MICA Weekly Legislative Update #11

Murky path forward doesn’t get much clearer with just three weeks to go

With midnight May 17 getting closer (the legislature cannot take any official action on its final day of an even numbered year) the two divergent paths the House and Senate are taking do not appear to be getting any closer together. The drastic difference in policy between the two chambers is nothing new, but the House and Senate are normally able to agree on how to consider bills and the path they take to become law. With the Senate combining their committees omnibus bills into a few larger vehicles and the House still not passing omnibus bills off the floor, Republican Senators and the media have started to pick up on the challenge this creates for end of session negotiations. It’s become common for Senators to field questions either in committee or from a reporter asking what the plan is for whatever bill is under consideration to become law while its companion bill is stagnant in the House. The answer is usually that the Senate will do its work and can’t worry about the other chamber.

At the end of the day if the legislative leaders come to an agreement on significant budget items, they will be able to process that agreement. But if there aren’t conference committees, or if bills that pass one chamber don’t move in the other, it will be difficult for many smaller items to get negotiated into a bill that becomes law.

Legislative leaders continue to meet, including on county issues

On Tuesday and Thursday legislative leaders met again to discuss the state of the budget and discussed the different approaches to technology modernization as part of their broader end of session negotiations.

What they’re saying:

Technology Modernization

• Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy described it as an important anti-fraud measure that has bi-partisan support and that the four caucuses have more in common on this issue than nearly any other issue. It was a topic of discussion at the leaders meeting last Thursday.
• Sen. Murphy also said that options for bonding to pay for technology modernization are limited, that there’s no path to use GO bonds for that purpose.
• She views appropriation bonds a possibility, but says she doesn’t see it happening this year.
• Senate Capital Investment Chair Sandy Pappas said in committee that the need to address technology concerns is real but that crowding out other capital needs is an issue.
• Governor Walz called his own technology modernization position modest but said the key is that the state cannot launch a bad system because it could set Minnesota way back.

Bonding              

• House Capital Investment Co-Chair Mary Franson mentioned that House Republicans were pursuing a $995 million bonding bill compared to House and Senate DFLers seeking a $1.4 billion bill.
• Rep. Franson also noted that the Governor is insisting that any increased debt service general fund cost from a bonding bill be offset with cuts or savings elsewhere, making the path to a bill a little more difficult
• Governor Walz noted the difference in size of the bonding bill that different caucuses were pursuing as the first step to resolve before a bonding bill can move forward.
• Sen. Pappas said the next time the Senate Capital Investment committee meets would be to consider the Senate bonding bill

Path to Agreement

• The Governor noted that the meeting between leaders last Tuesday was just to get on the same page for where the budget is now including the long-term structural issues.
• He said the goal is to get joint targets by the fishing opener on May 8 (which would leave little time for chairs to negotiate bills through on their own before the constitutional adjournment date).
• Governor Walz also confirmed that his position is that he won’t sign anything that increases the spending and revenue gap in the current budget.
• Sen. Murphy noted that while the Senate is passing bills that may not necessarily match up with the House, by passing those bills off the Senate floor they’re in a better position to be included in end of session negotiations.

House Ways and Means Committee Posts Budget Resolution    
On Monday morning the House Ways and Means Committee is expected to approve its budget resolution for the year, which as expected shows very little change across committees. The resolution tracks bills that have already moved through the committee rather than setting new spending targets. Approving the budget resolution is an important step for the House though, because otherwise amendments on the floor could increase spending or reduce revenue to any given bill and remain an allowable amendment. Approving this resolution means amendments will have to remain budget neutral. It is expected that the committee will continue to update the budget resolution as it processes bills. 

Legislative timeline:

• April 28: Governor state of the state address
• May 17: Midnight on Sunday the 17^th is the deadline for the legislature to pass any bills, no official action can take place after that unless a special session is called
• May 18: Constitutional deadline for adjournment

Senator Wiklund gives her perspective on technology modernization: In an interview with Senate Media Services Senator Wiklund highlighted the need for the investments in her bill, recalling her visits with county workers and the challenges they face.

Senator Rest talks property taxes: In an interview on WCCO about what’s happening with the tax bill Sen. Ann Rest highlighted the Senate efforts to address rising residential property taxes by proposing a one-time boost by[SW1]  the homestead credit refund, and a bill from Sen. Aric Putnam that would create a property tax task force to examine the system and make recommendations on how best to address residential property taxes.

Senate hears their version of a one-time property tax refund as committee prepares to release its omnibus bill this week: On Tuesday the Senate Tax Committee heard SF5010 from Sen. Grant Hauschild, which would provide a one-time 12% increase to everyone currently eligible for the homestead credit refund. MICA submitted a combined letter with the League of Minnesota Cities and Association of Minnesota Counties in support of the bill. The bill costs $100.8 million in FY 2026. Sen. Rest mentioned during the hearing that she had approached Senate leadership about this bill and had gotten approval for that level of investment. The Senate is planning to release their tax bill on Tuesday, with no timeline apparent for the House tax bill.

House hears rolodex of local sales tax bills: Over the last two weeks the House tax committee has heard 37 local sales tax bills across just three committee hearings. The vast majority of these came from cities but included a few county proposals as well. Rep. Greg Davids stated that he was supportive of these proposals because they put the choice in the hands of the voters, noting that these proposals don’t always get approved at the ballot box. Rep. Aisha Gomez expressed concerns about any projects that renovate or expand jails, as well as saying that she was skeptical of any projects that don’t specifically state the project they’re paying for, or notwithstanding the list of allowable project types that are stated in law, included here:

(1) a single building or structure including associated infrastructure needed to safely access or use the building or structure;
(2) improvements within a single park or named recreation area; or
(3) a contiguous trail.

All these bills were laid over and have been heard in the Senate as well.

Governor’s supplemental tax bill gets hearing in the House: Revenue Commissioner Paul Marquart presented the Governor's supplemental tax bill on Thursday, HF5055. House Fiscal staff provided a spreadsheet showing the revenue impact of the proposals. The most frequent questions were about the proposed social media tax and expansion of the sales tax base to cover accounting, banking, and legal services, with Republican members expressing skepticism on those proposals. The other significant component of the Governor’s tax bill are the federal conformity provisions, matching up state definitions of income with federal definitions for tax purposes. While those proposals on net do raise revenue, the business community expressed support for aligning the two tax codes. MICA did not testify or submit remarks on the bill.

The Senate will release their tax omnibus tax bill on Tuesday, hear it the following day, and consider amendments and vote it out of committee on Thursday. Bills that raise revenue are constitutionally required to originate in the House and we don’t have a House tax bill yet and one won’t be released this week. But the Senate can release and move their bill to the floor and wait for the House to act. There have been times in the past where the Senate has even voted on their tax bill before receiving one from the House, but in those circumstances the bill typically just gets laid on the table and is not officially transmitted to the House. It’s not clear when or if the House will release a tax bill of their own, but it looks quite clear that if it does happen it won’t happen this week.

Tuesday, April 28

Senate Taxes

• The Senate omnibus tax bill will be posted on Tuesday at some point after a morning hearing on a few local sales tax bills and consideration of tax court judge appointments

Wednesday, April 29

Senate Taxes

• Walk through of Senate omnibus tax bill. Testimony arrangements will be provided when the Delete Everything Amendment to SF5052 (Rest) - 2026 Senate Omnibus Tax Bil has been posted.

House Taxes

• HF4974 (K. Lee) Income and property tax refunds; homestead credit refund co-pays reduced, commissioner of revenue authorized to implement a tax compliance program, and money appropriated.
• HF4845 (Hollins) Aids to local governments; new fifth tier individual income tax rate established, and local government aid and county program aid appropriations increased.
• HF4677 (Davids) Indian Tribe property tax exemption established.
• HF4678 (Davids) Indian Tribe property tax exemption modified.

Thursday, April 30

Senate Taxes

• Mark up and passage of SF 5052 (Rest) - 2026 Senate Omnibus Tax Bill

Bill introductions of Interest:

• HF5025 (Howard) Allowing counties to spend housing aid payments on expenses of administering qualifying aid expenditures
• HF5055 (Gomez) Governor’s supplemental tax budget recommendations
• HF5063 (Davids) Department of revenue policy and technical bill

Senate Transportation Committee Debates Future Investment Strategy

Last Monday, Chair Dibble held an informational hearing on a suite of bills supported by the Sierra Club, Bicycle Alliance, and Our Streets that elevate transit, walking, and biking – sometimes to the detriment of highway projects.  He framed the goal of these bills is to move from reactive spending based on long-time practices, outdated assumptions, and a tendency to default to road expansion, to strategic investment that considers multi-modal alternatives.

Discussion on the first bill, SF4055, turned heated when Sen. John Jasinski (R-Faribault), accused the proponents of taking a metro-centric approach that would “punish the people living in rural Minnesota” since the bill would prohibit necessary highway expansions, like turning dangerous two-lane roads into four lanes, unless a 60-year maintenance plan and fund is included with the project.

This tension continued throughout the hearing, with groups like the Sierra Club accusing some of “pushing for wider highways and grade separation wherever two roads meet - which is a failure,” instead of focusing on land use density to support expanded transit or tolling to discourage driving behavior. The Bicycle Alliance characterized a new interchange project near Rochester a complete waste of money that doesn’t improve safety. The tenor and tone of the debate foreshadows the transportation debate that will happen next biennium, especially if there is a DFL trifecta.

Update on State-Aid Standards

One of the bills, SF4598, would add new requirements to Minnesota’s state aid standards for local roads. Rather than debate the merits of the bill, Chair Dibble used the opportunity to hear from local government representatives, including Anoka County Commissioner Julie Jeppson, about the work underway through the Rules Advisory Committee, to update the state-aid standards so they incorporate both consistency and flexibility.

Sen. Dibble appreciated knowing that a process is underway to incorporate new standards into the state-aid design rules without legislation and looks forward to the final product.

Senate Finance Processes Omnibus Bills

Last Wednesday, the Senate Finance Committee walked through the finance provisions contained in the Omnibus Transportation Bill, SF3988. They also took testimony from the commissioners at the relevant agencies, MnDOT’s Nancy Daubenberger, and DPS’s Bob Jacobsen.  Upon conclusion of her remarks, Sen. John Jasinski (R-Faribault) asked Commissioner Daubenberger about the status of the transportation greenhouse gas (GHG) assessment and mitigation program and whether the Department would meet the deadline for implementing the portfolio approach.  She did not directly answer the question but said that while the GHG assessment protocols are in place, the agency is still working on the portfolio approach and taking input from local partners. The conversation then turned to the costs associated with implementing the program, which are expected to increase the price of highway projects 20-50%. Some committee members, such as Sen. Nick Frentz (DFL-Mankato), seemed surprised by this – but also said those costs needed to be weighed against the repercussions of not addressing climate change.

After this exchange, the bill was laid over and will be reconsidered this coming Wednesday.

Next up, the committee continued conversation on the Senate Omnibus Environment Bill and adopted a delete-all amendment that incorporated the provisions into a multi-agency omnibus. During debate, Senator Jeff Howe (R-Rockport), proposed an amendment to add language reducing the wetland replacement ratio for local road projects from two-to-one to one-to-one, which is the standard for agricultural projects and a policy supported by MICA. A robust conversation ensued, and ultimately, the amendment was withdrawn due to Chair John Marty’s (DFL-Roseville) objections to adding a significant policy change to a finance bill.

Bill Introductions of Interest:

To see a list of all the transportation bills being tracked on behalf of MICA, click here.      

Senate Finance

Wednesday, April 29

• SF3988 (Dibble): Omnibus Transportation policy and supplemental appropriations
  Continuation of discussion of the Transportation Omnibus bill (SF 3988 - Dibble) from Wednesday 4/22

SENATE

All three county priorities are included in the Senate Health and Human Services omnibus bill SF4612 (Wiklund). The bill passed out of Finance on Thursday and was sent to the Senate floor; it is scheduled to be heard by the full Senate on Wednesday, April 29.

Technology Modernization: SF4612 includes a version of SF4719 (Wiklund) on which we have been engaged since the beginning of session. The language includes our steering committee language that gives counties an equal voice with the state in the development and prioritization of modernization projects. It includes funding of $45 million in FY26-27 and $25 million in FY28-29.

Sen. Melissa Wiklund also introduced SF5020 this week. The proposal adds a new account to the list of required uses when the forecast indicates a positive unrestricted General Fund balance at the close of the biennium. The Technology Obsolescence Reduction Keystone Account is listed last in the priority order of the listed uses for a positive budget balance and is capped at $80 million. Functionally money would be added to the account if, after all other needs are met, including any increase to the budget reserve, with money that the state has already realized from a surplus in the current biennium. Money in the account would be available for appropriation by the Legislature to fund the modernization or replacement of outdated or inadequate information technology infrastructure and systems used by the state or local units of government to administer state programs. MICA is supportive of this approach as well as the language in the Senate HHS omnibus bill, since it could be an effective tool to provide funding (though potentially unstable) ongoing for this essential need. The bill was heard in the State and Local Government Committee and was laid over. Bill Summary

Committee on Capital Investment: The committee heard and laid over the following bills that would bond for modernization technology. Video Link

• SF3879 (Dibble) proposes a constitutional amendment for public debt to be incurred for public information technology systems, licenses, and infrastructure. In explaining the bill, Sen. Scott Dibble stated that our bonding system is limited to physical capital improvements (e.g., buildings, roads, and bridges); this proposal is intended to expand to the digital reality in which we live today.
  
  

Member comments:

• Sen. John Jasinski stated that this is the No. 1 priority for all of his counties. He inquired as to what the cost would be to replace MAXIS.
  • Matt Hilgart responded that counties assume it will be in hundreds of millions of dollars. He reminded the committee that the federal government would make a substantial match – especially for systems used for Medicaid purposes.
• Sen. Jordan Rasmusson agreed that the systems need to be updated. He raised concerns, however, that bonding for technology will result in more expense over time.
• Sen. Carla Nelson also supports counties’ legislation; however, she was unsure about going about it through constitutional amendment.
• Sen. Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger signaled her support for moving forward on much needed infrastructure needs.
  
  

Testimony in support:

• Matt Peabody, Olmsted County, testified on behalf of the Minnesota County IT Leadership Association.
• Denise Smieja, Education Partnership Coalition: Accurate data is needed in order to be able to evaluate public services and programs.
• Three Humphrey Policy Fellows testified in support.

SF3879 Fiscal Note

Improving Funding Access for Cyberinfrastructure

• SF4982 (Hemmingsen-Jaeger) would appropriate $10 million per year ongoing through FY2036 from the General Fund to make payments under a lease-purchase agreement for development, acquisition, installation, and implementation of a modernization plan or replacement of the state's MAXIS system.

Matt Hilgart (AMC) testified in support of the bill. During her presentation, Sen. Hemmingsen-Jaeger also called out Jen Castillo, Washington County, for her work on this proposal.

Written Testimony:

• MAXIS 1
• MAXIS 2
• County/Business Community Support
• Center of the American Experiment Opposition

Member comments:

• Sen. Jordan Rasmusson again stated that, while this is important, he does not know that borrowing to update the systems is the most prudent.
• Sen. Carla Nelson stated that she was very supportive of getting these systems updated “yesterday” and understands the counties’ issues with recruitment and retention of their employees. She addressed the “pay for performance” model - similar to what the Legislature did in 2011 wherein the vendors had so much faith in their product that they were paid at the back end when savings have been proven.

MAAFPCWDA Modifications: We also have a positive position on our request to resource and effectively implement the Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act. This includes $15 million per year to counties for administration and implementation, as well as requiring DCYF to conduct case reviews of ten percent of certain child protection cases.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: The Senate includes funding to address cost shifts to the state from the federal government relating to SNAP by specifically holding counties harmless from the non-federal cost shifts. This includes the portion of the SNAP benefit costs based on  “error rates” and covering lost federal administrative reimbursement for state information technology systems. The benefits shift totals $167.9 million in FY 28-29, and the administrative reimbursement totals $24.3 million in FY 26-27 and $64.7 million in FY 28-29.

HOUSE

House Technology Modernization: House Ways and Means Co-Chair Paul Torkelson is the author of HF4808, which is the companion to SF5020 (Wiklund), which establishes the Technology Obsolescence Reduction Keystone Account. The bill awaits action in Ways and Means.

In addition to the three county priorities addressed above, SF4612 contains components related to federal implementation, including several of the Governor’s recommendations:

• Funding for the resources necessary to comply with new federal Medicaid eligibility requirements, maintaining coverage for eligible enrollees, minimizing workforce burdens on local government, and conducting outreach with impacted community members.
• Ensuring that Medicaid targeted case management rates are compliant with federal law, cost-based, and reconciled using a CMS-approved cost-report.
• Aligning with federal regulations that prohibit FBI background studies for household members of adult day service and adult foster care providers.
• Enhancing safety standards for department licensing staff who face threatening and violent interactions in the workplace.

SF4612 Bill Index

SF4612 Spreadsheet

Amendments:

• SF4612 A39 (Wiklund); includes technical changes to the targeted case management proposal, work/community engagement per federal law and how they interact with MA  and MinnesotaCare, and family child care. Adopted

• SF4612 A40 (Wiklund); Crisis Nursery Licensing; adopted
• SF4612 A38 (Wiklund); transfers some regulatory oversight of HMOs over to the Department of Commerce from the Department of Health; adopted
• SF4612 A35; Coverage of Infertility Treat (Maye Quade); adopted
• SF4612 A42; Gas Resource Development/Helium Deposits on the Iron Range; MDH rulemaking; adopted

Highlights of SF4612:     

Article 1: Department of Health (Govern’s MDH Budget Proposal)

• Section 6: defines criteria under which a newborn screening fee exemption may apply.
• Section 7: strikes language that requires funds remaining for the health professional education loan forgiveness program to cancel at the end of each biennium.
• Section 8: strikes language that requires funds remaining for the home and community-based services employee scholarship grant and loan forgiveness program to cancel at the end of each biennium.
• Sections 9-11: modifies requirements for the health professionals clinical training expansion and rural and underserved clinical rotations grant programs.
• Section 19: modifies the purposes for which a Tribal government may use local public health grants.

Article 2: Department of Human Services (Governor’s DHS Budget Proposal)

• Section 1: provides that applicants, license holders, certification holders, and controlling individuals under chapter 245A must not engage in conduct that threatens the safety or well-being of DHS staff, county employees, or other certain individuals.
• Section 5: modifies the definition of residency for non-Title IV-E foster children.

Article 3: Human Services Federal Compliance (Governor’s DHS Budget Proposal)

• Sections 1-2; 5; 14-24: establish a new cost-based rate methodology and reconciliation process for targeted case management services provided by counties.
• Sections 3-4: remove the requirement to conduct FBI criminal history checks for household members connected to adult day services and adult foster care.
• Section 6: requires DHS to establish a health care eligibility oversight unit to collaborate at a regional level to ensure that MA eligibility requirements are consistently applied
• Section 7: requires DHS to obtain and use information from reliable data sources to update contact information for MA and MinnesotaCare enrollees.
• Section 8: establishes a limit of $1 million for the permissible home equity to receive MA payments of long-term care services, beginning in 2028.
• Sections 9-11: modifies MA procedures to require 6-month eligibility redeterminations for most individuals eligible for MA under section 256B.055, subdivision 15 (the expansion group).
• Section 12: conditions MA eligibility for most individuals eligible for MA section 256B.055, subdivision 15 (the expansion group), on work and community engagement requirements, subject to certain exceptions; authorizes expedited rulemaking; provides that the section expires if federal law requiring work or community engagement requirements, including but not limited to provisions enacted in Public Law 119-21 (H.R. 1), is repealed or otherwise no longer in effect.
• Section 13: limits MA to noncitizens who are eligible for coverage with federal financial participation through MA or CHIP.
• Section 25: provides that individuals denied or disenrolled from MA for failing to comply with the work and community engagement requirements set forth in section 256B.0562 are ineligible for MinnesotaCare.

Article 5: Children, Youth, and Families

• Sections 1; 5-6: require DCYF to bear the amount of certain disallowances or sanctions, and prohibit a county agency from contributing more than 50% of the total SNAP administrative costs.
• Section 4: requires DCYF to pay the state share of SNAP benefit costs.

Article 6: Child Care Center Licensing Modernization

• Sections 1-40: update and codify licensing requirements for child care centers

Article 7: Family Child Care Licensing Modernization

• Sections 1-25: update and codify licensing requirements for family child care providers.

Article 8: Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act Changes

• Sections 1-13: make changes to MAAFPCWDA by modifying the definition of “disproportionately represented child,” determining the process by which DCYF must make a determination of disproportionate representation, requiring DCYF to conduct a case review of 10% of certain child protection cases, repeals the definition of “disproportionality,” and makes conforming changes.

Article 10: Miscellaneous

• Sections 4-7: establish the Human Services Systems Steering Committee and the Legislative Commission on Human Services Systems (Technology Modernization).

Written Testimony:

• Joint County Letter
• AMC SNAP Handout
• MAAFPCWDA Implementation Handout

On Thursday, the Senate Finance Committee heard SF4612 and sent it to the floor as amended.

SF3295 represents the policy portions of Health and Human Services. The Senate passed the bill on Wednesday on a vote of 36-31.

Bill Index
Bill Summary

Amendments:

• A13 (Boldon) DCYF Foster Care; Adopted 50-13
• A17 (Gruenhagen) random drug testing/MFIP; Failed 32-35
• A14 (Abeler) direct primary care service agreement; Adopted 35-32
• A19 (Abeler) Department of Health review of hospital campus closures or changes in operations; failed 22-45
• A18 (Wiklund) Housing Support Agreements; agency process: page 102, line 20, after the period, insert "For the purposes of this paragraph, "results" include the number of housing support agreements that are approved and denied, and denied, the reason for the denial." Adopted

Highlights of SF3295:

Article 2: Department of Health

• Section 33: Contracting and Procurement: MDH is exempt from contract term limits in statute for issuing benefits under SNAP for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) using an electronic benefit transfer system. Further provides that such contracts may have an initial term of up to five years with extensions not to exceed a ten-year total contract duration.
• Section 34: Management Information Systems; Contracting and Procurement): MDH is exempt from contract term limits in statute for the management information systems used to issue benefits under SNAP for WIC. Further provides that such contracts may have an initial term of up to five years with extensions not to exceed a ten-year total contract duration.
• Section 35: State and Local Advisory Committees: adds that each Tribal Nation may appoint a representative to the State Community Health Services Advisory Committee (SCHSAC).

Article 3: Human Services Health Care

• Section 3: CARMA enrollment: Existing law provides that DHS may, on a county-by-county basis, offer a health plan other than CARMA to individuals that are dually-eligible for MA  and Medicare if the Commissioner deems it necessary for enrollees to have another choice of health plan. Modifies that provision of existing law to only permit the Commissioner to offer such a plan if there is no CARMA plan in the county.
• Section 6: extends the due date, from December 15, 2025, to November 30, 2026, for a report on the county correctional facility long-acting injectable antipsychotic medication pilot program.

Article 4: Behavioral Health

• Section 9: amends Minn. Stat. § 245I.23, subd. 7 (IRTS assessment and treatment planning). Excludes weekends and holidays from the requirement to complete a standard diagnostic assessment within ten days of a client’s admission.

• Section 10: amends Minn. Stat. § 254B.04, subd. 1a (client eligibility). Allows persons enrolled in MA to be eligible for room and board services from the behavioral health fund when those services are provided through IRTS and residential crisis services.
• Section 11: amends Minn. Stat. § 256B.0624, subd. 6b (crisis intervention services). Removes the requirement for mobile crisis teams to discuss an advance care directive during the crisis intervention stage.
• Section 12: amends Minn. Stat. § 256B.0624, subd. 7 (crisis stabilization services). Adds a requirement for mobile crisis teams to discuss a health care directive or a declaration of preferences during the crisis stabilization stage.
• Section 21 (amends Minn. Stat. § 256L.03, subd. 5 (cost-sharing). Clarifies that all parts of mobile crisis services are exempt from cost-sharing, co-pays, and deductibles.

Article 5: Department of Human Services Housing and Support Services

• Section 5: amends Minn. Stat. § 256D.06, subd. 2 (emergency need). Requires county agencies to report their Emergency General Assistance policies annually to DHS.
• Section 6: amends Minn. Stat. § 256D.54, subd. 1 (potential eligibility). Extends the period during which Minnesota Supplemental Aid applicants must apply for other benefits from 30 days to 90 days.
• Section 7: amends Minn. Stat. § 256I.04, subd. 2b (housing support agreements). Requires agencies to develop, make available, and report on processes they use to review and approve housing support agreements.

Article 6: Department of Human Services Office of the Inspector General

• Section 3: amends Minn. Stat. § 245A.242, subd. 2 (emergency overdose treatment). Eliminates the requirement for a standing order for nasal spray opiate antagonists in certain settings.
• Section 4: amends Minn. Stat. § 245C.02, subd. 18 (serious maltreatment). Adds financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult to the definition of serious maltreatment.
• Section 9: amends Minn. Stat. § 245C.15, subd. 2 (15-year disqualification). Adds violation of an order for protection against financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult and illegal remunerations to the list of 15-year background study disqualifications.
• Section 10: amends Minn. Stat. § 245C.15, subd. 3 (ten-year disqualification). Adds violation of an order for protection against financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult and interference with privacy to the list of ten-year background study disqualifications.
• Section 11: amends Minn. Stat. § 245C.15, subd. 4 (seven-year disqualification). Adds violation of an order for protection against financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult to the list of seven-year background study disqualifications.
• Section 21: New Background Studies for Individuals not in NETStudy 2.0. Requires individuals affiliated with an adult child or adult foster care setting to have a background study completed in NETStudy 2.0 by March 1, 2027.

Article 7: Children, Youth, and Families

• Section 1: amends Minn. Stat. § 142A.43 (grants to Youth Intervention Programs). Modifies the statute governing grants to youth intervention programs by making technical and conforming changes and allowing the Minnesota Youth Intervention Programs Association up to 6% of an appropriation for providing certain services and technical assistance to grantees.
• Section 7: amends Minn. Stat. § 260C.212, subd. 4a (monthly caseworker visits). Makes a conforming change to federal law to allow children in foster care to conduct their monthly caseworker visits via video conference.
• Section 8: amends Minn. Stat. § 260E.02, subd. 1 (establishment of team). Modifies the membership of a multidisciplinary child protection team by including Tribal social services agencies and representatives of agencies that provide specialized services to youth whose family members have been identified as missing and murdered Indigenous relatives.
• Section 9: amends Minn. Stat. § 260E.02, subd. 2 (duties of team). Allows Tribal law enforcement to provide case consultation as part of a multidisciplinary child protection team.

Article 9: Miscellaneous

• Section 1: amends Minn. Stat. § 142G.18, subd. 1 (person convicted of drug offenses). Allows persons convicted of a felony-level drug offense within the previous 10 years to receive MFIP benefits if otherwise eligible and removes the random drug testing requirement for persons receiving MFIP or SNAP benefits who were convicted of a felony-level drug offense within the previous 10 years.

Tuesday Senate Finance Committee: SF203 (Port) represents the Senate Omnibus Housing bill. Authorizes up to $50 million in housing infrastructure bonds. Bill Summary The bill passed as amended and was sent to the Senate floor.

• SF203 Spreadsheet (as passed by Senate Housing Committee)
• SF203 Housing Infrastructure Bonds (HIB) Debt Service Spreadsheet

Amendments:

• SF203 A21 (Port) technical; adopted
• SF203 A20 (Draheim) program money transfers; adopted
• SF203 A23 (Jasinski) manufactured home parks; failed on a voice vote

Thursday Senate Capital Investment Committee:SF3839 (Port) would allocate $200 million for Housing Infrastructure Bonds to create deeply affordable homes. The bill was laid over.

HF1141 (Howard) makes supplemental appropriations to the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency (MHFA), funded both with MHFA earnings from investments of state appropriations and with the early return and cancellation of payments made to a claims administrator to settle legal claims against the state and its counties regarding county disposition of tax-forfeited properties. Also authorizes MHFA to issue $100 million in housing infrastructure bonds (HIBs). Modifies MHFA powers and obligations regarding the housing development fund and its administrative retentions of state appropriations. Also provides that certain payments made by MHFA for “lived experience engagements” do not count as means for certain state means-tested programs. Modifies how the state allocates private activity bonds for residential rental projects.

The bill was heard in House Ways and Means on Wednesday.HF1141 Bill Summary. Passed as amended and was sent to the House floor.

HF1141 A5 Amendment (Howard); technical; adopted
HF1141 Written Testimony

House Capital Investment:HF3806 (Howard) would authorize the issuance of an additional $200 million of housing infrastructure bonds and would appropriate the amount necessary from the General Fund to pay for debt service. Effective the day following final enactment.

SF476 (Hoffman) was processed on the Senate floor on Thursday. It contains many items of county interest, including:

• Measures to transform the human services delivery system to study the roles and responsibilities of counties, tribes, and the state.
• Providing continuity of care when individuals are affected by disruptions in our provider community.
• DHS directive to assist counties in conducting long-term care assessments (MnCHOICES) using certified assessors.
• The inclusion of several items that counties and providers have been discussing as part of our work to find savings in the Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) area to prevent significant cost shifts. Notably, the proposal “buys back” of $112 million of the original $178 million proposed cost shift to counties.

The bill does not include the language that would have banned counties from using contracted case management. Rather, the proposal focuses on a study that examines current uses of contracted case management, evaluates payment rates, explores appropriate guardrails, and discusses the proper role of counties.

Vulnerable adults: Note sections 50 through 69 amend and add multiple subdivisions in Minn. Stat. 626.557, relating to the maltreatment of vulnerable adults. Section 74, paragraph (a) repeals 626.557, subdivision 10 (duties of county social service agency). Together the repealer and amendments in these sections modify, clarify, and provide for compliance with the federal Adult Protective Services rule. These changes to the Vulnerable Adult Act and to the counties’ responsibilities are necessary to ensure DHS, in the Department’s role for supervision and assurances, and county social services agencies, in their role administering adult protective services, are in compliance with the new federal Adult Protective Services rule.

Bill Summary

Amendments:

• A35 (Hoffman) removes all costs (leaving only policy); removes senior happy hour language as signed by the Governor as a stand-alone bill; adopted
• A31 (Wiklund) directs the Commissioner to release the Optum report without redactions or edits, except for redactions requested by Optum to protect proprietary information; adopted 67-0
• A33 (Marty) amends the A31; requires DHS to also provide a summary of the unredacted report developed with the OLA; adopted 35-32
• A52 (Marty) directs OLA to be the responsible entity to summarize the Optum report; adopted
• A32 (Mann) Guardianship language; adopted
• A34 (Wiklund) modifies use of restraint language; adopted
• A27 (Abeler) ensures a plan for facility staff to immediately attend to resident needs in a medical
  emergency (e.g., due to falling, a heart event, difficulty breathing, or choking) until any emergency personnel arrive, if summoned; adopted
• A53 (Wesenberg) allows the application of purple paint to trees along the perimeter of the area to which the person wants to prohibit entrance. Helps people who are color blind; adopted

The bill passed on a vote of 39-28.

Monday House Ways and Means:

• SF856 (Norris) would create an Executive Office of Inspector General. The bill was heard on an informational bill only as further work is needed on the language.

SF856 2nd Unofficial Engrossment (House Language)
SF856 Fiscal Note

• HF3682 (Nash) requires the Department of Administration’s Office of Grants Management (OGM) to develop a grantee fraud risk rating system policy. OGM’s new fraud risk rating system policy would be informed by the principles of vendor risk management.

HF3682 Bill Summary
HF3682 Fiscal Note
HF3682 A2 Amendment; appropriations: $71,000 (FY27); $71,000 (FY28)

The bill passed as amended and was sent to the House floor.

Monday House Floor Session: The body approved several stand-alone bills of interest:

• HF3453 (Hanson) Legal age to possess kratom established as 21 years of age or older. Passed 127-5
• HF3621 (Klevorn) Fraud; payments to program participants withheld under certain circumstances. Passed 134-0
• HF3629 (Bahner) Provisions for grants management changed. Passed 133-0
• HF3769 (Curran) Multiple levels of substance abuse care provided by the commissioner of corrections clarified in law, access to mental health unit beds for incarcerated persons expanded, and mandatory tuberculosis screening in correctional facilities clarified. Passed 129-5
• HF3782 (Moller) Disclosure of chemical irritants used in certain buildings required, and commissioner of public safety required to develop a standard form. Passed 129-5
• HF4425 (Myers) increases statute of limitations for crimes involving MA fraud or other theft of money belonging to the government. Session Daily Passed 133-0

Tuesday House Capital Investment: HF4896 (Hicks) was heard on an informational basis. It would appropriate $7 million from the bond proceeds fund to the Commissioner of Administration to predesign and design a new 30-bed secure psychiatric residential treatment facility operated by Direct Care and Treatment. The bill is an initiative of Aspire Minnesota. Nancy Freeman, DCT, testified that there is a gap for children with complex needs; it is anticipated that it will take 18-24 months to complete the planning the process. Video Link

Member comments:

• Rep. Luke Frederick: How long are kids waiting for services?
• Rep. Kim Hicks indicated that the wait list is approximately 3-9 months, but it can often be even longer. She stated that, due to lack of state investment, kids are often being sent out of state at county expense.

Session Daily

Wednesday Senate Human Services:SF2689 (Johnson Stewart) expands the authority of the Attorney General to issue subpoenas in ongoing legitimate law enforcement investigations to include, when relating to suspected public benefit fraud, wage and employment records; insurance records related to claim settlement; and specified financial records. Bill Summary

Fiscal Note

Attorney General Medical Assistance Protection Act

Amendments:

• A14: $85,000 in FY27 is appropriated from the General Fund to DHS for compliance with documentation requests from the Attorney General​ and associated participation in legal proceedings. The base for this appropriation is $100,000​ in FY28 and $100,000 in FY29. Adopted

Nick Wanka, Medicaid Fraud Unit, Office of the Attorney General, testified regarding the need for additional personnel.

• A13 (Rasmusson); makes the bill effective the day after enactment

Senate Human Services passed the bill on Wednesday and referred it to Judiciary – which addressed it on Friday. Judiciary then passed the bill on to the Senate floor on a vote of 6-4.

A15 Amendment; removes judiciary jurisdiction language relating to data that had been added in Health and Human Services; adopted by a vote of 6-4

Thursday Senate Floor Session: SF3453 (Mann) raises the legal age to purchase and possess kratom from 18 to 21. Under current law, it is a gross misdemeanor to sell kratom to a person under the age of 18, and it is a misdemeanor for a person under the age of 18 to possess kratom. The bill passed on a vote of 56-10. Having previously passed the House on a vote of 127-5, the bill is on its way to the Governor.

Friday Senate Judiciary: The following bills were addressed on Friday:

• SF4399 (Oumou Verbeten): the delete all amendment includes background study modifications for various health and human service providers

Amendments:

• A4 Delete all Amendment; adopted as amended

o   A7; amends A4 amendment; fraud in public programs; adopted
o   A9; amends A4 (strips out program integrity language); adopted

• A5; data sharing between the Departments of Health and Commerce; adopted as amended
• A6 (Duckworth); financial exploitation; adopted

• SF730 Kreun Classification clarification of certain data maintained by the Attorney General. The motion to send to Finance failed on a vote of 4-6.

AG Ellison Letter

The language from SF4696 (Kreun) Social media platforms requirements establishment related to accounts for minors was offered as a delete everything amendment to SF4997:

A1 Amendment (Kreun) delete-all amendment; social media platforms requirements establishment related to accounts for minors; adopted

Bill Introductions of Interest:

• HF5025 (Howard) Counties allowed to spend housing aid payments on expenses of administering qualifying aid expenditures.
• HF5043 (Igo) Workforce housing development program appropriation increased.
• HF5060 (Klevorn) Office of the State Inspector General created, advisory committee created, reports required, agency duties transferred, limits placed and programs prohibited from receiving public funds, conforming and technical changes made, interagency agreements provided, and money appropriated.
• HF5068 (Agbaje) Local public housing program funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.

Both the Senate and House will be spending considerable time on the floor this week. The Tax, Finance, and Ways and Means Committees will continue to meet – as they are not subject to committee deadlines.

Wednesday is a particularly busy day in the world of health and human services:

• SF4476 (Hoffman), the Senate Human Services Omnibus Budget Bill, will be heard in the Finance Committee.
• SF4612 (Wiklund), the Senate Omnibus Health and Human Services Budget Bill, will be heard on the Senate floor.
• House Ways and Means:
  • HF4338 (Schomacker) Human Services Supplemental Finance Bill
  • HF729 (Noor) Human Services Policy Bill
  
  
  • HF4466 (Bierman) Health Supplemental Finance Bill
  • SF856 (Norris) Office of the Inspector General created
  • HF2354 (Norris) Medical Assistance fraud; Attorney General subpoena and enforcement authority

Combined legislative schedule

Monday, April 27

11:00 AM

Senate Floor Session

Special Orders:

• SF3432 (Latz) Safety and security measures appropriation
• SF3987 (Johnson Stewart) Vehicle title transfers deadline to file modification to 20 days, rental motor vehicle license plates eligibility requirements modifications, and technical corrections
• SF3210 (Maye Quade) Disability accommodations as protection inclusion from discrimination
• SF1714 (Johnson Stewart) Public contracts payment transparency requirement provision

House Ways and Means

Co-Chair Frazier holds the gavel

• Adoption of House Budget Resolution
• HF4195 (Kotyza-Witthuhn) Youth intervention program grants modified, and appropriations modified.

1:00 PM

House Floor Session
HF4493 (Baker) Pharmacists authorized to initiate, prescribe, administer, and dispense drugs for the treatment of opioid use disorder; and grounds for disciplinary action for pharmacists and pharmacist interns modified.

Tuesday, April 28

House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy

• Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families
• Discussion on Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program

11:00 AM

Senate Floor Session

Returning from the House:

• SF4365 (Klein) Omnibus Commerce policy
• SF2868 (Clark) Remove drug testing requirements for persons receiving certain public assistance benefits

House Health

Chair: Rep. Robert Bierman and Rep. Jeff Backer will share the gavel. 

Informational hearing on the status of Hennepin County Medical Center. No formal action will be taken. 

• Presentation on HCMC Finances
• Presentation on the shutdown of UCare and outstanding debts
• Discussion of Legislative Solutions

7:00 PM; House Chambers: Governor Walz State of the State Address

Wednesday, April 29

Senate Finance

• SF4476 (Hoffman) Omnibus Human Services supplemental appropriations
• SF3988 (Dibble) Omnibus Transportation policy and supplemental appropriations
  Continuation of discussion of the Transportation Omnibus bill (SF 3988 - Dibble) from Wednesday 4/22

11:00 AM

Senate Floor Session

Special Orders:

• SF4612 (Wiklund) Omnibus Health and Human Services supplemental appropriations

House Ways and Means

Co-Chair Torkelson holds the gavel

• HF4338 (Schomacker) Human Services Supplemental Finance Bill.
• HF729 (Noor) Human Services Policy Bill.
• HF4466 (Bierman) Health Supplemental Finance Bill.
• SF856 (Norris) Office of the Inspector General created, advisory committee created, conforming and technical changes made, interagency agreements provided, reports required, and money appropriated.
• HF2354 (Norris) Medical assistance fraud governing provisions added and modified, attorney general provided subpoena and enforcement authority, criminal penalties provided, conforming changes made, and money appropriated.

Thursday, April 30

11:00 AM

Senate Floor Session

Special Orders:

• HF3489 (Maye Quade) Licensing boards reporting requirement provision and grooming criminal offense establishment (pending House passage)
• HF4224 (Kunesh) Water discharges notice requirements modifications (pending House passage)

Bills may be added

The Senate Finance Committee discussed the Senate environment omnibus bill, SF4214 (Hawj), on Tuesday and Wednesday last week and bill language was ultimately adopted into the Senate’s supplemental finance bill, HF2433 (Marty) via the A34 amendment. As a reminder, the bill establishes a battery product stewardship program, extends two previous appropriations for tree planting grants, and funds a study on the unlawful shipment of infectious and pathological waste. HF2433 was laid over, as the Finance committee will continue to add language from other omnibus bills to this vehicle.

Limited testimony was taken during committee, although Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Commissioner Katrina Kessler expressed her support for the inclusion of battery product stewardship legislation and a study on the transport of infectious waste. Sen. Rich Draheim (R) and Sen. Nick Frentz (DFL) both asked some clarifying questions about the definition of covered battery and if industry groups supported the definition included in the bill. Sen. Frentz said that his vote on this bill would depend on industry support. 

Sen. Sandy Pappas (DFL) offered the A35 amendment, which creates civil penalties for the infectious waste provision in the bill that mirrors hazardous waste penalties. There was significant debate before the amendment was eventually withdrawn to be worked on further before a potential floor amendment. 

Negotiations around the battery product stewardship language continue, with key stakeholders working to get industry groups on board to ensure Sen. Frentz’s support for the bill when it comes up for a Senate floor vote. However, as is the case with many Senate omnibus bills, it’s uncertain how items contained in the Senate finance vehicle (HF2433) will be conferenced given the lack of a House companion, so the success of the Senate environment omnibus bill this session is somewhat in question.

As mentioned in previous updates, MICA has been working with the Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) and Minnesota Rural Counties (MRC) to meet with members of the House and Senate Capital Investment committees over the last couple weeks. Our focus has been educating lawmakers on the MPCA’s statewide requests related to construction and demolition (C+D) landfills and the Capital Assistance Program (CAP). This engagement led to Rep. Max Rymer (R) introducing legislation to fund the full need for C+D landfill transition costs, HF5070. The Senate companion, SF5228 (Koran), will be introduced on Monday.

Lastly, after extensive discussion and negotiations over the course of the legislative session, the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) bill, HF3426, was finally heard in the House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday and placed on the General Register.

House Taxes

Tuesday, April 28

• HF3172 (Anderson) - Rebate from the solid waste management tax for materials removed from the waste stream for recycling, composting or reuse required; and money appropriated.

Senate hears bills on bonding for technology infrastructure: On Thursday the Senate Capital Investment committee heard two proposals related to technology modernization. SF3879 from Sen. Scott Dibble proposes a constitutional amendment that would allow the state to bond for technology systems, which would require approval from voters in November. Sen. Dibble said that while he was not extremely invested in this specific approach, he felt that a conversation should be had on the subject because the need is so significant. Sen. Jordan Rasmusson said that while the technology investments are crucial, the legislature should have addressed this with general funds in previous sessions and this proposal could crowd out capital projects at the state and local level. Matt Peabody, Olmsted County Director of Information Technology, spoke in favor of the bill. Sen. Pappas noted that it’s already difficult to meet all the deferred maintenance needs across state and local government but this was an important discussion to have. Republicans on the committee made similar remarks. Sen. Dibble closed by noting that appropriation bonds could be a potential source to fund this need and Sen. Pappas echoed that. The bill was laid over just as it was in the House Capital Investment committee.

Sen. Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger presented SF4982 which would authorize the commissioner of management and budget to enter into a lease-purchase agreement and sell and issue certificates of participation to fund the development, acquisition, installation, and implementation of a modernization plan or replacement of the state’s MAXIS system. The bill would be financed by a $10 million annual appropriation per year for 10 years in order to finance the debt. Sen. Rasmusson said he supported addressing the outdated technology systems but that taking on this level of debt without the full faith and credit of general obligation bonds should be done with caution and could cause other projects to come forward asking for this type of funding mechanism. The bill was laid over.

Sen. Pappas noted that the next time the committee would meet would be to consider the 2026 bonding bill.

Pensions commission hears bills increasing pensions for Police and Fire plan and increasing employer contributions for reemployed annuitants: On Tuesday the Pensions commission heard SF1122/HF139 which would increase cost of living adjustments to a new cap of 1.5% and reduce the waiting period for those adjustments in the Police & Fire plan. The police and fire plan currently has the lowest adjustment.

Chief authors Sen. Nick Frentz and Rep. Tim O’Driscoll made clear that the legislation is dependent on state funding in order to pay for the increased benefit. That’s essential because the police and fire plan is only 91.8% funded under current law and PERA projects that if all assumptions hold it won’t reach fully funded status until 2051.

PERA letter in response to SF1122/HF139

The committee also heard HF4162 from Rep. O’Driscoll which would require employer contributions for reemployed annuitants, people that are already receiving their pension. Under current law there aren’t employer or employee contributions for these employees. The bill would be effective for payrolls beginning January 1, 2027 for local governments. Sen. Rasmusson noted that while the law change would slightly increase funding for the plan, it would not come at no cost, the cost would merely be passed on to local governments resulting in higher property taxes.

PERA projects that this would increase employer contributions statewide for the general plan by $2.3 million, the police and fire plan by $2 million, and the correctional plan by $134,000. The committee voted to incorporate the bill into the omnibus pensions bill.

Pensions legislation requiring employers provide health insurance coverage through age 65 for those claiming physical duty disabilities still under consideration: The pensions commission is not meeting this Tuesday. But the commission is still considering SF4464 which was heard on April 14. That bill was discussed in this space in greater depth last week, but it would increase the health insurance coverage requirements for officers and firefighters who claim a physical duty disability. The language would require continued health insurance coverage until age 65, rather than for 60 months, for peace officers and firefighters receiving duty disability benefits unless the duty disability is based solely on a psychological condition. This undoes the law change that passed last year which only impacted employees prospectively (May 23, 2025 or later). If you meet with legislators, particularly any members of the pension commission, here are some things to consider:

• The proposal effectively creates a future unfunded mandate on local governments.
• Less than half of the money in the public safety officer benefit account which was created in 2023 with a onetime $100 million appropriation is still available
• If this proposal were to become law that appropriation would run out even sooner, creating a new and larger unfunded mandate which would have to fall on the property tax when pressures there are already driving record increases
• Employees that are totally and permanently disabled and unable to return to any job are already guaranteed the health insurance benefit through age 65. The benefit this bill proposes is duty specific, meaning the applicant can’t return to their current occupation.
• If the state decides that it’s essential to provide health insurance in these cases, it should do so through a state program like the Public Employees Insurance Program so that the costs aren’t paid with property taxes
• The significant increase in duty disability applications has significantly weakened the overall health of the police and fire pension plan, making it more difficult to approve increases that the pension commission is also considering that would benefit all its members more broadly
• The five-year window that was created last year prospectively is still years away from health insurance benefits lapsing for any individual’s duty disability, so there’s not an urgency for this to move this year.

When the bill was last heard Pensions Chair Sen. Nick Frentz said that the commission would discuss it further at a future meeting and that he was generally supportive of the bill. No pensions commission meeting is currently scheduled.

The action at the capitol has shifted from committees to the floor. Senate Finance committee is hearing and merging omnibus bills while the House Ways and Means committee is mostly still hearing individual bills as fewer omnibus bills are moving through that chamber.

Monday, April 27

House Floor

• HF3295 (Gordon) Open Meeting Law; meeting broadcasting through social media authorized

Tuesday, April 28

The pensions commission hearing this Tuesday has been canceled.

Bill introductions of Interest:

• SF5208 (Matthews): Commonality of powers exception between county boards and sheriff addition requirement

Activity at the Capitol continues to accelerate as lawmakers move deeper into floor session work and position key proposals ahead of upcoming deadlines. With committees largely wrapping up their work, attention has shifted to extended floor sessions in both chambers, where members are advancing priority legislation and narrowing the scope of what is likely to reach final passage this session. Public safety policy has seen targeted movement, with a mix of narrowly focused bills advancing and broader proposals still under consideration.

Impersonating a Peace Officer Legislation Advances (HF3404)

The House unanimously passed legislation 134-0 this week to strengthen penalties for individuals who impersonate law enforcement officers, sending the proposal to the Senate for further consideration.

The bill elevates the offense to a felony and establishes enhanced penalties for more serious conduct, including impersonation while carrying a firearm, using deception to gain access to a residence, or operating a vehicle designed to resemble law enforcement.

The proposal follows a recent incident involving an individual posing as a peace officer to enter a home, raising broader concerns around public safety and trust in law enforcement interactions. It also includes requirements for individuals presenting as officers to provide identifying information during enforcement actions, with exceptions for undercover operations.

Correctional and Peace Officer Disciplinary Procedures

HF1410 clarifies and expands the application of Minnesota’s Peace Officers Discipline Procedures Act to include certain local correctional officer classifications. The intent of the bill is to ensure more consistent disciplinary standards across public safety personnel by aligning correctional officer discipline processes with established peace officer procedures, particularly in areas such as investigation, due process protections, and disciplinary review and appeal rights.

The bill originally passed the House on March 17, 2025, by a vote of 118–16. It was then sent to the Senate, where it was heard during the 2026 legislative session. The Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee amended the bill to refine its scope and clarify procedural language before advancing it to the floor. The Senate passed the amended version unanimously on April 13, 2026, by a vote of 66–0.

Because the Senate adopted amendments, the bill returned to the House for concurrence. The House reviewed the amended language, concurred with the Senate changes, and repassed the bill, completing final agreement between both chambers.

As passed, HF1410 establishes a more uniform and standardized disciplinary framework for covered local correctional officers by extending the Peace Officers Discipline Procedures Act to those positions. This ensures that disciplinary actions involving these staff follow consistent statewide procedures, including structured investigative processes, defined due process protections, and clear mechanisms for review and appeal.

House Floor Activity

House floor action reflected strong bipartisan agreement on several targeted public safety measures taken up on the Calendar for the Day.

• Organized Retail Theft/Gift Card Fraud (HF3155) – Passed (134–0)
  Expands organized retail theft statutes to include gift card fraud, addressing a growing area of financial exploitation.
• Disaster Assistance Reporting (SF3958) – Passed (134–0)
  Modifies reporting timelines for the disaster assistance contingency account, with implications for emergency response and recovery coordination.

Senate Floor Activity

Senate floor sessions reflected a more limited but still notable set of public safety actions, with a mix of passage and delayed consideration.

• Kratom Regulation (SF3704) – Passed (56–10)
  Establishes 21 as the minimum age to possess kratom, representing a targeted regulatory change.
• Crime Victim Protections (HF3825) – Laid on the Table
  A broader bill expanding victim notification, privacy protections, and safeguards for victims of stalking was considered but not advanced.

Public safety activity at this stage of session remains focused and incremental, with both chambers advancing targeted policy changes while holding more comprehensive proposals for further negotiation. The House has demonstrated strong consensus on narrower measures, while the Senate continues to move select items forward with others still pending. As floor sessions continue to intensify, additional public safety provisions are likely to be incorporated into larger legislative packages before adjournment.