[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6637143,"mediaKeyId","2589182-561c83fbdd2c2d9946947e7581c90e51","parentId",2589182,"title","Committee hears broad testimony on hunger relief; several food bills advance or are laid over","audioSeconds",5119,"startMs",1313000,"endMs",6432000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2589182-561c83fbdd2c2d9946947e7581c90e51&start=1313&end=6432","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2589182-561c83fbdd2c2d9946947e7581c90e51/thumbnail_1313000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6637143/Minnesota/Committee-hears-broad-testimony-on-hunger-relief-several-food-bills-advance-or-are-laid-over","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6637143-6cbe4cc6ce6250b836b5acab0b9b2174/orig.mp4?Expires=1777167770&Signature=nIRwbQcZ3zTyKEaogWlqm0IMUu3IqZ09HyyCr8NupiIMbBLyaI7TXig9cILhXvIcisX9tRuOVa3h7cBwVZfROsytUfO4vElwEWdYfrbtOBT9UqvOyn7MFj1EK~jfRAxxCngLe9qqiHFjZZYvEfAbIuSyXX65TN3pvBWa92f~oubOpRojkvU1Z8GUddjidlcRBlF1zIDoLl29P1D3Tkc8P0~z47QE9eu1wTPa2ru-4zFdHYyuW1BFTVbwkfOzZeoDlBL11EUJ25yrWvsUVodbRD1TzMtiT4Hla2zIho9752U2oqalpbpgMqykxxtJkLf0WdABNEewqff6UzAQINsIlg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Minnesota Legislature","date","2025-03-13T01:54:24.797Z","article","Lawmakers in the Minnesota House Children and Families Committee heard extensive testimony from food banks, food shelves and tribal leaders about rising food insecurity, and moved several related bills forward for further consideration.

Representative Coulter, sponsor of House File 777, described a bipartisan $8 million, two-year proposal to support food shelves and moved the bill. Testifiers including Rev. Dr. Al Geraci and Dom Korbel described steep increases in demand: Geraci said his organization served “96,000 households, 298,000 people… 2,300,000 pounds of groceries” last year and asked legislators to “give us the ball with the food shelves. We will serve the people of Minnesota with dignity and give them hope.” After testimony and member discussion, the bill was laid over for possible inclusion in a later omnibus bill.

Representative Myers moved House File 8 41 — presented as one-time emergency food-shelf funding — to the Committee on Ways and Means. The motion prevailed on a voice vote.

Representative Hemmingson Jaeger introduced House File 11 12, a proposal to establish a regional food bank grant program that would appropriate $10 million beginning in fiscal 2026 to be divided among six regional food banks that serve Minnesota. Allison O’Toole, chief executive of Second Harvest Heartland, said: “Minnesota is in a hunger crisis and we need your help,” and described statewide demand and Second Harvest Heartland’s purchasing power. The committee laid HF 11 12 over for possible inclusion in a later omnibus bill.

Representative Sensamura presented House File 10 98, a bill focused on food-shelf infrastructure; testifiers whose organizations had received earlier infrastructure grants described how renovated facilities increased capacity and reduced stigma. The committee laid HF 10 98 over for possible inclusion.

Several food-sector witnesses urged more state support, especially for purchasing fresh and protein-rich foods that are most costly for shoppers. Jessica Francis of Open Cupboard Food Shelf described a capital grant that allowed her group to open a second site and said the impact was “transformative.” Channel One Food Bank in Rochester reported a 35% year-over-year increase and said its inventory declined sharply this year, forcing hard choices about purchases and distribution.

Members and agency staff also discussed federal emergency food resources. Nick Demp of the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) explained TFAP (the Emergency Food Assistance Program) rules requiring food shelves not to deny service to people who present as in need; he also said the state’s most recent TFAP resources were about $5.6 million a year, with roughly $1.5 million for storage and distribution and $4.1 million for commodity purchases. Committee member Mr. Berg earlier cited a different figure for the administrative portion ($3.69 million) during discussion, prompting members to ask for clarified federal funding details.

Outcome and next steps: HF 777 was laid over for possible omnibus inclusion. HF 8 41 was re-referred to Ways and Means. HF 11 12 and HF 10 98 were both laid over for possible inclusion in a later omnibus bill. Members asked agencies and food banks to provide follow-up detail on federal TFAP funding and on how state funds would be distributed to reach rural and tribal areas.

—","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee 3/12/25","oneSentenceSummary","The Children and Families Committee heard extensive testimony from food banks, food shelves and tribal leaders about rising hunger in Minnesota. The panel laid over or advanced several funding proposals — including House File 777, HF 841, HF 1,112 and HF 10 98 — to next steps or other committees for consideration.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MN, Minnesota","taxId",77817,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6637147,"Children and Families Committee advances portions of child care modernization bill on parent access and classroom furnishings",1187,65000,1252000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2589182-561c83fbdd2c2d9946947e7581c90e51&start=65&end=1252","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2589182-561c83fbdd2c2d9946947e7581c90e51/thumbnail_65000.jpg","/articles/6637147/Minnesota/Children-and-Families-Committee-advances-portions-of-child-care-modernization-bill-on-parent-access-and-classroom-furnishings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6637147-f148a893097ef456888139f5635cd721/orig.mp4?Expires=1777167770&Signature=S4nF4nRLxha9YeJFWl9twOSyeqOa~ZZ6gTuEwF690Vn6Zv8lWoSiND2sGzTP9pWDLATmxiVjfYRGaCzlS8-kcmQos87go5kbX4xoVtDAPuILVLGNqkej9TlxAE8vcOGuyM0qVQQn0UiyT-zvJ2mXxCQCRWWbonMQ4qe0EW-qwMRIXzJ1jHJSXLUfl6MRORVnZk-2zO2tLyk-vJ9NoeL-o73MWZ1mbv0FMuoPeGtpGAUmXUKr-5Io5gWDxlcF~qXbVgAgxKYDbkW9pNRFrVMEbERXg2xowDuzPdRXnNTznzWKXbjmUiBdYt5MPtyNN4qTpzVR2i-BLnJ-dJWDesLDfg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Minnesota House Children and Families Committee voted to refer House File 2,078 to the general register after adopting portions of a DE1 amendment that clarify parent access to enrolled children and loosen prescriptive requirements for classroom furnishings and equipment.

Representative West, chairing the committee, moved HF 2,078 and the committee divided the DE1 amendment so it could take up two discrete parts. The committee voted to adopt the amendment segments covering the child care center parent-access provision and the child care center requirements for furnishings, equipment and materials; the motion carried and the bill was referred to the general register as amended.

The language adopted requires child care centers to make age-appropriate materials available but allows certain art supplies and musical or rhythm instruments to be stored out of children’s immediate reach so long as they “must be made available at least once a day,” Representative West said during his presentation. He described the change as relief for providers who face both safety and enforcement burdens under more prescriptive lists of required classroom items.

The amendment also clarifies that “an enrolled child's parent or guardian must have access to the child at any time the child is in attendance at a childcare center unless a court order or other legal documentation restricts access,” language Representative West said comes from draft DHS regulatory modernization.

Representative Hicks raised concerns about situations where there is no formal court order but there is an active child-protection assessment, asking whether the bill’s phrase “court order or other legal documentation” would protect a child during a CPS assessment. Hicks said: “I just wanna make sure from the department that in a situation where there is not a custody court order… Should there be like a CPS assessment so that the county doesn't have care custody and control but there's an active assessment? Like would this still make sure that the counties there wouldn't be a concern about a parental kidnapping?”

Ari Didian, legislative director for the DHS Office of Inspector General, told the committee he had not had sufficient time to review the language with licensing staff and offered to follow up: “We haven't had a lot of time to review this language so I'm not sure if I could comment on, if it's workable or not… we can certainly follow-up and get more information on whether or not that language is workable.”

Nonpartisan committee staff explained the line added by the amendment comes from DHS’s draft regulation modernization. Ms. Mach told members the provision strengthens existing practice: under current rules, “parents of enrolled children may visit the center anytime during operations,” and the added clause explicitly recognizes exceptions where legal orders restrict access.

Committee chair Katiza Wooten (addressing committee procedure) and Representative West discussed whether to remove the language pending DHS clarification, but Ms. Mach’s explanation prompted supporters to leave the clause in. The committee did not adopt any of the withdrawn portions of the DE1 amendment; Representative West said he would withdraw the remaining parts.

Outcome and next steps: The committee approved referral of HF 2,078, as amended, to the general register. Members and DHS staff agreed to follow up on the custody- and assessment-related questions before the bill advances further, and sponsors said they intend to continue negotiating other pieces of the broader regulatory modernization outside the motion that moved forward today.

—","The Minnesota House Children and Families Committee voted to refer House File 2,078 to the general register after adopting parts of a DE1 amendment that clarify parental access to enrolled children and ease some classroom furnishing requirements. Committee members asked the Department of Human Services for follow-up on custody-related language.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee hears broad testimony on hunger relief; several food bills advance or are laid over

Children and Families Committee advances portions of child care modernization bill on parent access and classroom furnishings