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Minnesota House of Representatives

Veterans and Military Affairs Division

EIGHTH MEETING

2025-2026 Regular Session - Wednesday, April 2, 2025

STATE OF MINNESOTA EIGHTH MEETING
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NINETY-FOURTH SESSION


VETERANS AND MILITARY AFFAIRS DIVISION

Representative Jay Xiong, Co-Chair of the Veterans and Military Affairs Division, called the meeting to order at 8:15 AM on Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025, in Room G23 of the Capitol Building.

The Committee Legislative Assistant noted the roll.

Members Present:
XIONG, Jay (Co-Chair)
HEMMINGSEN-JAEGER, Amanda (Vice Co-Chair)
BLISS, Matt (Co-Chair)
BJORN, Olson (Vice Co-Chair)
BENNETT, Peggy
CLARDY, Mary Frances
DAVIS, Ben
DURAN, Bidal
FEIST, Sandra
HILL, Josiah
REHRAUER, Kari
REPINSKI, Aaron


A quorum was present.

Chair Bliss moved that the minutes of March 26, 2025, be adopted. THE MOTION PREVAILED.

HF 3005 (Gottfried); Metro Meals on Wheels funding provided, reports required, and money appropriated.

Chair Xiong moved that HF 3005 be laid over for possible inclusion in the Veterans and Military Affairs Division’s omnibus bill.

Representative Gottfried presented HF 3005.

Testifying:

• Patrick Rowan, Executive Director, Metro Meals on Wheels
• Carter Drake, Recipient and Veteran, Metro Meals on Wheels

Chair Xiong renewed the motion that HF 3005 be laid over for possible inclusion in the Veterans and Military Affairs Division omnibus bill. The bill was laid over.


HF 2773 (Clardy); Lutheran Social Services CORE program funding provided, reports required, and money appropriated.

Representative Clardy moved to adopt the HF 2773 A1 Amendment. THE MOTION PREVAILED. THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.

Chair Xiong moved that HF 2773 as amended be laid over for possible inclusion in the Veterans and Military Affairs Division’s omnibus bill.

Representative Clardy presented HF 2773 as amended.

Testifying:
• Amy Vajgrt, Senior Director, Lutheran Social Services Meals
Chair Xiong renewed the motion that HF 2773 as amended be laid over for possible inclusion in the Veterans and Military Affairs Division omnibus bill. The bill was laid over.


HF 982 (Clardy); Education benefit established for dependents of disabled veterans.

Representative Clardy moved to adopt the HF 982 DE2 Amendment. THE MOTION PREVAILED. THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.

Chair Xiong moved that HF 982 as amended be laid over for possible inclusion in the Veterans and Military Affairs Division omnibus bill.

Representative Clardy presented HF 982 as amended.

Testifying:
• Alen Garske, Disabled Veteran

Chair Xiong renewed the motion that HF 982 as amended be laid over for possible inclusion in the Veterans and Military Affairs Division omnibus bill. The bill was laid over.


HF 1845 (Cha); Veterans definition expanded to include units operating from Laos and or naturalized under the federal Hmong Veterans' Naturalization Act.

Representative Cha moved to adopt the HF 1845 A4 Amendment. THE MOTION PREVAILED. THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.

Chair Xiong moved that HF 1845 as amended be laid over for possible inclusion in the Veterans and Military Affairs Division omnibus bill.

Representative Cha presented HF 1845 as amended.

Testifying:

• Dr. Lee Pao Xiong, Director, Center of Hmong Studies, Concordia University
• Ya Lee, Former Pilot, Special Guerilla Units (SGU)
• Pa Xang Vang, Executive Director and Former Recruit Foot Soldier, SGU Veteran and Family of United States of America Organization
• Yee Hang, Retired Colonel and Chair, Minnesota Asian American Pacifici Islander Veterans Association
• Jean Lee, President and Executive Director, Children’s Hope International

Chair Xiong renewed the motion that HF 1845 as amended be laid over for possible inclusion in the Veterans and Military Affairs Division omnibus bill. The bill was laid over.


HF 1511 (Clardy); Commissioner of veterans affairs funding provided for a veteran mentorship program for Black youth, and money appropriated.

Representative Clardy moved that HF 1511 be laid over for possible inclusion in the Veterans and Military Affairs Division omnibus bill.

Representative Clardy presented HF 1511.

Testifying:
• Stephen Kent, Retired Colonel and Founder and Executive Director, Be The Best Foundation

Representative Clardy renewed the motion that HF 1511 be laid over for possible inclusion in the Veterans and Military Affairs Division omnibus bill. The bill was laid over.


HF1514 (Clardy); Veterans resilience project funding provided, reports required, and money appropriated.

Representative Clardy moved that HF 1514 be laid over for possible inclusion in the Veterans and Military Affairs Division omnibus bill.

Representative Clardy presented HF 1514.

Testifying:
• Julius Cochran, Chair, Minnesota Black Farmers Association
• Jonna Phillips, Executive Director, Veterans Resilience Project
• John Thompson, Licensed Therapist, Veterans Resilience Project

Representative Clardy renewed the motion that HF 1514 be laid over for possible inclusion in the Veterans and Military Affairs Division omnibus bill. The bill was laid over.


HF1516 (Clardy); Commissioner of veterans affairs funding provided for a grant to an
organization to establish a Black veterans support program, and money appropriated.

Representative Clardy moved that HF 1516 be laid over for possible inclusion in the Veterans and Military Affairs Division omnibus bill.

Representative Clardy presented HF 1516.

Testifying:
• Sean Payton, Former Officer of the United States Air Force, Doctor and Instructor, North Hennepin Community College
• Stephen Kent, Retired Colonel and Founder and Executive Director, Be The Best Foundation

Representative Clardy renewed the motion that HF 1516 be laid over for possible inclusion in the Veterans and Military Affairs Division omnibus bill. The bill was laid over.


The meeting was adjourned at 10:04 AM.




Representative Jay Xiong, Co-Chair



Bonnsy Vue, Committee Legislative Assistant


More Info On This Meeting..
Bills Added:
  • HF2773 (Clardy) - Lutheran Social Services CORE program funding provided, reports required, and money appropriated.
  • HF982 (Clardy) - Education benefit established for dependents of disabled veterans
  • HF1845 (Cha) - Veterans definition expanded to include units operating from Laos and or naturalized under the federal Hmong Veterans' Naturalization Act.
  • HF1511 (Clardy) - Commissioner of veterans affairs funding provided for a veteran mentorship program for Black youth, and money appropriated.
  • HF1514 (Clardy) - Veterans resilience project funding provided, reports required, and money appropriated.
  • HF1516 (Clardy) - Commissioner of veterans affairs funding provided for a grant to an organization to establish a Black veterans support program, and money appropriated.
  • HF3005 (Gottfried) - Metro Meals on Wheels funding provided, reports required, and money appropriated.
  • HF3005 (Gottfried) - Metro Meals on Wheels funding provided, reports required, and money appropriated.
  • HF3005 (Gottfried) - Metro Meals on Wheels funding provided, reports required, and money appropriated.
  • HF3005 (Gottfried) - Metro Meals on Wheels funding provided, reports required, and money appropriated.
  • HF3005 (Gottfried) - Metro Meals on Wheels funding provided, reports required, and money appropriated.
Documents:
Audio:
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House TV Video:
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01:06 - HF3005 (Gottfried) Metro Meals on Wheels funding provided, reports required, and money appropriated.
12:53 - HF2773 (Clardy) Lutheran Social Services CORE program funding provided, reports required, and money appropriated.
17:22 - HF982 (Clardy) Education benefit established for dependents of disabled veterans.
23:33 - HF1845 (Cha) Veterans definition expanded to include units operating from Laos and or naturalized under the federal Hmong Veterans' Naturalization Act.
1:00:09 - HF1511 (Clardy) Commissioner of veterans affairs funding provided for a veteran mentorship program for Black youth, and money appropriated.
1:12:59 - HF1514 (Clardy) Veterans resilience project funding provided, reports required, and money appropriated.
1:32:54 - HF1516 (Clardy) Commissioner of veterans affairs funding provided for a grant to an organization to establish a Black veterans support program, and money appropriated.
Runs 1 hour, 49 minutes.

1. Call to order
2. Approval of Minutes from March 26, 2025
3. HF2773 (Clardy) Lutheran Social Services CORE program funding provided, reports required, and money appropriated.
4. HF3005 (Gottfried) Metro Meals on Wheels funding provided, reports required, and money appropriated.
5. HF982 (Clardy) Education benefit established for dependents of disabled veterans
6. HF1845 (Cha) Veterans definition expanded to include units operating from Laos and or naturalized under the federal Hmong Veterans'
Naturalization Act.
7. HF1511 (Clardy) Commissioner of veterans affairs funding provided for a veteran mentorship program for Black youth, and money
appropriated.
8. HF1514 (Clardy) Veterans resilience project funding provided, reports required, and money appropriated.
9. HF1516 (Clardy) Commissioner of veterans affairs funding provided for a grant to an organization to establish a Black veterans support
program, and money appropriated.
10. Adjournment

*Agenda items (including bills) may be added or removed, and/or order may change.

• HANDOUTS: Handouts MUST BE IN PDF FORMAT, have OCR capability, and emailed to both committee administrators at matt.baumann@house.mn.gov AND john.hultquist@house.mn.gov by 12 p.m. (noon) the business day before the hearing. If you are bringing hard copies, bring 20 copies. Note: submitted written testimony is public and will be included in the official committee record. It may be posted to the committee webpage if received by deadline.
• TESTIFYING: Testimony is limited. The number of testifiers and length of time permitted is at the discretion of the chair, and is subject to change. Please plan accordingly. If you would like to testify, please email both committee administrators at matt.baumann@house.mn.gov AND john.hultquist@house.mn.gov by 12 p.m. (noon) the business day before the hearing.
• DOCUMENTS: Meeting documents may be found on the Veterans and Military Affairs Division webpage.
• VIEWING: This hearing may be viewed on the House webcast schedule page. All video events are closed captioned with automatically generated captions.
• ACCESSIBILITY: To request legislative services for live language interpretation in Hmong, Somali, or Spanish, please contact the Committee Administrator at matt.baumann@house.mn.gov 72 hours in advance of when the service is needed.
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