Note!

As of Friday, May 17th at 7pm these conference committees have completed their work and most all of the various policies have been decided on by MN Lawmakers and will be going to floor votes.

If you landed on this page to engage in a call-to-action from the eNews to contact these officials in the conference committee, WE THANK YOU. It is still important to contact your elected officials and relay these policy positions, but frame your outreach more generally than having it focused on the conference committee process! Stay tuned for a debrief on the various aspects of the Rise & Repair Platform and what comes next by making sure you are subscribed to the eNews!

- Love & solidarity from The Rise & Repair Alliance

What are conference committees?

During a legislative session, bills are assigned a HOUSE file number and a SENATE file number. For a bill to become law, it must be passed by each of these bodies of the legislature independently. Towards the end of session, bills which have been passed by each body often read differently and include (or do not include) various provisions. These discrepancies must be resolved somehow - and that’s where conference committees come in!

Conference committees are made up of members from each house (the Senate & House of Representatives) who are appointed to reconcile the differences between two versions of a bill which has been passed by independently by both bodies. Each conference committee usually has either three or five members from both the House and the Senate.

Policy Positions on Legislation in Conference Committee During Minnesota’s 2023/24 Session

Please contact your legislators and relay your support for the various aspects of policy outlined below!

Updated May 14th, 2024

HF3911 / SF3887

Environment and natural resources supplemental budget bill.

APPOINTED CONFEREES:

Mille Lacs County Land Transfer (HF5121/SF5162 - Environment):

This bill returns to the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe land adjacent to Lake Mille Lacs that Minnesota’s DNR has determined is not needed for its resource management. Please support the senate version of the bill.

Packaging waste reduction (HF3577/SF3561 - Environment):

We urge legislators to strengthen the Packaging Waste & Cost Reduction Act by implementing criteria for alternative collection programs, including commercial packaging, and ensuring full coverage of costs by producers. Clear deadlines for packaging redesign and third-party certification are essential, alongside updates to reporting dates to increase transparency. These measures are crucial for advancing zero waste goals and prioritizing community needs over corporate interests.

Multifamily Composting (HF4409/SF5258 - Environment):

This initiative aims to incentivize local communities to tackle the food waste issue collectively. Empowering and educating communities to actively participate in waste management is crucial for environmental sustainability. However, many communities face challenges in establishing effective programs due to limited resources. While initially included only in the Senate Omnibus, this measure garnered positive reception in the House and merits inclusion in the final bill.

Food Waste Prevention and Hierarchy (HF4932/SF4944 - Environment):

This proposal outlines guidelines and mandates for major food waste generators to responsibly manage their waste, prioritizing composting over anaerobic digestion. Composting stands out as a more sustainable and eco-friendly approach to food waste management.

Electronic Waste Recycling Study (SF3940 - Environment):

This study is instrumental in advancing Minnesota's efforts to reclaim e-waste recycling jobs and establish a secure, sustainable source of critical metals essential for the energy transition.

SF4942 / HF4975

Omnibus Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, Utilities, Environment and Climate supplemental appropriations

APPOINTED CONFEREES:

Solar APP+ (HF5171/SF5271 - Energy)

Implementing the SolarAPP+ software for automated permitting of rooftop solar systems is crucial to accelerating Minnesota's clean energy transition, reducing costs for homeowners, and supporting our state's goal of achieving 100% clean electricity by 2040. By streamlining the permitting process, we can make solar installation quicker, cheaper, and more accessible, while also freeing up resources for local governments to focus on other community priorities. Your support for the bill providing grants for cities to adopt SolarAPP+ is essential in ensuring a more efficient and cost-effective path towards achieving our clean energy goals.

Solar interconnection (HF5097/SF5395 - Energy):

Passing this interconnection reform bill is crucial to Minnesota being able to meet its 2040 climate goals and is supported by the state’s investor-owned utilities. This reform will create a cost-share program for distribution grid upgrades that will benefit all Minnesotans, including utility ratepayers, and will also create an ombudsperson who will oversee interconnection disputes. This bill directs the Public Utilities Commission to determine most of the details through commission proceedings.

Networked geothermal pilot (HF4423/SF4760 - Energy):

Supporting the geothermal network pilot bills (SF4760 | HF4423) are critical as they offer a pathway to explore efficient and climate-friendly heating and cooling solutions for Minnesota, like geothermal.  Your support for these bills is essential to ensure we’ll be able to scale up real decarbonization solutions to meet our climate goals.

Permitting Reform (HF4700/SF4784):

Our organizations have the following concerns regarding the Senate version of the permitting reform bill and encourage legislators to support the House position which does not include these provisions:

  1. DNR and PCA permitting reform amendment expands its reach beyond the Public Utilities Commission, to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Department of Natural Resources, which could impact various industries and projects. This extension is not germane to the issue of energy permitting, raising constitutional concerns and would shackle the Minnesota Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) without public process or legislative deliberation.
    This provision is located in two bills: SF 4784 Article 4 and also in the Environment Appropriations SF 3887 Article 3.)

  2. Transferring environmental review responsibilities from the Department of Commerce-EERA to the Public Utilities Commission: this change would affect all projects under the Commission's jurisdiction, including pipelines. This shift raises concerns about reduced transparency, coordination, and independence in the environmental review process, particularly as it lacked consensus approval and overlooked input from environmental justice and Indigenous communities.

  3. Changing the definition of “Large Energy Infrastructure Facility”: The proposed language replaces the term “large electric power facilities” with “large energy infrastructure facility,”which is defined to include “any associated facility.” This could potentially encompass fossil fuel infrastructure like coal and natural gas plants, pipelines, and carbon capture projects, giving them some of the same regulatory privileges as clean energy.

  4. Reducing the level of detail required in permitting applications: the language replaces the requirement for "engineering and operational designs" with a request for "concepts," diminishing the need for comprehensive project outlines, including associated transport infrastructure such as pipelines and transmission lines.

SF / HF

State & Local Government

APPOINTED CONFEREES: TBD

Plastic Bag Ban Preemption Removal (HF 3345/SF3541 - State and Local Government):

In 2015, Minneapolis City Council took a progressive step towards reducing plastic pollution by banning plastic bags at grocery and retail stores. Unfortunately, in 2017, the legislature hindered cities' autonomy by prohibiting such bans. This bill aims to restore local government authority, allowing them to address plastic pollution effectively.