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Minnesota House of Representatives

About the House Public Information Services Office

Mission Statement

The mission of Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services department is to provide credible and timely nonpartisan services that inform the general public of legislative actions, educate the public about the legislative process, and encourage public participation in the Minnesota Legislature.

About the department

We meet our mission by providing services in four main areas: Information and Outreach, Photography, Publications and Television.

Information and Outreach

House Public Information Services serves as the general information contact point for the House of Representatives. Answers to hundreds of questions are provided weekly to the public, such as who their representatives are, what district they live in, when and where legislative meetings are held, the status of bills and where to find how members voted on specific legislation. Services include:

  • Workshops and presentations to organizations regarding the House
  • Schedules of committee hearings and floor sessions
  • A House of Representatives booth at the Minnesota State Fair
  • Educational materials about the Legislature and the legislative process

Photography

House Public Information Services photographers document House activities, including floor sessions, committee hearings, press conferences and special events. They accept assignments from House political caucuses, staff and other departments. Services provided by the photographers include:

  • House member "official" and candid photographs
  • Photographs of members with constituents who come to the State Capitol
  • Photographs for a variety of printed and online publications

Publications

Publication staff produces a variety of publications for all ages that cover issues before the Legislature; provide education about the legislative process; and offer information for those who want to participate in the process. Some of the publications produced include:

  • Legislative directories and rosters of elected officials
  • Session Daily-electronic alerts when news from the House warrants
  • Alerts through Facebook and Twitter when news from the House warrants
  • Nonpartisan news releases regarding new laws and other general House information

Television

Television staff provides video coverage of select House activities. Streaming online is an important way for residents to access live video of significant happenings at the House. Services provided include:

  • Live and taped unedited coverage of floor sessions and select committee hearings
  • Coverage of issue-oriented press conferences and special events
  • Video interviews with House members
  • Broadcast, cable, mobile and Internet delivery of all programming
  • Educational programming available on-demand
  • Access to video archives

House Public Information Services seeks to serve as an informational resource for the public, legislators and staff.


Nonpartisan Code of Ethics

House Public Information Services staff are public servants and have obligations and responsibilities to the general public, legislators and fellow staff members. Responsibilities are expected to be performed with the highest level of integrity and honesty.
House Public Information Services staff should be mindful that the public views them as representatives of the Legislature as an institution. In keeping with their responsibility to build and uphold the public's trust, staff should provide accurate, useful and timely information.
House Public Information Services staff should always be vigilant to avoid any conflicts of interest that may interfere with the work of the institution or be contrary to the nonpartisan mission of the department. (The following are examples of conduct that could impair a staff member's nonpartisan status: serving as a campaign official for a candidate for partisan political office, writing a letter to the editor in support of or in opposition to a candidate for partisan political office, acting as a spokesperson for a special interest group or performing freelance work in partisan political activities.)
Because of the position of responsibility, House Public Information Services staff are expected to uphold the law and all applicable regulations. Resources should always be used for the public good, not private gain.
This code is intended to supplement existing policies under which House staff members are employed. These guidelines do not constitute any legal obligation. These guidelines are subject to periodic review by the House Public Information Services director.

Adapted from National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and NCSL Legislative Information and Communications Staff guidelines

Session Daily

Week in Review: April 15-19 (4/19/2024 4:17:00 PM)
House Taxes Committee sends its final bill onward (4/19/2024 4:03:00 PM)
Health panel approves supplemental budget bill; next stop, ways and means (4/19/2024 2:50:00 PM)
House panel OK's finance bill that sponsor says aims to tackle a Minnesota 'workforce in crisis' (4/19/2024 12:45:00 PM)
House passes cannabis legislation aiming to speed up retail sales (4/18/2024 7:35:00 PM)
Wide-ranging human services supplemental budget bill clears House panel (4/18/2024 7:20:00 PM)
Health supplemental budget bill grows to $43 million through reappropriations, additional resources (4/18/2024 6:13:00 PM)
Committee OKs agriculture bill funding nitrate treatment, allowing fertilizer research council to sunset (4/18/2024 5:54:00 PM)
Labor committee advances supplemental finance bill (4/18/2024 3:44:00 PM)
Committee OK's transportation policy, budget bill (4/18/2024 3:26:00 PM)
Repeal of ban on plastic bag ordinances, limited spending included in state and local government bill that clears committee (4/18/2024 3:16:00 PM)

  • More news

    • Photography

    This week's slideshow,
    photo gallery and
    Capitol area images

    Live Video


    Event Schedule

    Monday and Tuesday, April 22-23: No meetings scheduled due to Passover recess
    Monday, April 22 2024 4/22/2024 8:00 AM
    Watch: Live Event
    * No meetings scheduled due to Passover recess *

    WEDNESDAY: House Ways and Means Committee
    Wednesday, April 24 2024 4/24/2024 12:00 PM
    Watch: Live Event
    HF5181 (Newton) Department of Military Affairs and Department of Veterans Affairs appropriations modified, maximum bonded indebtedness allowed increased for State Armory Building Commission, and Gopher Gunners Memorial Bridge designated.
    HF4124 (Lillie) Outdoor heritage, clean water, parks and trails, and arts and cultural heritage funds money appropriated; and prior appropriations modified and extended.
    HF4194 (Howard) Housing; prior appropriations modified, new programs established and existing programs modified, housing infrastructure bond eligible uses expanded, housing infrastructure bond issuance authorized, working group and task force established, reports required, and money appropriated.
    HF601 (Her) Lost and stolen firearms required to be reported promptly to law enforcement.
    HF4300 (Becker-Finn) Firearm safe storage standards established and criminal penalties provided for failing to meet those standards.


    WEDNESDAY: House Capital Investment Committee
    Wednesday, April 24 2024 4/24/2024 12:00 PM
    Watch: Live Event
    HF2884 (Dotseth) Moose Lake; sewer main lining funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
    HF3867 (Bennett) Manchester; clean water infrastructure funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
    HF4193 (Kozlowski) Cloquet Forestry Center state-owned land transferred to University of Minnesota, defeasance of outstanding debt on state bond financed property funding provided, and money appropriated.
    HF4695 (Demuth) Cold Spring; wastewater treatment facility improvements funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
    HF4714 (Torkelson) Revere; storm sewer infrastructure improvements and street reconstruction funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
    HF5286 (Grossell) Beltrami County; sanitary sewer collection and treatment system funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
    HF5342 (Demuth) Saint Joseph; sewer main improvements funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
    HF5371 (Anderson, Paul) Prior appropriation for Eagle's Healing Nest campus improvements amended.
    HF5195 (Hussein) Funding provided for capital improvements consistent with Capitol Mall Design Framework update and for related fundraising efforts, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
    HF5078 (Noor) Minnesota's Multipurpose Community Facility Projects to Support Community Revitalization, Connectedness and Equity by Promoting Education, Work and Heath program restrictions imposed.
    HF5397 (Brand) Lafayette; water treatment plant improvements funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.


    WEDNESDAY: House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee
    Wednesday, April 24 2024 4/24/2024 12:00 PM
    Watch: Live Event
    HF5350 (Lislegard) Carbon sequestration and oil and gas exploration and production leases on state-owned land facilitated, rulemaking authorized,

    WEDNESDAY: Session Daily Update
    Wednesday, April 24 2024 4/24/2024 1:55 PM
    Watch: Live Event
    Updates from the House.


    WEDNESDAY: House Floor Session - part 1*
    Wednesday, April 24 2024 4/24/2024 2:00 PM
    Watch: Live Event
    *It is anticipated the House will recess to the call of the Speaker.


    WEDNESDAY: House Rules and Legislative Administration Committee*
    Wednesday, April 24 2024 4/24/2024 2:10 PM
    Watch: Live Event
    *The committee will convene shortly after Floor Session recesses.
    Deadline waivers.


    WEDNESDAY: House Floor Session - part 2*
    Wednesday, April 24 2024 4/24/2024 2:30 PM
    Watch: Live Event
    *Time of reconvening is unknown as it is anticipated the House will be in recess to the call of the Speaker.
    SF4579 (Hollins) Single-metered utility service in residential buildings regulations and provisions modifications.
    HF4661 (Wolgamott) Technical and policy changes made to workers' compensation hearing provisions, and Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals related provisions modified.
    HF3800 (Norris) Organization and operation of housing cooperatives for seniors, low and moderate income people, limited equity cooperatives and leasing cooperatives for designated members provided.
    HF3204 (Moller) Domestic relations; parenting time provisions modified.
    HF2895 (Scott) Judiciary; spousal maintenance modified.
    HF3304 (Wiens) Public safety; military veteran sentencing report required.


    WEDNESDAY: House Workforce Development Finance and Policy Committee*
    Wednesday, April 24 2024 4/24/2024 6:00 PM
    Watch: Live Event
    *The hearing will start at 6 p.m., or at the call of the Chair.
    HF5363 (Frazier) Minnesota Paid Leave Law; paid leave provisions modified.


    News and Notes

    Bill Introductions: HF5391-HF5404

    2024 Session

    The 2024 legislative session must end by May 20. The 2025 session will begin Jan. 14, 2025.

    2024 religious recesses

    • Easter: 5 p.m. March 27 until noon on April 2
    • Eid: 5 p.m. April 9 until noon on April 11
    • Passover: April 22-23, activity to resume at noon on April 24 

    2024 committee deadlines

    • March 22: Committees in both bodies must act favorably on bills that are not major appropriation or finance bills
    • April 19: Committees in both bodies must act favorably on major appropriation and finance bills

    Member retirements

    The Legislative Reference Library maintains a list of members not seeking re-election in 2024.

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    Resources

    Want to contact your U.S. representative, the governor or a state agency? Click here for a roster of federal and state contacts.