07:50.400><c> the</c><00:07:50.480>

Committee: House Ways and Means

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So with that, I agree with your assessment of bringing it forward, and it was my fault when I let 28
• So with that, I agree with your assessment of bringing it forward, and it was my fault when I let 28
• So with that, I agree with your assessment of bringing it forward. and it was my fault when I left.
• So with that, I agree with your assessment of bringing it forward, and it was my fault when I let 28

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And also we would assess each facility for full total capacity to see if we needed to enhance the capacity
• And also we would<00:03:20.800><c> assess</c><00:03:21.120><c> each</c><00:03:21.440><c> facility</c>
• <00:03:22.480><c> uh</c><00:03:22.720><c> for</c><00:03:23.200><c> full</c> would assess each facility
• uh for full would assess each facility uh for full total<00:03:23.920><c> capacity</c><00:03:24.959>

Keywords: Call to Order: 00;15 Approval of Minutes: 01:22 Update on Generator replacement: 01:52 Update on Sheriff Fees: 13:28 Adjournment: 25:22, 958, all

Summary: The committee met for its fourth budget subreview session focused on personnel, public retirements, and finance. Members approved the minutes from the prior meeting and then heard from Finance Cabinet staff on two main items: a $7.5 million request related to generator systems and a sheriff’s fees budget request. The generator request was described as a preventive, life-cycle replacement and capacity-enhancement effort for 26 generators serving Frankfort-area state buildings, intended to protect continuity of government and expand beyond basic emergency power to support continuity of services. Members asked detailed questions about how many generators would be replaced, the cost per unit, the scope of the study, and whether the work could be phased. Staff said the $7.5 million would cover a full evaluation and any resulting engineering/replacement work, but the exact number of replacements was not yet known. They estimated the initial study would cost about $500,000 to $750,000, would take six to nine months once funded, and would produce building-by-building recommendations. Staff also said typical generator life cycles vary widely, often around 15 to 20 years but sometimes longer depending on run hours and usage. The committee then reviewed sheriff’s fees, with the Division of Local Government explaining that the state reimburses counties for several statutory sheriff-related costs, especially court security, which accounts for more than 90% of the claims. Staff said the current budget base is about $20 million, while actual spending has been running above $23 million, leading to a $3.5 million growth request to align the base with projected spending and reduce the need for non-general fund expenditure (NGE) adjustments. Members asked about claim volume, county participation, reimbursement controls, and whether the request reflected growth or underfunding; staff said all 120 counties submit claims, volumes have been fairly steady, and reimbursements are governed by statute and signed monthly certifications. No votes were taken on the requests, and the meeting adjourned after questions concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• So you want your citizens solvent don't want to be at risk of assessments year and then if we ever find
• But we do annual reinsurance data call which parts one through 4, which assesses the the strength of
• We run scenarios that might impact the state that year to assess how resilient those companies are against
• There's a stream is going to the consumers in the form restitution and there's fines and fees that are assessed

Transcript Highlights:

• That is it for the, um, or assessment for any questions. Representative Hopton Vihill.
• What kind of assessment.
• I can't say for certain, but that would be my um initial assessment. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
• , routes for goods and services, and you have I-40 and I-10, is there already an existing needs assessment

Transcript Highlights:

• In October 2024, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-524, directing the CPUC to assess the underlying
• Intervenors need time to assess that, evaluate it, and provide good information to us in their filings
• General rate cases are forecast-based work, so they look at historical data to help assess what the forecast
• these different categories between the jurisdictions, as well as how to transparently conduct that assessment

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The other thing is that we are now assessing children at an earlier age.
• the other thing is is that we<00:02:14.599><c> are</c><00:02:14.879><c> now</c><00:02:15.360><c> assessing
• </c><00:02:16.080><c> children</c><00:02:16.519><c> at</c><00:02:16.640><c> an</c> we are now assessing
• children at an we are now assessing children at an earlier<00:02:17.599><c> age</c><00:02:18.040><c>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Amendment 20, offered by Senator Robinson, corrects funding for Senate Bill 5915, the Health Technology Assessment
• Bill 5915, offered by Senator Robinson corrects funding for Senate Bill 5915 the Health Technology Assessment
• And to make ends meet, it makes what I think is an unrealistic assessment.

Bills: SB5998

Committee: Senate Ways & Means

Keywords: fiscal appropriations, budget, state funding, financial management, operating expenses, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Twenty, offered by Senator Robinson, corrects funding for Senate Bill 5915, the Health Technology Assessment
• Bill 5915, offered by Senator Robinson corrects funding for Senate Bill 5915 the Health Technology Assessment
• And to make ends meet, it makes what I think is an unrealistic assessment.

Summary: The Senate Ways and Means Committee met in executive session on Senate Bill 5998, the proposed operating budget, and received a staff briefing on 39 proposed amendments. The amendments covered a wide range of issues, including technical corrections; truancy intervention funding; public defense and Blake-related vacatur work; family reading, shellfish program review, cultural resource protection, agritourism, transmission planning, paid leave, developmental disabilities services, nursing home rates, TANF workforce services, food bank language, oral health access, behavioral health partnership access, sexual assault nurse examiner training, Department of Corrections security measures, child welfare staffing, pediatric interim care centers, Working Connections Child Care, range rider funding, Chinese American history month materials, Running Start, retiree health subsidies, school bus contractor costs, local effort assistance, transition to kindergarten, charter school enrichment, arts grants, and a tribal liaison position. Several amendments were withdrawn before action, including the truancy increase, Blake funding, one DD-related amendment, and others. The committee adopted a number of amendments, including the technical corrections packet, reductions or savings-related corrections, the family reading program, shellfish review funding, the transmission-system implementation funding, the oral health foundation, the partnership access line, health technology assessment funding, the governor errata correction, the sexual assault nurse examiner training contract, the DOC canine scheduling language, the child welfare staffing correction, the people transportation language, the TTK-related amendment, and the tribal liaison funding. It rejected several others, including agritourism, paid leave study language, DD waiver expansion, nursing home add-ons, the PIC program, range rider funding, Chinese American history month materials, Running Start restoration, the LEA restoration amendment, and the arts grant restoration. Some amendments were withdrawn after discussion, including the DD waiver and LEA-related proposals. During debate, supporters of various amendments emphasized service needs for vulnerable populations, including people with developmental disabilities, survivors of sexual assault, Medicaid dental access, behavioral health callers, and students in Running Start and TTK. Opponents repeatedly cited budget constraints, the need for a sustainable operating budget, and the view that some issues were better addressed through collective bargaining or future negotiations. The committee then rolled the adopted amendments into a new substitute Senate Bill 5998 and voted to send it to the Rules Committee with a do-pass recommendation, subject to signatures. Several members stated they would vote no on the budget overall, while others supported it as a difficult but necessary compromise. The meeting adjourned after the final vote.