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Committee reviews bill to align Explore Minnesota statute with expanded mission
Summary
House File 1152 would update Minnesota Statute 116U to reflect Explore Minnesota's broader activities including film, outdoor recreation, business attraction and workforce outreach; agency director said changes are largely housekeeping and do not change base funding.
Representative Pete Johnson presented House File 1152 to the Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy Committee on March 25, asking the panel to update Minnesota Statute 116U to align statutory language with Explore Minnesota's current work.
Lauren Bennett McGinty, executive director of Explore Minnesota, told the committee that the bill clarifies and consolidates statutory language so the agency's statutory mission matches ongoing activities including film promotion, outdoor recreation marketing and workforce/ business attraction. "Tourism is the lens in which we view everything," McGinty said, adding that many of the expanded items are marketing components and that the agency's work remains rooted in visitation.
Key clarifications and funding context: McGinty said film already has its own separate budget and business/workforce attraction was supported with one-time funding in 2023 that will end at the close of the current biennium; the bill itself does not alter Explore Minnesota's base budget. She told members the statutory update also would allow Explore Minnesota somewhat more nimble contracting for small-dollar marketing contracts to hire freelance writers, photographers and artists for targeted work.
Committee questions focused on staffing and budgeting. McGinty said Explore Minnesota has 55 staff; most work is tourism-focused, with roughly one full-time staffer dedicated to business/workforce attraction and several part-time staff supporting that work. Committee members noted the proposed statutory edits are "housekeeping" that create statutory uniformity with current practice; Representative Schultz asked whether the statute change is time-sensitive given looming budget pressures, and McGinty said the agency's operations and base funding would not be immediately affected if the measure did not pass this year.
Decision and next steps: The committee laid House File 1152 over for further consideration.
