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Minnesota House of Representatives

Children and Families Finance and Policy

THIRTY-FIRST MEETING

2023-2024 Regular Session - Thursday, March 7, 2024

STATE OF MINNESOTA
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE THIRTY-FIRST MEETING
NINETY-FOURTH SESSION


CHILDREN AND FAMILIES FINANCE AND POLICY COMMITTEE MINUTES

Representative Dave Pinto, Chair of the Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee, called the meeting to order at 8:31 A.M. on March 7th, 2024, in Room 200N of the State Office Building.

Members Present:
PINTO, Dave (Chair)
DANIELS, Brian (GOP Lead)
BURKEL, John
COULTER, Nathan
DAVIS, Ben
HANSON, Jessica
HEMMINGSEN-JAEGER, Amanda
HICKS, Kim
HUDSON, Walter
KOTYZA-WITTHUHN, Carlie
LEE, Liz
NELSON, Nathan
PÉREZ-VEGA, Maria Isa
ZELEZNIKAR, Natalie

Members Excused:
KEELER, Heather (Vice Chair)

A quorum was present.

Representative Burkel moved that the minutes from March 5th, 2024 be approved. THE MOTION PREVAILED.

Presentation titled, “Vision on Child Welfare Technology”.

Presenting:
• Alex Mentes, SSIS Manager, Minnesota Department of Human Services
• Patricia Harrelson, Minnesota Prairie County Alliance, Co-Chair Minnesota Association of County Social Service Administrators (MACSSA), Children’s Committee
• Laurie York, Executive Director, White Earth Nation
• Jennifer Sommerfield, Director of Legislative and External Affairs, Children and Family Services, Department of Human Services

Representative Kotyza-Witthuhn assumed the gavel.

HF3671 (Pinto) Definition of child in need of protection of protection or services modified.

Chair Pinto moved to re-refer HF3671 to the Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee.

Chair Pinto moved the DE2 Amendment, THE MOTION PREVAILED, THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.

Testifying:
• Caelyn Steele, Campaign Lead, Legal Rights Center
• Sarah Davis, Director, Children & Families Division, Hennepin County Attorney’s Office

Chair Pinto renewed his motion to re-refer HF3671 as amended to the Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee, THE MOTION PREVAILED, THE BILL WAS RE-REFERED

Chair Pinto assumed the gavel.

HF4406 (Clardy) READ Act expanded to include early childhood education, professional development provided, curriculum revised, and money appropriated.

Representative Kotyza-Witthuhn moved HF4406 before the committee.

Representative Kotyza-Witthuhn moved the A24 Amendment, THE MOTION PREVAILED, THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED

Representative Clardy presented HF4406 as amended.

Testifying:
• Ericca Maas, Policy and Advocacy Director, Think Small
• Julia Quanrud, CEO, ServeMinnesota
• Bobbie Burnham, Assistant Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Education

Chair Pinto laid over HF4406.

HF4425 (Hemmingsen-Jaeger) Home daycare restrictions prohibited.

Representative Hemmingsen-Jaeger moved HF4425 before the committee.

Testifying:
• Thomas Leonzal, Family Child Care Provider, Woodbury, MN

Chair Pinto laid over HF4425.

HF3856 (Hanson, J.) Notice requirements for foster children receiving benefits modified.

Representative Hanson moved HF3856 before the committee.

Representative Hanson presented HF3856.

Testifying:
• Nikki Beasley, Executive Director, Foster Advocates
• Bharti Wahi, Deputy Commissioner of Children and Families, Department of Human Resources

Chair Pinto laid over HF3856.

The Committee adjourned at 9:59 A.M.


________________________________________________
Representative Dave Pinto, Chair


________________________________________________
Caleb Rohrer, Committee Legislative Assistant


More Info On This Meeting..
Bills Added:
  • HF4425 (Hemmingsen-Jaeger) - Home day care restrictions prohibited.
  • HF3856 (Hanson) - Notice requirements for foster children receiving benefits modified.
  • HF3671 (Pinto) - Delinquent child, juvenile petty offender, and child in need of protection or services definitions modified.
  • HF4406 (Clardy) - READ Act expanded to include early childhood education, professional development provided, curriculum revised, and money appropriated.
Documents:
Audio:
Listen Now
House TV Video:
View Archive

00:59 - Vision on Child Welfare Technology presentation.
30:54 - HF3671 (Pinto) Definition of child in need of protection or services modified.
48:32 - HF4406 (Clardy) READ Act expanded to include early childhood education, professional development provided, curriculum revised, and money appropriated.
1:03:29 - HF4425 (Hemmingsen-Jaeger) Home day care restrictions prohibited.
1:14:48 - HF3856 (Hanson) Notice requirements for foster children receiving benefits modified.
Runs 1 hour, 28 minutes.

Presentation on Social Services Information System (SSIS), Minnesota Department of Human Services
HF4425 (Hemmingsen-Jaeger) Home day care restrictions prohibited.
HF3856 (Hanson, J.) Notice requirements for foster children receiving benefits modified.
HF 3671 (Pinto) Definition of child in need of protection or services modified.
HF 4406 (Clardy) READ Act expanded to include early childhood education, professional development provided, curriculum revised, and money appropriated.

Agenda items may be changed or added.

ACCESSIBILITY: For further information on accommodations, please visit FAQs for Disability Access or contact the LCC Accessibility Coordinator at accessibility.coordinator@lcc.mn.gov
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MATERIALS: Presenters or members of the public are encouraged to provide all materials to be offered in Committee to the CA at least 24 hours in advance of the hearing. Distribution of such materials is subject to approval by the Chair; a copy will be kept by Committee staff. These materials should be in accessible (Optical Character Recognition) format for posting to the committee webpage; contact the Committee Administrator for more information about acceptable electronic formats.

TESTIMONY: Bill authors must arrange their own testifiers and provide each testifier’s name, position title, and email address to the CA 24 hours in advance of the hearing. Written testimony is also encouraged and will be posted on the committee webpage prior to the meeting.

AMENDMENTS: All amendments that are substantive must be given to the CA by 1:00 PM on the day prior to the committee hearing. This deadline may be waived at the discretion of the Chair.