Legislative update-March 18, 2016

Updates from the Government Relations team are sent periodically during the legislative session.

Legislative Update - March 18, 2016

The second week of the 2016 legislative session wraps up today with a light committee schedule.The Senate will be in floor session next on Monday at 11:00 a.m., and the House is back in session at 4:00 p.m. on Monday.

On Wednesday, the Private College Council presented to the House Higher Education Policy and Finance committee. Members also received a presentation on the Bethel University Inclusive Learning and Development program (BUILD). Director of Student Services, Wendy Robinson, Access Services Director, Tom Lynch (NHCC), and Director of Disabilities, Caidin Riley (MCTC) shared with the committee the disability access services available to students at MnSCU colleges and universities. Rep. Daniels introduced H.F. 2896 that would require four state universities to develop pilot programs. This bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill.

The Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development committee on Thursday received presentations on the PIPELINE project. Jeff Thorstad and Brad Thorpe, instructors from the Automation Robotics program at Hennepin Technical College testified. The University of Minnesota Athletics program presented on the recent audit and findings from the recent audit of the athletics program. Eric Wion, interim executive director for the office of internal auditing and Vice Chancellor Laura King provided an update on the Inver Hills Community College Certified Nursing Assistant examinations.

Both the Senate and House higher education committees will meet Tuesday afternoon, March 22. The Senate is expected to hear from the Office of Higher Education Commissioner Larry Pogemiller on Governor Dayton’s supplemental budget recommendation for higher education. The committee will also hear from the University of Minnesota on their supplemental budget request and bonding request. Over in the House, Commissioner Pogemiller will also provide an overview on the Governor’s supplemental budget proposal for higher education and the higher education committee will hear a series of bills dealing with state acquisition of property.

On Wednesday, March 23, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities will present the system’s supplemental budget request of $21 million and the $254.5 million bonding request to the House Higher Education Policy and Finance Committee.

This week at the Capitol

Monday, March 21 1

0:15 a.m.
House Ways and Means
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Jim Knoblach
Agenda: Minnesota Management & Budget: Presentation of Governor's Supplemental Budget
HF333 (Newberger:) Legislative approval of a state plan to coply with federal regulations regarding emissions from existing power plants required

11:00 a.m.
Senate in Session

12:00 p.m.
Senate Natural Resources, Economic Development, and Agricultural Budget Division
Room: 1100 Minnesota Senate Building
Chair: Sen. David J. Tomassoni
Agenda:
Governor's Supplemental Budget Presentations:
- Department of Labor & Industry (DOLI)
- Department of Natural Resources (DNR)

12:45 p.m.
House Job Growth and Energy Affordability Policy and Finance
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Pat Garofalo
Agenda: Presentations from Department of Employment and Economic Development; Minnesota Housing Finance Agency; Commerce Department regarding Governor's supplemental budget recommendations.
HF2798 (O'Neill): Dual training grant program clarified
HF2716 (Mahoney): Pathways to prosperity career pathways grant program funding provided and money appropriated
HF3065 (O'Neill): Minneapolis; YWCA grant funding provided and money appropriated

2:00 p.m.
Senate Jobs, Agriculture and Rural Development
Room: 1100 Minnesota Senate Building
Chair: Sen. Dan Sparks
Agenda:
S.F. 2733-Hawj: AWAIR (a workplace accident and injury reduction) program provisions modification.
S.F. 2398-Sparks: Workers compensation advisory council recommendations adoption.
S.F. 2740-Sparks: Workers compensation reinsurance retention limits modification.
S.F. 2709-Sparks: Workforce development areas modifications.
S.F. 2448-Schmit: Broadband state goals update.
S.F. 2447-Schmit: Border-to-border broadband grant eligibility regulation and appropriation.

4:00 p.m.
Senate State Departments and Veterans Budget Division
Room: 2308 Minnesota Senate Building
Chair: Sen. Tom Saxhaug
Agenda: Presentations will be related to each Agency's portion of the Governor's Supplemental Budget Request.
Presentation by the Department of Military Affairs
Presentation by MN.IT
Presentation by the Department of Revenue
Presentation by Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB)
Presentation by the Gambling Control Board
Presentation by the Minnesota State Retirement System
Presentation by the Minnesota Racing Commission
Presentation by the Department of Administration

4:00 p.m.
House in Session

Tuesday, March 22

8:15 a.m.
House Education Innovation Policy
Room: Basement Hearing Room
Chair: Rep. Sondra Erickson
Agenda: HF3123 (Howe) Special election timeline to fill a vacancy on a school board modified.
HF3066 (Erickson) Early childhood and prekindergarten through grade 12 education, including general education, education excellence, charter schools, special education, facilities and technology, and sufficiency and lifelong learning provided.
HF2944 (Mariani) Student improved and equitable access to effective and more diverse teachers provided.
HF2695 (Runbeck) Dyslexia specialists required, and money appropriated.
HF2670 (Kresha) Early learning scholarships, home visiting programs, and parent aware activities funding increased; early learning scholarship cap eliminated; eligible age range for early learning scholarships and targeted home visiting program expanded, and money appropriated.

8:30 a.m.
Senate Education
Room: 2412 Minnesota Seante Building
Chair: Sen. Charles W. Wiger
Agenda:
S.F. 2513-Dahle: Teacher Shortage Act.
S.F. 2516-Hayden: Grow Your Own teacher residency pilot program and appropriation.
S.F. 2553-Pappas: Independent school district #625, St. Paul; underrepresented populations teacher recruitment grants establishment.
S.F. XXXX-Jensen: Teacher recruitment and retention.
S.F. 2610-Torres Ray: Effective and diverse teachers access for all students.
S.F. XXXX-Clausen: Discipline work group establishment

12:45 p.m.
House Education Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Jenifer Loon
Agenda: Shared Time Revenue
World's Best Workforce Legislative Report

2:00 p.m.
Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development
Room: 1100 Minnesota Senate Building
Chair: Sen. Terri Bonoff
Agenda: Midwest Higher Education Compact Chair Senator David Pearce
Governor's Supplemental Budget Recommendation for higher education – Commissioner Larry Pogemiller
University of Minnesota – FY2017 Supplemental Budget request and 2016 Capital Request UMN - FY17 Supplemental Budget Request (PDF) UMN - 2016 Capital Request (PDF)

2:45 p.m.
House Higher Education Policy and Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Bud Nornes
Agenda:
MHEC Chair Senator David Pearce
HF2590 (Green) No-net-gain policy for state acquisition of real property established.
HF2591 (Green) State acquisition of real property in fee approval required.
HF3237 (Nornes) Higher education provision technical and policy changes made.
OHE Commissioner Larry Pogemiller: OHE Update and Governor’s Recommendation

Wednesday, March 23

8:30 a.m.
Senate Education
Room: 2412 Minnesota Senate Building
Chair: Sen. Charles W. Wiger
Agenda:
S.F. 2589-Clausen: Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) board of trustees supplemental instruction program establishment; concurrent enrollment modifications.
S.F. 2717-Clausen: General education unfunded mandates task force creation.
S.F. 1407-Pratt: Students acquire grade-level reading proficiency by end of grade 3 requirement.
S.F. 2359-Wiger: Education open enrollment lottery process priority authorization to children of school district staff establishment.
S.F. 2535-Wiger: Performing arts student participants excused absences authorization.
S.F. XXXX-Bonoff: CUE grant for teachers of color.
S.F. 2261-Bonoff: Education state value-added growth model modification

11:00 a.m.
Senate in Session

12:00 p.m.
Senate Natural Resources, Economic Development, and Agricultural Budget Division
Room: 1100 Minnesota Senate Building
Chair: Sen. David J. Tomassoni
Agenda:
Governor's Supplemental Budget Presentations:
- Housing Finance Agency (MHFA)
- Bureau of Mediation Services (BMS)
- Department of Employment & Economic Development (DEED)

2:45pm
House Higher Education Policy and Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Bud Nornes
Agenda: MnSCU bonding and supplemental budget request

Thursday, March 24
8:30 a.m.
Senate Education
Room: 2412 Minnesota Senate Building
Chair: Sen. Charles W. Wiger
Agenda:
S.F. 2707-Dahle: School solar panels fire safety compliance requirement.
S.F. XXXX-Dahle: Charter school authorizer statute changes.
S.F. 2358-Wiger: Charter schools provisions modifications.
S.F. 2411-Franzen: Early learning scholarships, home vising programs, and parent aware activities increased funding and modifications; appropriation.
S.F. 2634-Bonoff: College entrance examination reimbursement clarification.
S.F. 2323-Brown: Assault on teacher student expulsion requirement.
S.F. 2462-Carlson, J.: School information systems software contract bidding process exclusion.

11:00 a.m.
Senate in Session

Important Links:

Most recent bill introductions related to higher education (compiled by Government Relations team) SPREADSHEET (updated 3/18/16)
Committee schedules can be found HERE
Many committee hearings and floor sessions are streamed live via the web or broadcast on television. More information and a schedule can be found HERE

Government Relations team:

Jaime Simonsen – [email protected]
Bernie Omann – [email protected]
Jim Grathwol – [email protected]