Legislative Update – May 24, 20242024 Session Wrap-UpDear Neighbors, The 2024 Legislative Session adjourned on May 20, and this two-year biennium has been one of the most productive in state history. This term, we worked towards a better future for Minnesotans and made progress on so many challenges currently facing our state. We made great progress tackling issues like gun violence prevention, health care reform, and strengthening consumer protection, priorities that previously stalled under divided government. But there is still more work to do. House DFL lawmakers will continue working with our neighbors and community members to lower the cost of living, deliver economic security for working families, and ensure everyone has the tools they need to thrive. After setting a transformational two-year budget last year, House DFLers built off 2023’s historically productive session by enacting more solutions to grow the state’s middle class and ensure all Minnesotans have the opportunity to build a better life for themselves and their families.  Bills Passed into LawThis year I was proud to author many pieces of legislation that made it across the finish line and will soon be law! I was the lead author of the RISE Act (HF 4565), which will help students with disabilities get the support they need in postsecondary institutions and colleges, and the beyond the box provisions (HF 4395) which prohibit schools from barring admission for criminal records and ensures a review process for violent crimes to both keep campuses safe and remove barriers to achieving higher education. I'm very glad my provisions strengthening campus sexual harassment and assault policies were included (HF 1404). All passed as part of our Higher Education bill this year. I also passed a bill expanding Family Assets for Independence in Minnesota (FAIM), which is a financial education and matched savings program that helps people escape poverty. It was expanded to be more inclusive of multi generational families and people who live with roommates (HF 4898). This year’s bipartisan Public Safety and Judiciary package included my bill stopping the Police and Peace Officers from training on “excited delirium” (HF 4118), which is not recognized by most medical associations, including the American Psychiatric Association and the American Medical Association. It also included the prison education program which will make higher education opportunities available to more incarcerated people to continue to invest in reduced recidivism. I also passed legislation in the Human Services space, ensuring disclosure and reporting when agencies collect federal benefits for foster children (HF 3856) and a bipartisan provision allowing community first services and supports (CFFS) to provide training and development services remotely if necessary (HF 4073). Finally, our scope of practice bill included my provision to create a dual pathway to licensure for non-clinical social workers meaning all LSW applicants can get their license either by taking the licensure test or through a provisional license. This will drastically improve who has been kept out of our field and expand the workforce to deliver on all the great investments in school linked mental health, homelessness resources, food insecurity, and so many more vital services that social workers deliver to Minnesotans. Cannabis Policy BillAs I mentioned in last week’s update, I was selected to serve on the Cannabis conference committee, working alongside colleagues from the House and Senate to take into account recommendations from the new Office of Cannabis Management and ensure we have a safe, well-regulated market and that the licensing process is equitable for those most harmed by prohibition. I was proud to see the final agreement included my bill allowing medical cannabis patients to “farm out” cannabis cultivation to third-party individuals (HF 3766), in this case, Division of Medical Cannabis-certified caregivers assigned to help patients who require assistance in administering medical cannabis. It also includes my provision ensuring that legal adult cannabis use does not result in retaliatory action from a landlord or school solely based on federal prohibition (HF 3760). Our final Cannabis policy agreement includes $2.73 million for product testing and a reference lab. It also creates a license preapproval process, including provisions to help social equity applicants, which will help businesses get off the ground quicker. The bill passed both the House and Senate and is now awaiting the Governor’s signature.  End of Session ActionLast year the Legislature passed our major two-year budget bills, and this year the House built on that progress by passing small supplemental budgets alongside more substantial policy changes in major committee areas. Working alongside the Governor and our Senate counterparts, we reached final agreements on all major budget bills. You can find nonpartisan summaries about the final agreements here: Transportation, Labor and Housing, Energy and Agriculture, Public Safety and Judiciary, Commerce and Cannabis, Jobs and Economic Development, Environment and Natural Resources, K-12 Education, Higher Education, Human Services, Health, and Elections. These are all great bills, but as a member of the Economic Development, Higher Education, Human Services Policy, and Children and Families committees, I’m especially proud of our efforts there. We also passed a gun violence prevention bill that includes tougher penalties for straw purchasers and a ban on binary triggers, a bill that will increase wages for rideshare drivers while keeping companies operating in Minnesota, a health occupational licensure and scoping bill, legislation improving our child welfare services and addressing racial disparities, and a tenants' rights package.  |