It’s the final stretch of the 2026 legislation session as we head into the last three weeks before the constitutional adjournment date. Dynamics at the Capitol are still uncertain as a tied House has stalled the traditional process of moving companion omnibus bills into conference committees. Legislators say the lack of alignment between chambers is making negotiations less predictable, with some raising concerns about a lack of coordination between both bodies. Leadership may set joint budget targets soon, but if that occurs is also uncertain.
At a recent press conference, Gov. Walz emphasized that he will not sign a budget that fails to address the state’s structural imbalance and signaled a continued focus on fiscal responsibility in the final weeks of the session. Walz also noted ongoing discussions around HCMC funding outside the current budget framework, highlighted tensions between the House and Senate, and pointed to fraud prevention, shifting revenue streams, and property tax pressures as key issues shaping negotiations.
Senate Passed K12 Forecast Adjustment Bill
The full Senate passed the K12 forecast adjustment bill, adjusting current education appropriations to match the February 2026 forecast data. The House companion passed out of the Education Finance Committee earlier in the session but has one more committee stop before the full House votes on the bill.
Grooming and Field Trip Policy Bill Advances
A pair of companion bills are moving through the House and Senate to add new safeguards against grooming and sexual misconduct by school staff.
HF3489 establishes requirements for field trips and overnight stays, prohibiting school employees, contractors, and volunteers from being alone with a student except when a student's IFSP, IEP, or 504 plan documents a need for one-on-one contact, in emergencies involving health or safety, or with parent consent. Stakeholders have raised concerns about how these provisions would apply in practice, and amendments are likely as the bills move forward. The bill also adds grooming to the list of offenses that, upon a teacher's conviction, automatically trigger license denial, non-renewal, or revocation by PELSB without a right to a hearing.
The Senate companion, SF3969, has also advanced and contains substantially similar provisions, with two notable exceptions: it does not include the field trip and overnight stay requirements, and it defines the criminal offense of grooming more narrowly than the House bill.
Proposed Changes to Medicaid Billing for Schools
Minnesota schools are facing significant proposed changes from the MN Department of Human Services regarding how Medicaid services are billed. The new requirements would mandate that speech-language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists, and mental health professionals obtain a National Provider Identifier (NPI) and enroll individually in MN Healthcare Programs (MHCP), require SLPs to hold a license through MDH, and changes to how time is billed using CPT codes. As proposed by DHS, these requirements do not work operationally for school districts and add new challenges and bureaucracy, making it difficult for districts.
Valerie and her colleagues are actively engaged on this issue, with conversations already underway with the Governor's office, MDE, and key legislators to ensure that the challenges facing schools are heard and addressed before these changes take effect.
Important Dates
April 28, 2026: Governor’s State of the State Address
May 18, 2026: Adjournment of Legislative Session
Helpful Links
For updates on activities at the House of Representatives, visit the House Session Daily website.
For updates on activities at the Senate, visit Senate Media Services.
To follow committee hearings, visit the Combined Committee Schedule.
To watch House committee and floor sessions, visit the House of Representatives YouTube Channel.
To watch Senate committee and floor sessions, visit the Senate YouTube Channel.
Current list of Legislative Retirements
