Higher education omnibus bills to move through committee this week
With the third and final committee deadline approaching on Friday, most of this week’s committee hearings will focus on finalizing omnibus bills. The bills are generally a compilation of proposals the committee has reviewed at an earlier date and “laid over" for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill. The third committee deadline is when major appropriation bills must be acted upon, but it does not apply to the Capital Investment, Taxes, Ways and Means, Finance, or Rules committees.
As a reminder, the House Republican Caucus released their
budget targets
late last week based on the February budget forecast of a $329 million surplus. The largest areas of spending are for taxes and transportation, which have targets of $107 million and $101 million respectively. A $5 million target was given to higher education. On Tuesday, the House Higher Education and Career Readiness Policy and Finance committee will take up their omnibus bill, followed by public testimony in committee on Wednesday. The committee will decide how best to spend the $5 million target provided.
The Senate Republican Caucus has yet to release their official budget targets; however, the Senate Higher Education Finance and Policy committee has released their omnibus bill, which can be found
here
.
The bill does not include additional spending, but does reallocate $1 million of surplus funding from the college occupational scholarship pilot program administered by the Office of Higher Education and appropriates that funding to the following:
$500,000 to Minnesota State for renewal of workforce development scholarships
$300,000 to the Office of Higher Education for the State Grant program
$100,000 to the Office of Higher Education for the Agricultural Educators Loan Forgiveness program
$50,000 to the Office of Higher Education for the Student Loan Debt Counseling program
$50,000 to the Office of Higher Education for a Teacher Preparation Program Design Grant
The Senate Higher Education Finance and Policy committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday afternoon to discuss the bill.
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This Week at the Capitol
Monday, April 16
10:15 a.m.
House Ways and Means
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Jim Knoblach
Agenda:
HF4193 (Albright): Board of Optometry fees modified and established.
HF4192 (Albright): Board of Social Work fees increased.
HF4157 (Quam): Claim settlement provided, and money appropriated.
HF3873 (Albright): Workers' Compensation Advisory Council recommendations adopted, Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals quorum requirements modified, workers' compensation judges salaries increased, use of reports filed modified, and Office of Administrative Hearings and Department of Labor and Industry interim filing requirements coordinated.
HF3612 (Fenton): Federal SNAP waiver data review required.
HF3261 (Miller): Eligibility requirements for services signs modified.
HF3195 (Albright): Council of Health Boards required to study and make recommendations on increasing access to clinical experiences through the use of technology, and money appropriated.
11:00 a.m.
Senate in Session
11:15 a.m. or immediately following Senate Session
Senate Rules and Administration
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Paul Gazelka
Agenda: S.F. 2536-Ruud: Cuyuna country state recreation area citizens advisory council modification.
S.F. 3392-Chamberlain: MNsure operations funding and health carriers and plans certification authority modifications; federal waivers and approvals submission deadline requirement; human services commissioner risk-bearing limitations imposition.
S.F. 3480-Draheim: Health care services price disclosure requirements modifications.
S.F. 3417-Benson: Minnesota health policy commission establishment and appropriation.
1:00 p.m.
House Veterans Affairs
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Bob Dettmer
Agenda:
Fourth Judicial District Veterans Court presentation
HF4225 (Cindy Pugh): Commemorative ribbon and medallion recognizing service in the armed forces during the Korean War design, development, and production required.
HF4362 (Bob Dettmer): Fort Snelling Upper Post residential rental project provided.
Adoption of Veterans Affairs Division Report
3:00 p.m.
Senate Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing Finance
Room: 1150 Minnesota Senate Building
Chair: Sen. Torrey Westrom
Agenda:
S.F. 2893-Westrom: Advanced biofuel production incentive payments minimum production level reduction.
3:00 p.m.
Senate E-12 Finance
Room: 1100 Minnesota Senate Bldg.
Chair: Sen. Carla J. Nelson
Agenda: S.F. 3928-Nelson: SF 3928 will serve as the Omnibus E-12 Education Finance bill. A delete-all amendment will be reviewed at the hearing
3:30 p.m.
House in Session
Tuesday, April 17
10:15 a.m.
House Agriculture Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Rod Hamilton
Agenda: HF2615 (Petersburg) Farmamerica grant funding provided, and money appropriated.
HF3719 (Hamilton) Renewable chemical production incentive program eligibility requirements modified.
HF3719 will be the vehicle for the Omnibus Agriculture Finance Bill. A delete-all amendment will be posted by Monday morning. Amendments drafted to the delete-all amendment will be due to committee staff by Monday, April 16th at 5:00 p.m.
1:00 p.m.
Senate Higher Education Finance and Policy
Room: 15 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Michelle L. Fischbach
Agenda: S.F. 3671-Fischbach: Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) board of trustees campus support and student record system appropriation.
1:00 p.m.
Senate State Government Finance and Policy and Elections
Room: 1200 Minnesota Senate Building
Chair: Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer
Agenda: S.F. 3764-Kiffmeyer: State Government Finance Omnibus Supplemental Budget Bill.
1:00 p.m.
House State Government Finance
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Sarah Anderson
Agenda: HF3891 (Jim Knoblach): Court-ordered funding of critical functions authorized, and money appropriated.
HF3360 (Randy Jessup): Continuing appropriations provided in the even all or a portion of the state operating budget is not enacted prior to the start of a fiscal biennium.
HF4392 (Tony Jurgens): Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission directed to support a bid to host an International Ski Federation Nordic World Ski Championship event.
HF3661 (Keith Franke): Beyond Opioids Project funding provided, and money appropriated.
1:00 p.m.
House Education Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Jenifer Loon
Agenda:
HF4328 will serve as the vehicle for the omnibus delete-all. The delete-all amendment will be posted on Monday, April 16, 2018.
3:00 p.m.
House Higher Education and Career Readiness Policy and Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Bud Nornes
Agenda: HF3638 (Nornes): Minnesota State College and Universities Board of Trustees funding provided, and money appropriated.
*Note: HF3638 will serve as the Omnibus Higher Education bill. A delete-all amendment will be offered at the hearing.
3:00 p.m.
Senate E-12 Policy
Room: 1100 Minnesota Senate Building
Chair: Sen. Eric Pratt
Agenda: This is an informational hearing only. No action will be taken on the
scheduled bills.
S.F. 2938-Abeler: School start times provisions modification.
S.F. 3061-Hall: National motto display on school buildings requirement.
S.F. 2492-Clausen: Child abuse awareness posters establishment
3:00 p.m.
House Capital Investment
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Dean Urdahl
Agenda: HF2566 (Jeff Howe): St. Joseph; pedestrian bridge funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF3342 (Jim Newberger): Becker; road and infrastructure improvement funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF2820 (Nick Zerwas): Elk River; Lake Orono dredging funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF3226 (Joe Hoppe): Reinvest in Minnesota and other conservation funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF2611 (Paul Marquart): Mahnomen; clean water and drinking water infrastructure funding provided, and money appropriated.
3:00 p.m.
Senate Capital Investment
Room: 1150 Minnesota Senate Bldg.
Chair: Sen. David H. Senjem
Agenda:
S.F. 3095-Anderson, P.: Brooklyn Park statewide Second Harvest Heartland charitable food facility grant bond issue and appropriation.
Andrew Zimmern, Celebrity Chef and Honorary Chair of Second Harvest Heartland Capital Campaign
S.F. 66-Miller: Root River state trail extension from Preston to Forestville state park bond issue and appropriation.
S.F. 67-Miller: Blufflands trail system bond issue and appropriation.
S.F. 2929-Pappas: St. Paul Southeast Asian language job training facilities bond issue and appropriation.
S.F. 3211-Cohen: Minnesota Museum of Art previous appropriation modification and bond issue and appropriation.
S.F. 588-Dahms: Minnesota River Basin Area II flood hazard mitigation grant bond issue and appropriation
Wednesday, April 18
10:15 a.m.
House State Government Finance
Room: Basement Hearing Room State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Sarah Anderson
Agenda: Omnibus State Government Finance Bill
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. 3945-Miller: Supplemental jobs budget appropriations; occupational and safety and health federal conformity modifications; commerce department utility grid assessment extension; manufactured homes relocation provisions modifications; wage theft provisions adoption and criminal and civil penalties establishment.
1:00 p.m.
House Education Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Jenifer Loon
Agenda:
Amendments will be considered to the HF4328 DE Amendment.
3:00 p.m.
House Higher Education and Career Readiness Policy and Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Bud Nornes
Agenda: HF3638 (Nornes): Minnesota State College and Universities Board of Trustees funding provided, and money appropriated
The committee will take public testimony on the Higher Education omnibus.
3:00 p.m.
Senate E-12 Finance
Room: 1100 Minnesota Senate Building
Chair: Sen. Carla Nelson
Agenda: S.F. 3928-Nelson: SF 3928 will serve as the Omnibus E-12 Education Finance bill. A delete-all amendment will be voted on.
Thursday, April 19
1:00 p.m.
Senate Higher Education Finance and Policy
Room: 15 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Michelle Fischbach
Agenda: Confirmation hearing for Minnesota State Board of Trustee appointments
3:00 p.m.
Senate Capital Investment
Room: 1150 Minnesota Senate Building
Chair: Sen. David Senjem
Agenda: TBA
