Transcript Highlights:

• This requires that the commissioner grant variances for licensed capacity and child care programs if
• The state fire marshal also has to approve the variance.
• <00:21:40.880> for commissioner to grant variances for commissioner to grant variances for
• <00:22:07.600> Um variance. Moving on to section three. Um variance.
• The space variance for centers, if approved by the fire marshal. I'm a firefighter. Fire safety.

Bills: HF2436

Keywords: child welfare, economic assistance, child care, grant program, video security cameras, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, obviously if the zoning board doesn't grant that variance, you cannot build on that road. >> Thank
• Um, obviously if the zoning board doesn't grant that variance, you cannot build on that road. >> Thank
• 6 road, you have to go get a variance 6 road, you have to go get a variance from<01:44:14.400>
• variance, you cannot build on that road. variance, you cannot build on that road.
• We saw an example of the ZBA providing a variance in Manchester where, during the process, members of

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• could create issues, but you end up with situations such as a zoning area where there are zoning variances
• ... ...where there are zoning variances or historic districts where they don't meet that 45-day timeline

Bills: SB36, SB39, SB40, SB12, SB29, SB121, SB131, SB12

Keywords: competitive bidding, procurement, disclosure statements, state contracts, contract protest, board governance, occupational licensing, Sunset Law, public accountability, training requirements, SB40, Houston/Hunter Act, firearm hold agreement, gun storage, temporary firearm storage, firearms dealer, federal firearms licensee, FFL, civil immunity, gun owner

Transcript Highlights:

• So I think there's great variance in tribal or non-tribal doesn't matter.
• <01:52:32.960> in So I I think there's great v variance in So I I think there's great v variance
• There's<01:52:37.440> great<01:52:37.679> variance<01:52:38.159> in<01:52:38.400
• > how<01:52:38.639> this<01:52:38.880> gets There's great variance in how this gets
• There's great variance in how this gets applied<01:52:40.239> because<01:52:40.560> this

Bills: HB1952, HB1951, HB1929, HB2497, HB2208, HB2572, HB1953, HB2551, HB2549, HB1737, HB1628, HB1769, HB2493, HB2264, HB1997, HB2168, HB2427, HB1805, HB2180, HB2184, HB2219, HB2469, HB2233, HB2519, HB2141, HB1904, HB2201, HB2410, HB2007, HB2385, HB2444, HB2349, HB2235, HB1872, HB2416, HB2291, HB2292, HB2263, HB2359, HB2455, HB1509, HB1514, HB1515, HB1648, HB2164, HB2323, HB1825, HB2172, HB1888, HB2005, HB2387, HB2358, HB2119, HB2276, HB2472, HB1714, HB2325, HB1541, HB1960, HB2140, HB2315, HB2367, HB2388, HB1696, HB2333, HB2138, HB2332, HB2283, HB2059, HB2057, HB2589, HB2417, HB2337, HB1588, HB2217, HB2020, HB1915, HB1742, HB2026, HB1965, HB1546, HB2360, HB1563, HB1749, HB2614, HB1511, HB1753, HB1849, HB1641, HB2161, HB2194, HB1721, HB2284, HB2188, HB1897, HB1880, HB1573, HB1876, HB20, HB2137

Keywords: HB1952, Hawaii agriculture, University of Hawaii, CTAHR, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience, Kauai, agricultural research station, extension station, capital improvements, general obligation bonds, GO bonds, appropriation, ADA compliance, Americans with Disabilities Act, certified kitchen, greenhouse, laboratory, field research, cesspool decommissioning, invasive species

Transcript Highlights:

• I know in Eagan they have setbacks that have gone through variances, and they now have smaller setbacks
• /c><01:00:56.319> through setbacks that have gone through setbacks that have gone through variances
• 58.240> now<01:00:58.480> have<01:00:58.960> a<01:00:59.359> smaller variances
• and they now have a smaller variances and they now have a smaller setbacks.<01:01:00.880> Should<
• and after talking to um I variances and after talking to um I haven't<01:01:56.400> talked<01

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Those variances ranged from $43 to approximately $152,000, and then 65% of the samples that we tested
• Those variances ranged from $43 to approximately $152,000, and then 65% of the samples that we tested
• They're looking at discrepancies, I think, variances, maybe anything that's changed from 5% or 10% year
• <00:58:41.400> I<00:58:41.520> think<00:58:41.799> they're<00:58:42.319> variance
• discrepancies I think they're variance discrepancies I think they're variance is<00:58:43.039>

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee approved the January 16, 2024 minutes without objection. Members then heard a presentation from the Office of the Legislative Auditor on its December 2024 performance audit of the Department of Human Services’ outstanding provider debt in Minnesota’s Medicaid fee-for-service program. Legislative Auditor Judy Randall said the audit was launched after the office noticed a large accounts receivable balance during the state financial statement audit and became concerned that DHS did not understand the extent of the overpayments, had poor data, and planned to forgo recovery of some recoverable balances. Deputy Legislative Auditor Lori Lyson explained that DHS had reported $51.7 million in provider debt across about 2,500 providers in fiscal year 2023, with testing focused on long-term care facilities and the largest balances. The audit concluded DHS did not comply with legal requirements and lacked adequate internal controls. Findings included that DHS had not attempted to recover more than $40 million since collection notices were last sent in 2015 and 2019; that the department planned to write off some balances under $1,000 and some older than six years despite the auditors’ view that at least some of that debt may still be recoverable; that DHS overstated accounts receivable in its financial reporting because it had not updated its allowance calculation since 2019; and that MMIS data were insufficient to verify balances, with 20 of 59 sampled providers not reconciling and many dates inaccurate. In response to member questions, the auditors said the overpayments appeared to be routine program adjustments rather than fraud, but the department could not explain many of them because detailed data are only retained for about three years. They also said they did not know which specific DHS leader approved not collecting the debt, and that responsibility for recovery appeared split between program and finance staff, with each pointing to the other. The auditors recommended DHS recover the debt where possible, improve internal controls, retain better documentation, ensure accurate financial reporting, and work with the legislature if needed to clarify recovery authority.

Transcript Highlights:

• is really what the A20 amendment does is really moves<01:43:19.800> the<01:43:20.000> variance
• <01:43:21.320> um Senator Koran moves the variance consideration to the counties instead of
• Um, what was happening at that point was that some counties were still not providing variances that other
• attended a variety of meetings around at the counties, and yeah, the unequal application of the variance
• of the variance process was is<01:47:19.960> a<01:47:20.040> concern.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, 1 to 3% variance with hand counting. Uh, as we mentioned before, it's 100% accurate.
• Uh, 1 to 3% variance with hand counting. Uh, as we mentioned before, it's 100% accurate.
• Uh, 1 to 3% variance with hand counting. Uh, as we mentioned before, it's 100% accurate.
• Uh, 1 to 3% variance with hand counting. Uh, as we mentioned before, it's 100% accurate.
• Uh, 1 to 3% variance with hand counting. Uh, as we mentioned before, it's 100% accurate.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think there's also some abilities to get a variance from some of the parking requirements.
• '27 is when we think we're going to be adopting the final rule that will govern how we evaluate variances
• There are still variances.

Summary: The Senate Housing Committee heard a series of work-session presentations focused on transit-oriented development, commercial-to-residential redevelopment, building code implementation, housing market trends, and the Covenant Homeownership Program. The first presentation, from the Urban Institute, reviewed research on HB 1491 and TOD feasibility, arguing that Washington has made major progress but faces diverging conditions across transit areas. The presenter said rising construction costs, higher interest rates, and lower rents in some markets have made many projects less feasible, and recommended targeted infrastructure funding for lower-market communities, adjustments to MFTE and affordability requirements by local market conditions, more support for very low-income housing in high-market transit areas, minimum density standards near stations, expanded public land/joint development tools, and better tracking of TOD outcomes over time. Committee members asked about AMI calculations, immigration’s effect on construction labor, developer input, and whether a tracking mechanism had been removed from the bill. The Department of Commerce then outlined implementation of HB 1491 and demonstrated the new Washington Zoning Atlas, which is live and intended to help visualize zoning, overlays, and station-area conditions. Commerce said local governments will designate station areas, update zoning and MFTE policies, and handle anti-displacement measures, with Vancouver and Spokane first to implement and Puget Sound following later. Staff described a timeline for updated MFTE guidance, station-area implementation guidance, a TOD model ordinance, and later rulemaking on variances. The committee also heard from the Lieutenant Governor’s office on a report about converting commercial properties to housing, which found substantial potential for redevelopment on vacant or underused commercial land, especially near transit, but noted barriers such as ground-floor retail mandates, affordability requirements, infrastructure costs, private covenants, and slow implementation. The office urged by-right residential use on commercial land and faster rollout of new housing laws. The State Building Code Council updated the committee on its three-year code cycle and several legislatively directed actions, including minimum dwelling size, emergency shelters, and especially single-exit stairs and multiplex housing. Council staff said those code changes are nearing completion and will provide prescriptive solutions, while noting that elevator size and requirements were not changed and would require separate legislative direction if the committee wanted to revisit them. Members discussed the cost impacts of building and energy codes and the council said it is required to consider economic impacts and is increasingly looking at performance-based approaches. Later, the Washington Center for Real Estate Research presented its annual housing report, showing that higher mortgage rates have sharply reduced affordability, flattened house prices in many cities, and slowed single-family permitting and completions, while multifamily construction has recently cooled after a prior surge. Finally, the Washington State Housing Finance Commission reported strong first-year results for the Covenant Homeownership Program, which provides zero-interest down payment assistance to eligible first-time buyers with family ties to Washington before 1968; the program assisted 547 homebuyers in its first fiscal year, with more than $60 million loaned, and the agency said participation has continued to grow after income-limit changes enacted in 2025.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our statute holds our licensees to the initial statements in their applications, as well as variances
• level this past year. holds our licensees to the initial statements in their applications as well as variances
• It's all the things they do have to be licensed through a variance process.

Summary: The Senate Health Policy Committee received updates from the Agency for Health Care Administration and the Department of Health on implementation of 2024 health care laws. AHCA reviewed progress on workforce and reimbursement measures in Senate Bill 7016 and related bills, including FRAME and TEACH funding, graduate medical education reporting, behavioral health teaching hospitals, acute hospital care at home, advanced birth centers, non-emergent care access plans, and rural emergency hospitals. Agency officials said several programs are already operational or have begun payments, while others are still in rulemaking, federal approval, or report-preparation stages. Senators asked about timing, funding reversion concerns, and whether appropriated dollars would be spent on schedule, especially for behavioral health teaching hospitals and the new birth center category. The Department of Health then reported on practitioner licensure and public health programs. MQA described implementation of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, the Mobile Act licensure pathway, massage therapy enforcement changes, background screening expansion, liposuction safety requirements, pharmacist HIV post-exposure prophylaxis authority, and chiropractic dry needling. Public health staff updated the committee on FRAME and dental loan repayment, the Sinati screening grant program, the cancer research and innovation changes, the health care innovation council and loan program, the pediatric rare disease grant program, telehealth maternity care expansion, newborn screening for congenital CMV, the sickle cell registry and grants, and the swimming lesson voucher program. Members focused questions on how practitioners were being recruited to underserved areas, the pace of licensure approvals, and whether new programs were on track to use appropriated funds. The committee also heard a lengthy update from the Office of Medical Marijuana Use. The director reported more than 900,000 qualified patients, real-time seed-to-sale tracking now integrated across most dispensaries and labs, and ongoing compliance work on product testing, advertising, diversion, and patient safety. Senators questioned the decline in qualified physicians, how THC potency is labeled and verified, and what the agency can do about diversion to non-patients. The director said the office relies on complaints, inspections, lab audits, and coordination with law enforcement, and that patients can be suspended if violations are confirmed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Example two: a member of a zoning board participates in a decision to grant a variance to applicant B
• The planning board conditions its affirmative decision upon the applicant receiving another variance
• That member cannot then sit as an alternate on the zoning board to hear the second variance, as he has
• <00:20:35.679> That to grant a variance to applicant B.
• That to grant a variance to applicant B.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• initiative and help me understand this was done like in 2023 and it went to committee and if it had variances
• 39.680> had and it went to committee and if it had and it went to committee and if it had variances
• 41.120> $25,000<00:03:42.400> and<00:03:42.640> nobody<00:03:43.920> u variances
• of $25,000 and nobody u variances of $25,000 and nobody u disagreed<00:03:45.040> with<00:03:

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The one area of discussion that the committee did have was the length of time for the variance.
• /c><00:17:26.839> time<00:17:27.600> for<00:17:28.640> the<00:17:28.760> variance
• <00:17:29.440> and the length of time for the variance and the length of time for the variance

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• information for you, as part of the work group review, we've broken down the data to determine the variances
• data to review, we've broken down the data to determine<00:20:04.720> the<00:20:04.960> variances
• <00:20:05.600> between<00:20:06.160> the determine the variances between the determine
• the variances between the statewide<00:20:06.880> local<00:20:07.200> district<00:20:07.520

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee heard an Office of Education Technology presentation on the Kentucky Education Technology System (KTS) and a request to increase its annual budget from $15.4 million to $30 million, including an additional $14.6 million. The witness described KTS as a statewide service model that provides districts with student information and financial systems, internet bandwidth, regional support, cybersecurity, online registration, learning management and email services, and collaborative instructional technology support. He argued the state’s centralized purchasing saves districts 40% to 60% compared with buying services individually, and said federal internet discounts and district matching funds create a strong return on investment. He also said KTS has faced long-term funding cuts, has not received a cost-of-living increase since 1992, and is now at a “breaking point” where some services may have to be shifted to districts at higher cost. The request was broken into six main items: restoring funding for the computer science and information technology academy; strengthening cybersecurity defenses in response to sharply rising attacks on K-12 systems; funding online registration through Infinite Campus; stabilizing ongoing support costs for Infinite Campus; providing cost-of-living increases for KTS services; and increasing the KTS financial assistance sent to districts, which requires local matching funds. Members asked about the current appropriation, and the witness said it is $15.4 million. One member praised the office’s work and support for districts, while another noted the district had been an early adopter of one-to-one technology. The committee then received an overview of the KRS 156 salary schedule and step-and-rank system for state-operated career and technical education staff at area technology centers. Officials explained that salaries are set under statute and regulation based on years of service and educational rank, with annual calculations tied to statewide teacher salary averages and retroactive adjustments to July 1. They said the current ABR request is $325,000 over the biennium to cover step and rank increases. The presentation noted that KRS 156 salaries are generally comparable to local districts but are less competitive with business and industry, making recruitment and retention difficult, especially for instructors coming from the trades. Members agreed that trade instructors are underpaid relative to the market and said the issue deserves further review, with department officials indicating they are considering possible statutory revisions and a delayed implementation in a future biennium.

Transcript Highlights:

• HAVE YOU DONE A DEEPER DIVE ANALYSIS VARIANCE WITH BOTH OF THEM TOGETHER FOR EXAMPLE AN ACCREDITED PUBLIC
• THAT'S WHERE WE WANT TO GO TO HAVE THE MULTI VARIANCE AND TO BE ABLE TO PERFORM THAT ANALYSIS.

Transcript Highlights:

• portfolio status for quarter one, a report of those projects exceeding the 20% cost or schedule variance
• A quick note on that, too: when we set a baseline and start measuring against it to get that 20% variance
• And the reason this one is going late, you can see the schedule variance at 32%, because they did a lot
• And the reason this one is going late, you can see the schedule variance at 32 percent because they did
• To point out, you can see there's a cost variance column and a finish variance column, and the color

Summary: The committee received several informational reports from NDIT and DPI. Justin Data reviewed the quarterly major IT project portfolio, noting the portfolio was slightly under budget and behind schedule overall, with three red schedule items: Bed Management System and Vital Records were essentially complete and being closed out, and the Roadway Capital Planning Project was delayed by vendor bug fixes after testing. He also summarized recent project startups and closeouts, including the Victim Notification System, Medicaid data exchange, Highway Patrol’s motor carrier permit system, and several completed HHS and RIMS projects. Members asked for follow-up on ADA compliance work, the public-facing RIO website, and the state’s mainframe retirement timeline, and staff agreed to provide updates later. Craig Falkley reported on coordination of services with political subdivisions and higher education, including StageNet, cybersecurity, radio/911 services, and PeopleSoft coordination. He also explained distributed ledger technology as a tool for transparency and fraud prevention, but said it is not widely used in state government and suggested the report be modernized to focus more broadly on emerging technologies such as AI and cybersecurity. The committee generally agreed that the topic should be updated. Chris Gurgan presented the mandatory cybersecurity incident reporting program created by HB 1314, explaining how agencies and political subdivisions report incidents through NDIT’s website or service desk. He said 77 incidents had been reported since 2021, 47 met the statutory definition, and most were phishing-related; most reported incidents were resolved, with one recent ransomware matter still open. He also reviewed notable incidents since the last report, including the PowerSchool compromise, a SimpleHelp intrusion at a school district, a court intrusion, a WSUS vulnerability, a business email compromise, and a recent ransomware incident involving a non-state critical infrastructure entity. Members asked about recovery of stolen funds, early warning signs, smishing, training, MFA, conditional access, and cybersecurity maturity assessments; Gurgan said the state uses MFA and conditional access, provides awareness training to state employees, and would return with more information on maturity assessments. Tony Ambrose then updated the committee on the K-12 student information system bridge project. He said district implementation of Infinite Campus had begun statewide, but the data migration vendor originally selected was terminated for poor performance and replaced by Aurora Educational Technology, which had experience with similar statewide migrations. He also said DPI is migrating special education data from Tynet into Infinite Campus, and that some SLDS-based tools such as e-transcripts and Choice Ready may not function exactly as they do now at July 1, requiring interim or alternative solutions. Members raised concerns about summer school disruptions, the timing of the cutover, and whether the new system would support existing reporting and transcript functions; DPI said it was working on identity, authentication, data-sharing agreements, and post-go-live integrations, and would continue to refine the plan beyond June 30.

Transcript Highlights:

• looking at the same home built by the same builder across the Twin Cities metro, that there's wide variances
• looking at the same home built by the same builder across the Twin Cities metro, that there's wide variances
• He said the same home built by the same builder can have wide variances in permit costs across the Twin
• He said the same home built by the same builder can have wide variances in permit costs across the Twin
• region, but that the same home built by the same builder across the Twin Cities metro can have wide variances

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Labor Committee heard Senate File 560, a bill to require the Commissioner of Labor and Industry to establish a cost-per-square-foot valuation for residential building permits. Senator Dornink said the measure is intended to make permit fees more fair, reasonable, transparent, and predictable, and to reduce housing costs by limiting large differences in permit fees between municipalities. He said the bill would be sent to the Housing Committee without recommendation, and members discussed but did not act on a related amendment that would have shifted plan review and inspection fees to hourly and trip-based charges and made fee information publicly available. Testimony from Housing First Minnesota supported the bill’s goal, arguing that Minnesota’s housing shortage and high new-home prices make it important to reduce inefficiencies in the permitting system. The witness said permit valuations are often increased by cities, leading to higher costs for homebuyers, and cited examples of large fee differences between municipalities and claims of overcollection. He said some other states, including Texas and Wisconsin communities, use square-footage-based approaches. A League of Minnesota Cities representative opposed the amendment language and cautioned that trip charges and hourly billing would make fees less certain, could raise costs, and would be especially burdensome in Greater Minnesota; he said current valuation-based fees better reflect the actual cost and complexity of service and can be appealed if disputed. A representative of the Association of Minnesota Building Officials also raised concerns about the amendment, saying building departments provide consultations, inspections, plan review, and other services beyond a single trip, and that trip charges would not fit a responsive fee-for-service model. He said the current valuation system helps cover the full range of permitting work, though he acknowledged that a consistent square-foot valuation standard could improve transparency and reduce disputes over project value. Committee members asked about other states’ approaches and the scope of the bill, and the discussion emphasized that the proposal applies to one- and two-family dwellings.

Transcript Highlights:

• And again, this is primarily due to the large variance in the cost per ADM under the new formula and
• wanted to remind the committee that you did put a reporting function back in to school boards on variances
• plug some of that information back to the committee... ...that you did do some reporting back on variances

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But anyway, those were the big variances for the month of May.
• The appropriation was $408.9 million, and you can see the variance of $22.1 million.
• I have the disabled veterans credit and the homestead tax credit as well is that there will be a variance

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But anyway, those were the big variances for the month of May.
• The appropriation was $408.9 million, and you can see the variance of $22.1 million.
• I have the disabled veterans credit and the Homestead Tax Credit as well is that there will be a variance

Summary: The Budget Section met to approve prior minutes and receive a series of budget, revenue, and program updates from OMB, the Tax Department, DOT, DMR, and DPI. OMB reported that general fund revenues through May were about $76 million below the legislative forecast, driven mainly by individual income tax and sales tax shortfalls, though the biennium is still projected to end with a positive balance. OMB also reviewed oil price and production assumptions, the budget stabilization fund transfer above its cap, Legacy Fund performance, federal grant applications, fiscal irregularities, tobacco settlement proceeds, budget guidelines for agencies, vacancy savings, and the DAPL settlement, noting that most of the settlement funds had been deposited but a small amount of accrued interest would require a future deficiency request. The committee then considered Emergency Commission requests. It approved requests for Public Service Commission abandoned mine lands federal authority, an Attorney General FTE and related funding for criminal investigator work tied to the Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship, and a DPI transfer for bridge software costs. After discussion, the committee also approved DPI’s request for a $500,000 transfer for the food vendor program, despite questions about the program’s savings and cash-flow structure. Later, the Tax Commissioner presented the primary residence credit program, reporting that current biennium costs are expected to exceed the appropriation by about $22 million and explaining how the credit interacts with homestead and disabled veteran credits and the 3% property tax levy cap. The Legacy and Budget Stabilization Fund Advisory Board reported strong returns for both funds, and DOT sought and received approval for two flexible fund highway projects on ND 49 and ND 31. DOT also updated members on Highway 85 construction and said remaining flex fund dollars were essentially fully allocated. DMR reported on the abandoned well plugging and site reclamation fund, noting North Dakota’s relatively small orphan well inventory, current and projected fund balances, rising remediation costs, and a possible need to adjust the fund cap in future sessions. Finally, DPI outlined the new integrated formula gap funding program, explaining that it compensates school districts that cannot reach the assumed 60-mill local contribution because of the 3% levy cap; the first year’s gap funding totaled about $1.8 million, with future costs expected to grow.