Updates from the Government Relations team are sent periodically during the legislative session
Legislative Update - March 12, 2018
It’s expected to be a busy week at the Capitol with the first committee deadline looming. Committees will work hard the next two weeks to act on policy bills before March 22. The House Ways and Means Committee is scheduled to meet this morning and will discuss tax conformity, pension and MNLARS, the Minnesota Licensing and Registration System.

Also this week, we will learn what Governor Mark Dayton is proposing for a supplemental budget. He will deliver his final State of the State address on Wednesday, and is sure to provide a preview of what will be in his budget recommendation on Thursday.
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This Week at the Capitol

Monday, March 12

10:15 a.m.
House Ways and Means
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Jim Knoblach
Agenda:
Overview of tax conformity issues, House Research will present
Overview of the Minnesota pension system, Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement will present
HF3147 (Paul Torkelson): Management and budget commissioner directed to reduce appropriations, Minnesota Licensing and Registration System funding provided, and money appropriated.
*Note: The Committee will recess no later than 12:00 p.m. and reconvene after session to the call of the Chair to hear HF3147, pending re-referral

1:00 p.m.
Senate Jobs and Economic Growth Finance and Policy
Room: 1150 Minnesota Senate Bldg.
Chair: Sen. Jeremy R. Miller
Agenda:
S.F. 2629-Draheim: Job training program grant requirements modification.
S.F. 2064-Draheim: Accessibility requirements for public buildings modification.
S.F. 1901-Cohen: Minor league baseball players minimum wage and overtime requirements exemption

2:45 p.m.
Senate in Session

3:00 p.m.
House in Session

3:00 p.m.
Senate E-12 Finance
Room: 1100 Minnesota Senate Building
Chair: Sen. Carla Nelson
Agenda: Joe Kelly, Dept. of Public Safety, Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Director
Randy Johnson, School Safety Center, Director
SF2754 (Nelson): informational only
SCRFA review of related programs
Education Organizations recommendation

Tuesday, March 13

8:15 a.m.
House Education Innovation Policy
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Sondra Erickson
Agenda:
HF3370 (Keith Franke): Threat assessment and oversight committees required, access to criminal history and health records provided, and money appropriated.
HF3178 (Roz Peterson): Academic achievement rating system required to track student achievement, academic growth, and achievement gap closure rates in schools and districts.
HF2788 (Bob Dettmer): School counselors encouraged to receive training in armed forces career options, school counselors required to inform students of armed forces career options, and school districts encouraged to grant military recruiters access to secondary students.
HF2724 (Tony Jurgens): School lunch providers prohibited from shaming students, meal policies required to be posted to school websites, and supplementary reserve fund created.
HF3361 (Mary Kunesh-Podein): Substance misuse prevention instruction grant provided, report required, and money appropriated.
HF2825 (Glenn Gruenhagen): Nonpublic students in grade 10 authorized to participate in career and technical courses offered through the postsecondary enrollment options program.
HF2768 (Randy Jessup): Child sexual abuse prevention instruction in a health curriculum modified. *This bill was heard and laid over on February 27, 2018. It's the Chair's intention to re-refer the bill to the General Register during this meeting.
HF1507 (Eric Lucero): Student Data Privacy Act created, and penalties provided. *This bill will be heard pending re-referral from Civil Law and Data Practices.

1:00 p.m.
Senate Higher Education Finance and Policy
Room: 15 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Michelle L. Fischbach
Agenda:
S.F. 2722-Cwodzinski: Leave of absence reclassification for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) authorization.
S.F. 3098-Draheim: Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) affordable textbooks policy requirement.
S.F. 3084-Draheim: Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) standardized financial aid award letter mandate; new student fees moratorium imposition.
S.F. 3062-Fischbach: Agricultural educators and aviation degrees loan forgiveness appropriations modification.

3:00 p.m.
House Higher Education and Career Readiness Policy and Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Bud Nornes
Agenda: Approval of Minutes
HF XXXX (Albright) Appropriating money to the Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities to fund cyber security programs at Metropolitan State University.
HF XXXX (Albright) Appropriating money for a cybersecurity operations center at Metro State University; authorizing the sale and issuance of state bonds.
Followed by an informational hearing on Direct Digital Access.
Attachments
(3/7/2018)  0580_001.pdf
(3/8/2018)  0815_001.pdf

3:00 p.m.
House Capital Investment
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Dean Urdahl
Agenda: Presentation by the Minnesota Historical Society on their 2018 capital budget request for Fort Snelling.
Presentation by Glensheen Mansion on their 2018 capital budget request.
Presentation by Second Harvest Heartland on their 2018 capital budget request.

3:00 p.m.
Senate E-12 Policy
Room: 1100 Minnesota Senate Bldg.
Chair: Sen. Eric R. Pratt
Agenda:
S.F. 2816-Chamberlain: Academic achievement rating system development requirement to track student achievement, academic growth, and achievement gap closure rates.
S.F. 3068-Ruud: Public school campuses physical security audits grants appropriation.
S.F. 1629-Torres Ray: Safe school levy modification.
S.F. 3243-Pratt: Long-term facilities maintenance revenue use for projects to increase safety and security of school facilities authorization; supplemental aid program to pay a portion of the costs for school district projects that increase the safety and security of school facilities establishment.
S.F. 2900-Pratt: Alternative fire drills for schools and educational institutions authorization.
S.F. 3017-Pratt: Safe schools levy modification to include medication disposal costs.

5:30 p.m.
Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement
Room: 1200 Minnesota Senate Building
Chair: Sen. Julie Rosen
Agenda: Minnesota Management and Budget testimony on the 2018 Omnibus Retirement Bill.
Motion LCPR18-M3: SPTRFA; Changes to demographic and economic assumptions for actuarial valuations. (Motion will be available Monday, 3/12)
Revisor #18-6798 ( PDF / HTML ): PERA-General; Excluding certain St. Paul city and school district temporary construction employees who are covered by the Minnesota Laborers Pension Fund. (Bill is expected to be introduced Monday, 3/12)
SF2971 (Lang); HF3353 (Miller): PERA Privatizations; Clarifying a 1992 session law impacting employees of the Swift County/Benson Hospital.
SF2620 (Rosen); HF3053 (O'Driscoll): 2018 Omnibus Retirement Bill, third consideration. (Amendments will be available Monday, 3/12)
- Amendment S2620-1A (technical)
-Amendment SCS2620A-3 (appropriations)
-Final action on the 2018 Omnibus Retirement Bill

Wednesday, March 14

8:30 a.m.
Senate Finance
Room: 1200 Minnesota Senate Building
Chair: Sen. Julie Rosen
Agenda: Mental Health spending (non-HHS)
Department of Veterans Affairs/Lutheran Social Services: C.O.R.E. casework for veterans
Department of Corrections: Chemical Dependency / Mental Health Beds. Nanette Larson, Director of Health Services, DOC
Department of Agriculture (Minn State fiscal agent): Farmer mental health, Brad Schloesser, Dean of Agriculture, South Central College
Minnesota Management and Budget: State Employee Assistance Program

1:00 p.m.
Senate Jobs and Economic Growth Finance and Policy
Room: 1150 Minnesota Senate Bldg.
Chair: Sen. Jeremy R. Miller
Agenda:
S.F. 2915-Eichorn: Douglas J. Johnson economic protection trust fund use of funds limits.
S.F. 2434-Anderson, P.: Workforce development funds use modification and report requirement

1:00 p.m.
House Education Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Jenifer Loon
Agenda:
HF2846 (Christensen): Special education working group established, and report required.
HF3013 (Runbeck): Teacher training required to enable a teacher to implement instructional strategies to meet the needs of students with dyslexia.
HF2877 (O'Neill): Monticello school district special education adjustment modified.

3:00 p.m.
House Job Growth and Energy Affordability Policy and Finance
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Pat Garofalo
Agenda:
HF2937 (Neu): Job training program requirements modified.
HF2112 (Knoblach): Housing project bonding authority allocations provided.
HF2853 (Ecklund): Northeastern Minnesota educational programming and academic support funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.

3:00 p.m.
Senate E-12 Finance
Room 1100 Minnesota Senate Bldg.
Chair: Sen. Carla J. Nelson
Agenda: Aaron Lemon-Strauss, Executive Director at College Board
Katy M. Lawrence, ACT
S.F. 2522-Anderson, B.: Independent school district #882, Monticello; special education aid payment increase requirement

Thursday, March 15

8:15 a.m.
House Education Innovation Policy
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Sondra Erickson
Agenda:
HF2750 (Cal Bahr): Compulsory school attendance exemptions modified.
HF2859 (Sondra Erickson): State assessments required to be administered in May.
HF2860 (Sondra Erickson): Education commissioner required to review district and charter school curricula, and report required.
HF1580 (Sondra Erickson): Charter school policy and technical changes made.
HF1420 (Sondra Erickson): World's best workforce performance measures and reports modified.
HF2936 (Sondra Erickson): School trust land administration transferred, school trust management account established, rulemaking authorized, and report required.
HFXXXX (Jessup): Dyslexia screening required.

Important Links:
  • Most recent bill introductions related to higher education (compiled by Government Relations team) can be found HERE (updated March 2, 2018)
  • 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 –  Jaime.Simonsen@MinnState,edu
Bernie Omann –  Bernie.Omann@MinnState,edu
Jim Grathwol – J im.Grathwol@MinnState.edu
Melissa Fahning - Melissa.Fahning@MinnState.edu
Tina Firkus - T ina.Firkus@MinnState.edu
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