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Minnesota House of Representatives

Children and Families Finance and Policy

THIRTEENTH MEETING

2025-2026 Regular Session - Tuesday, March 25, 2025

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



CHILDREN AND FAMILIES FINANCE AND POLICY COMMITTEE MINUTES

Representative Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn, Chair of the Committee on Children and Families Finance and Policy, called the meeting to order at 3:00PM on Tuesday March 25th, 2025, in Room 123 of the Capitol.

The Committee Legislative Assistant noted the roll.

Members present:
KOTYZA-WITTHUHN, Carlie, DFL Chair
WEST, Nolan, GOP Chair
HANSON, Jessica, DFL Vice Chair
NELSON, Nathan, GOP Vice Chair
ALTENDORF, Pam
COULTER, Nathan
HEMMINGSEN-JAEGER, Amanda
HICKS, Kim
MCDONALD, Joe
NADEAU, Danny
OLSON, Bjorn
PÉREZ-VEGA, María Isa
SENCER-MURA, Samantha
ZELEZNIKAR, Natalie

A quorum was present.

Representative Altendorf moved the minutes of March 19th, 2025. THE MOTION PREVAILED.

HF 1824 (Rehrauer) Commissioner of children, youth, and families funding provided to create and implement technology portals to connect individuals with support systems; and money appropriated.

Chair Kotyza-Witthuhn moved that HF 1824 be laid over for possible inclusion in the Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee omnibus bill.

Chair Kotyza-Witthuhn moved the H1824A1 amendment. THE MOTION PREVAILED. THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.

Representative Rehrauer presented HF 1824 as amended.

Testifying on HF 1824 as amended:
• Tim Heroff, Area Director, CarePortal

Chair Kotyza-Witthuhn renewed the motion that HF 1824 as amended be laid over for possible inclusion in the Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee omnibus bill. The bill as amended was laid over.

HF 1660 (Frazier) Commissioner of children, youth, and families directed to conduct a statewide needs assessment for out-of-school and youth programming, report required, and money appropriated.

Chair Kotyza-Witthuhn moved that HF 1660 be laid over for possible inclusion in the Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee omnibus bill.

Representative Frazier presented HF 1660.

Testifying on HF 1660:
• Mearra Allen, leader with the Barbershop and Black Congregation Cooperative, ISAIAH
• Alexandra C. Fitzsimmons, Esq., Senior Policy Director, Children’s Defense Fund

Chair Kotyza-Witthuhn renewed the motion that HF 1660 be laid over for possible inclusion in the Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee omnibus bill. The bill was laid over.

HF 1926 (Mahamoud) Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches grant funding provided for food shelves, and money appropriated.

Chair Kotyza-Witthuhn moved that HF 1926 be laid over for possible inclusion in the Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee omnibus bill.

Representative Mahamoud presented HF 1926.

Testifying on HF 1926:
• Adrienne Dorn, President and Executive Director, (GMCC)
• Christopher Anderson, Executive Director, WeCAN Community Action Network

Chair Kotyza-Witthuhn renewed the motion that HF 1926 be laid over for possible inclusion in the Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee omnibus bill. The bill was laid over.

HF 1002 (Hicks) Head Start funding provided, and money appropriated.

Representative Hicks moved that HF 1002 be laid over for possible inclusion in the Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee omnibus bill.

Representative Hicks presented HF 1002.

Testifying on HF 1002:
• Sandy Simar, Head Start and Early Head Start Director, Families
• Amanda Mata, Parent, Families First
• Kraig Gratke, Executive Director, MN Head Start Association

Chair Kotyza-Witthuhn renewed the motion that HF 1002 be laid over for possible inclusion in the Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee omnibus bill. The bill was laid over.

HF 994 (Kotyza-Witthuhn) ParentChild+ program funding provided, and money appropriated.

Chair Kotyza-Witthuhn moved that HF 994 be laid over for possible inclusion in the Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee omnibus bill.

Chair Kotyza-Witthuhn presented HF 994.

Testifying on HF 994:
• Amy Weiss, Chief Program Officer, Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis (JFCS)
• Sara Wise, ParentChild+ Partnership & Program Assistant Manager, JFCS
• Jennyffer Barrientos, Director, Healthy Community Initiative Growing Up Healthy

Chair Kotyza-Witthuhn renewed the motion that HF 994 be laid over for possible inclusion in the Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee omnibus bill. The bill was laid over.

HF 1915 (West) Child care centers required to use video security cameras to monitor infants and toddlers, and money appropriated.

Chair West moved that HF 1915 be recommended to pass and re-referred to the Committee on Judiciary Finance and Civil Law.

Chair West moved the H1915DE4 amendment. THE MOTION PREVAILED. THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.

Chair West presented HF 1915 as amended.

Testifying on HF 1915 as amended:
• Megan West
• Susanne Dickison
• Janice DeGonda

Chair West renewed the motion that HF 1915 as amended be recommended to pass and re-referred to the Committee on Judiciary Finance and Civil Law. THE MOTION PREVAILED.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:00 PM.


__________________________________________
Representative Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn, Chair


__________________________________________
Faith Privett, Committee Legislative Assistant
More Info On This Meeting..
Bills Added:
  • HF994 (Kotyza-Witthuhn) - ParentChild+ program funding provided, and money appropriated.
  • HF1002 (Hicks) - Head Start funding provided, and money appropriated.
  • HF1660 (Frazier) - Commissioner of children, youth, and families directed to conduct a statewide needs assessment for out-of-school and youth programming, report required, and money appropriated.
  • HF1915 (West) - Child care centers required to use video security cameras to monitor infants and toddlers, and money appropriated.
  • HF1824 (Rehrauer) - Commissioner of children, youth, and families funding provided to create and implement technology portals to connect individuals with support systems; and money appropriated.
  • HF1926 (Mahamoud) - Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches grant funding provided for food shelves, and money appropriated.
Documents:
Audio:
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House TV Video:
View Archive

01:03 - HF1824 (Rehrauer) Commissioner of children, youth, and families funding provided to create and implement technology portals to connect individuals with support systems; and money appropriated.
13:39 - HF1660 (Frazier) Commissioner of children, youth, and families directed to conduct a statewide needs assessment for out-of-school and youth programming, report required, and money appropriated.
39:10 - HF1926 (Mahamoud) Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches grant funding provided for food shelves, and money appropriated.
48:35 - HF1002 (Hicks) Head Start funding provided, and money appropriated.
1:12:29 - HF994 (Kotyza-Witthuhn) ParentChild+ program funding provided, and money appropriated.
1:24:25 - HF1915 (West) Child care centers required to use video security cameras to monitor infants and toddlers, and money appropriated.
Runs 1 hour, 51 minutes.

HF1660 (Frazier) Commissioner of children, youth, and families directed to conduct a statewide needs assessment for out-of-school and youth programming, report required, and money appropriated.
HF1824 (Rehrauer) Commissioner of children, youth, and families funding provided to create and implement technology portals to connect individuals with support systems; and money appropriated.
HF1926 (Mahamoud) Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches grant funding provided for food shelves, and money appropriated.
HF1002 (Hicks) Head Start funding provided, and money appropriated.
HF994 (Kotyza-Witthuhn) ParentChild+ program funding provided, and money appropriated.
HF1915 (West) Child care centers required to use video security cameras to monitor infants and toddlers, and money appropriated.


TESTIMONY AND MATERIALS SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Individuals wishing to testify or submit written testimony for the hearing must email the committee administrator, Colie Colburn, colie.colburn@house.mn.gov by 8:00 AM on the day of the hearing. Handouts must be in PDF format with OCR capability. In-person testimony may be limited due to committee time constraints.


AMENDMENTS: Amendments must be emailed to the committee administrators by 3:00 PM the day before the committee hearing
Colie Colburn, DFL Committee Administrator, colie.colburn@house.mn.gov; and Lauren Hayward, GOP Committee Administrator, Lauren.Hayward@house.mn.gov