Transcript Highlights:

• From the 2026 legislative session.
• Here in Section 5, Special Appropriations, those are your non-recurring appropriations that go to most
• Your appropriations to the RECs also live in subsection I, and your appropriations to PSFA for their
• So again, the formula does not generate funds; it only distributes existing legislative appropriations
• . generate funds; it only distributes existing legislative appropriations.

Transcript Highlights:

• On line 397, actually 398, is a $5,000 appropriation for the Legislative Coordinating Commission website
• On line 397, actually 398, is a $5,000 appropriation for the Legislative Coordinating Commission website
• On line 397, actually 398, is a $5,000 appropriation for the Legislative Coordinating Commission website
• <00:12:04.880> for<00:12:05.040> the<00:12:05.200> Legislative appropriation for
• the Legislative appropriation for the Legislative Coordinating<00:12:06.240> Commission<00:12

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 2418, appropriation, major incident task force — Public Safety; Appropriations, Transportation and
• HB 2532, homelessness data performance audit appropriation — Appropriations, Transportation and Technology
• HB 2053, appropriation stormwater recharging map sites — Natural Resources; Appropriations, Transportation
• HB 2416, appropriations DPS local border support — Military Affairs and Border Security; Appropriations
• HB 2759, appropriation, Department of Veterans Services — Military Affairs and Border Security; Appropriations

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The meeting opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, attendance, and several guest introductions, including the Doctor of the Day, realtors visiting for Realtor Day, and a representative from Home of Hope. The Senate then handled a large number of bill referrals and second-reading items before moving into Committee of the Whole on multiple calendars. Several bills were advanced with committee and floor amendments, including SB 1494, SB 1497, SB 1503, SB 1535, SB 1544, SB 1580, SB 1582, SB 1584, SB 1585, SB 1602, SB 1632, SB 1723, and SB 1798. Many of the amendments were described as technical cleanups, but some made substantive changes, such as SB 1535’s provisions on sealing records for sex-trafficking victims and SB 1723’s domestic-violence release and monitoring provisions. The Committee of the Whole also adopted a report recommending several bills do pass as amended. The chamber adopted House Concurrent Resolution 264 honoring former Senator Barbara Leff, followed by a moment of silence and remarks from her family. The Senate then returned to Committee of the Whole for Calendar 1, where it retained SB 1332 and advanced SB 1654, SB 1711, SB 1743, SCR 1047, and HB 2993. HB 2993 drew the most debate: opponents argued it had a single-subject problem, relied on funding from the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Fraud Fund, and could create unnecessary outside-counsel costs for DPS, while supporters cited the need for the supplemental and defended the funding approach. The motion to report HB 2993 do pass carried by division, 16-13. In third reading, the Senate passed HB 4115 and a series of Senate bills, including SB 1012, SB 1213, SB 1416, SB 1474, SB 1511, SB 1549, SB 1573, SB 1634, SB 1647, and SB 1649, with several passing on close 16-13 votes. Debate centered heavily on immigration enforcement, concealed carry in businesses serving alcohol, CDL and driver-license issues, campaign finance disclosure, and a digital asset reserve fund. Members on both sides repeatedly explained votes on constitutional, public safety, fiscal, and civil-rights grounds. The session ended with bills transmitted to the House after passage.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:08:35.000> Appropriations<00:08:35.839> and there are legislative Appropriations
• Appropriations in the the legislative Appropriations in the five<00:08:43.200> principal<00:08
• Appropriations here at the legislator Appropriations here at the legislator legislature<00:09:16.959
• mhfa has received legislative mhfa has received legislative Appropriations<00:09:22.320> around
• > 2004 legislative Appropriations in the 2004 legislative Appropriations in the 2004 and<00:10:09.000

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House Housing Finance and Policy Committee met for an informational session with no bills taken up and no votes or formal actions. Members and staff introduced themselves, and Chair Speno said the committee would focus on understanding housing policy and barriers to building more homes, noting Minnesota’s housing shortage and the need to support both single-family and multifamily construction. House Research analyst Mary Davis and House Fiscal analyst Katrina Heimark gave an overview of the committee’s jurisdiction and the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency’s programs and funding streams. Davis outlined areas the committee may hear about, including real estate law, landlord-tenant law, manufactured home parks, housing cooperatives, zoning, property taxes, and MHFA programs. Heimark described MHFA’s five main budget areas—development and redevelopment, housing stability, homeownership assistance, preservation, and resident/organization support—and reviewed recent appropriations, emphasizing that much of the large 2024–25 funding was one-time money and that ongoing base funding is lower in 2026–27. Members asked several questions about how prior appropriations were spent, whether unused funds return to the general fund, and whether funds can be repurposed. Heimark said transferred funds generally are not returned to the general fund if unspent, but are expected to be used for the purposes outlined in the appropriation; she also said she had requested more detailed expenditure information from the agency and would follow up. Questions also focused on who benefits from programs such as rental housing rehabilitation and the affordable rental investment fund, with the testifiers explaining that most MHFA programs are targeted to low- and moderate-income households and that income eligibility varies by program. The committee also discussed the new metro-area sales tax revenue dedicated to housing, with members requesting more detail on reporting, oversight, and allowable uses.

Transcript Highlights:

• This slide is describing some of the ways that legislators use those appropriations.
• Who appropriates that funding? Callie: Mr.
• Legislative Council could then vote on to provide the Legislative Council service with direction on how
• own appropriation.
• So we just received that appropriation this year.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, Legislative Management.
• And so then it would just get routed through Legislative Management to the appropriate committee that
• Dakota's 67th legislative assembly.
• It's not an appropriation.
• We're all senior legislators.

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:

• <00:05:01.680> money,<00:05:02.160> housing appropriated money, housing appropriated money
• <00:25:46.559> All appropriations from their state. All appropriations from their state.
• when you have given us appropriated when you have given us appropriated dollars<00:25:52.480>
• appropriate and create. appropriate and create.
• and and the legislators. Correct. and and the legislators. Correct.

Bills: SF2434

Keywords: housing, development fund, affordable housing, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, expenditure provisions

Transcript Highlights:

• For legislative pre-filing, like I said, that begins the first day of org session, and then legislator
• And for a legislator, I'm thinking of it, a legislator is the primary beneficiary of it.
• The 35th legislative day? Okay. Mr.
• Those regular-session appropriations members will form the Joint Appropriations Committee.
• in the Appropriations Committee.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee first discussed security and member contact procedures, with several members emphasizing the need for formal security training at the start of each session and clearer procedures for knowing where legislators are staying during session for welfare checks and emergency contact. Members also raised concerns about the disclosure of home addresses in other public records and forms, and Legislative Council was asked to prepare a background memo on possible training, best practices, and related legislative or rule changes. The committee then took up a bill draft to reduce the number of paper copies of state publications sent to the State Library from eight to two. Legislative Council explained the cost savings and the move toward digital distribution, but the State Librarian testified that the library still needs paper copies for circulation, archives, and depository libraries, and requested a minimum of three copies. After discussion, the committee amended the draft to require three copies instead of two and passed the motion. The committee also approved a related House and Senate Rules amendment reducing the number of bound journals distributed, and a separate rule change removing the requirement that legislators’ home addresses be printed in the rule book and allowing a lower print run based on request and need. The committee next reviewed data on bill pre-filing and legislative workload. After hearing testimony that agency bills tend to arrive in a late-year rush and that staff workload is especially heavy around organizational session and the holidays, the committee voted to move the agency pre-filing deadline to the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. It also amended the deadline for constitutional amendments and study resolutions, moving them earlier so they would occur before crossover, and adjusted the reporting deadline accordingly. Members discussed whether these changes should be handled in special session or organizational session, and staff explained that the agency deadline change could be made effective for the next regular session through a permanent rules change. Finally, the committee reviewed proposed special session rules. Staff explained that the special session would use joint appropriations and joint policy committees, with expedited bill processing, limited bill introduction routes, and remote participation allowed for members and public testimony with approval. The committee also resolved a House appropriations membership issue by keeping the House side at 23 members and giving the House majority leader authority to appoint a replacement for the vacant seat, while increasing the Senate dollar threshold to match the House. Members then discussed the upcoming rural health special session process, including how the interim rural health group would differ from the actual special session committees, the timing of committee work and the governor’s address, and whether remote participation would be permitted in the special session.

Transcript Highlights:

• My name is Brad Kane with the Legislative...
• to authorize support for new CCAPS projects as detailed in our legislative appropriations request.
• I have the opportunity to present the legislative appropriations request for the University of Houston
• Legislative session and I am so honored to be here today to discuss our legislative Last year, our campus
• Appropriations request are significant.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And this is appropriation. We're in our statute. And this is appropriation discussion.
• appropriations to school districts in that $3.8 billion in the legislative category.
• And those are things that legislators appropriate as part of their own capital outlay...
• That legislators appropriate as part of their own capital outlay disbursements.
• And regarding legislative guardrails for the legislators in your soon-to-be-proposed legislation, would

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Assembly Bill 398, as amended, appropriates $45 million in general fund appropriations in both years
• Assembly Bill 398, as amended, appropriates $45 million in general fund appropriations in both years
• In addition, the bill appropriates $19.3 million in general fund appropriations in both years of the
• Assembly Bill 398, as amended, appropriates $45 million in general fund appropriations in both years
• In addition, the bill appropriates $19.3 million in general fund appropriations in both years of the

Keywords: 909, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Further, this bill requires future legislative appropriations to also consider expanding in the various
• The bill originated from a report written by the Legislative Analyst titled "Improving Legislative Oversight
• The bill originated from a report written by the Legislative Analyst titled "Improving Legislative Oversight
• Legislative involvement is extremely limited.
• The report will then be provided to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and, importantly, the Legislative

Summary: The Senate Emergency Management Committee heard several wildfire- and emergency-related bills. SB 1270 by Senator Richardson would expand the California Wildfire Mitigation Program to more counties and direct future funding toward areas with the greatest wildfire risk and social vulnerability; supporters included CSAC and the South Coast Air Quality Management District. SB 1079 by Senator Stern would create a permanent fire innovation unit within Cal Fire to identify operational needs, test new technologies, and speed deployment of successful tools; it drew support from Megafire Action, fire agencies, and several advocacy groups. SB 1020 by Senator Niello would require annual reporting on open gubernatorial states of emergency, including spending and lessons learned, to increase legislative oversight without limiting emergency powers; the LAO provided technical assistance on the bill. SB 894 by Senator Allen would establish a wildfire resilience loan program modeled on Go Green to help finance home hardening and defensible space improvements, with broad support from state, local, environmental, and credit union interests. Testimony on the bills emphasized wildfire risk, the need for broader home hardening access, and the value of innovation and oversight in emergency management. Supporters of SB 894 said grants alone cannot meet the scale of needed mitigation and that low-cost financing could leverage private capital. Supporters of SB 1079 argued California needs a more formal system to connect firefighters with innovators and scale proven technologies. On SB 1020, the author and committee discussed balancing executive emergency authority with transparency and accountability. There was no recorded opposition to the measures during testimony. After discussion, the committee accepted amendments on the bills and voted to pass SB 894, SB 973, SB 1020, SB 1270, and SB 1079 as amended to the Senate Appropriations Committee. The transcript shows multiple roll calls as quorum was established and absent members were called; each bill ultimately received unanimous support from members present and was reported out of committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• Legislation of California, in support.
• Legislation of California, in support.
• refine legislation as it moves forward, I want to first acknowledge that this piece of legislation,
• It would be the most appropriate one.
• That is our legislative counsel, who's already reviewed this and written in the legislative language

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several public safety bills, with most of the discussion focused on AB 1650, AB 2014, AB 1886, AB 2126, AB 2624, and AB 2257. AB 1650 would require decals on privately owned vehicles rented or leased to government agencies for enforcement purposes, with an exemption for undercover operations; supporters said it would improve transparency and community safety in response to ICE operations using unmarked rental vehicles, and there was no opposition testimony. AB 2014 would allow habeas corpus challenges where gender bias affected a criminal trial; supporters described cases involving gender stereotypes used against women and LGBTQ defendants, while the District Attorneys Association opposed the bill as overbroad and likely to restrict relevant evidence, though the author said recent amendments removed the evidence-code provisions and left only post-conviction habeas relief. AB 1886 would extend juvenile probation presumptions to youth in out-of-home placements and those leaving secure youth treatment facilities; supporters argued it would prevent unnecessarily long supervision and help youth transition out of the system, while judges, probation officers, and district attorneys opposed it as undoing a recent compromise and limiting individualized decisions. AB 2126 would streamline background-check exemptions for current and former foster youth hired as peer partners in child welfare settings; supporters said it would remove long delays that block qualified applicants, and there was no opposition. AB 2624 would expand the Safe at Home address-confidentiality program to immigrant service providers, employees, and volunteers; supporters cited doxing, threats, and harassment against immigration advocates, while one opponent raised concerns about possible effects on journalism, and the bill later received a do-pass recommendation and a roll-call vote with several ayes and one not voting, remaining on call. AB 2257 would restore county authority to create a separate county corrections department instead of sheriff-run jails; supporters said it would improve accountability and address jail deaths and fiscal problems, while sheriffs opposed it as unnecessary and argued sheriffs are better suited to run jails. The committee also adopted a consent calendar of several unrelated measures, and multiple bills were held on call pending final action.

Transcript Highlights:

• So Judy Warnick, 13th Legislative District.
• For appropriated accounts, a draw request is submitted to OST requesting reimbursement for appropriated
• So that category you see of other legislation, and many of those appropriations, if not all of them,
• Maintenance-level appropriations during that biennium.
• know, is that appropriation still happening?

Summary: The Joint Higher Education Committee met for a work session on higher education accounting practices and financial transparency. OFM Deputy Director Sarah Rupp explained how state accounting rules and higher education reporting differ, including what data is captured in AFRS today and what will move into Workday, with universities generally reporting summary-level fund data, mandatory codes, and most balance sheet and income statement activity, but not transaction-level detail or vendor payment information. Representatives from the University of Washington and Washington State University described the complexity of their own accounting systems, the many entities and business lines they must track for audits and compliance, and the need to reconcile university-level accrual accounting with state reporting requirements. The committee also heard from the Education Research and Data Center on the public four-year finance dashboard created under Senate Bill 5512; ERDC said the dashboard is based on publicly available data, is best used to examine institutions individually rather than compare them directly, and will be updated with additional metrics in 2025 and 2026. The committee then received a presentation from the Washington Student Achievement Council on the Workforce Education Investment Account (WIA). Joel Anderson reviewed WIA’s creation under House Bill 2158, its revenue sources, and its intended uses for higher education, financial aid, and workforce development. He said recent legislation significantly increased WIA revenues and that, in the 2025–27 budget, the account is being used in new ways, including to replace general fund support for University of Washington operations and to fund a larger share of the Washington College Grant and some faculty compensation costs. Anderson said roughly 98% of current WIA appropriations go to higher education, but the share used to supplant other higher education funding has grown, and he estimated about 60% to 70% of current spending still aligns with the account’s original intent. He also described a new effort to track WIA appropriations across biennia in more detail and noted the WIA Oversight Board’s role in recommending uses of the account and monitoring outcomes. No votes were taken; the committee ended by moving into executive session for staffing issues and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our legislative appropriation request to Mr. Isom, our district director, our executive director.
• With all of that in mind, the State Board pending a legislative appropriation request includes a request
• You've funded everything that we asked for in the legislative appropriation request.
• We believe that our legislative appropriations request for 26-27 biennium advances our mission to manage
• The Water Development Board recently updated its... legislative appropriations request for the Agriculture

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Further, this bill requires future legislative appropriations to also consider expanding in the various
• The bill originated from a report written by the Legislative Analyst titled "Improving Legislative Oversight
• Legislative involvement is extremely limited.
• The report will then be provided to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and, importantly, the Legislative
• Analyst's Office. ...to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and, importantly, the Legislative Analyst's

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Emergency Management Committee heard five wildfire- and emergency-related bills. SB 1270 by Senator Richardson would expand the California Wildfire Mitigation Program beyond its current pilot counties, with testimony from the California State Association of Counties and others supporting broader, data-driven home hardening assistance in high-risk communities. SB 1079 by Senator Stern would create a permanent Fire Innovation Unit within Cal Fire to identify operational needs, test new wildfire technologies, and speed deployment of successful tools; it drew broad support from fire, environmental, local government, and industry groups. SB 1020 by Senator Nilo would require annual reporting on open gubernatorial states of emergency, including spending and lessons learned, to improve legislative oversight without limiting emergency powers; the LAO provided technical assistance and the bill was framed as a transparency measure. The committee also heard SB 894 by Senator Allen, which would establish a wildfire resilience loan program modeled on the state’s Go Green financing platform to help homeowners pay for wildfire hardening and defensible space improvements. Supporters, including the State Treasurer’s office, counties, fire safety advocates, local governments, climate groups, and credit unions, said the bill would make mitigation more affordable and scalable; no opposition was presented. A consent item, SB 973, was also taken up, though the transcript does not describe its substance. All five measures were moved out of committee on due pass or do pass motions as amended to the Senate Appropriations Committee. The committee repeatedly called roll as members arrived, and each bill ultimately received unanimous support from the members present, with several votes left on call until absent members were recorded. No opposition testimony was heard on any of the bills discussed.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we would respectfully request that you consider making future appropriations two-year appropriations
• We again respectfully request that you consider making future appropriations two-year appropriations.
• Well, what I was getting at, you know, in our appropriation, Mr. Chairman, in our appropriation...
• Additionally, you've appropriated $9 billion in special appropriations for civil legal services.
• General Appropriations Act.

Transcript Highlights:

• recommendations for legislation. Mr.
• . appropriations.
• appropriations process work.
• Or the legislator or whoever appropriated it if it was a drafting error.
• And obviously that legislation.

Transcript Highlights:

• and trails general fund appropriation and trails general fund appropriation has<00:03:13.680>
• The House has more direct appropriation. The Senate has more appropriation.
• build a better appropriation next time. build a better appropriation next time.
• So appropriation is needed for projects like this.
• c><00:16:29.839> have to help them and legislation now have to help them and legislation now have

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Amendment 985 to Assembly Bill 515 clarifies the appropriated but unspent state general fund appropriations
• Amendment 985 to Assembly Bill 515 clarifies the appropriated but unspent state general fund appropriations
• provisions relating to legislative affairs.
• provisions relating to legislative affairs.
• provisions relating to legislative affairs.

Keywords: 909, all