Good afternoon,
The 2024 Minnesota Legislative Session officially started this week. The House and Senate moved quickly with hearings on top priority bills and presentations from state agencies and non-partisan committee staff. Weekly, we will provide summaries of committee hearings and general updates on DNR related legislative activities. Please consider bookmarking the DNR Legislative Resources Webpage. This website will be updated throughout the session and will provide resources such as fact sheets on DNR legislative initiatives and priorities.
The House and Senate have posted the following committee deadlines for this year's session:
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March 22nd: Committees in both bodies must act favorably on bills that are not major appropriation or finance bills.
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April 4th: Committees must act favorably on major appropriation and finance bills.
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March 27th - April 2nd: Easter break
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April 9th-April 11th: Eid break
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April 22nd-April 23rd: Passover break
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May 20th: Legislature must complete its work by this date.
This Week:
Wednesday, February 14, 2024 - House Legacy Finance Committee
David Stein, DNR Conservation Partner Legacy (CPL) Grants Coordinator, provided an overview and update presentation to the committee on the CPL program. Mr. Stein also fielded questions from the committee regarding program eligibility and the types of projects being funded.
Wednesday, February 14, 2024 - House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee
The committee heard HF3466 – Opportunities to protect native prairie expanded. Judy Elbert, DNR - SNA Program Supervisor, provided a presentation on the significance of protecting rare native prairies, the issues faced by the Native Prairie Bank Program, and how the bill solves the those issues. As amended, the bill will be placed on the General Register.
The committee heard HF3376 – Digital image use as proof of possession of game and fish licenses allowed. Lt. Robert Gorecki testified that the DNR has no objections to the bill and welcomed working with the author on any needed amendments. Lt. Gorecki also reminded the committee that the DNR is moving to an electronic only license system in 2025. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in a future bill.
The committee heard HF3377 – Environment and Natural Resources Trust fund appropriations (LCCMR). The committee heard an overview from LCCMR director, Becca Nash. The bill was passed and referred to the Way and Means Committee.
Thursday, February 15, 2024 - Senate Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee
The committee heard SF3507 – Environment and Natural Resources Trust fund appropriations (LCCMR). The committee heard an overview from LCCMR Director, Becca Nash. The bill passed and was referred to the Senate Finance Committee.
DNR Sarah Strommen provided an update on the Get Out MORE (Modernize Outdoor Recreation Experiences) initiative and how last year's appropriations are hitting the ground. Commissioner Strommen described how the transformational Get Out MORE investments will help ensure Minnesotans of all abilities and interests enjoy a worldclass recreation system.
The committee also heard presentations from several DNR staff on topics of interest to the committee:
Next Week:
See Senate schedule here.
See House schedule here.
Reflecting on the 2023 Session
As we head into the 2024 legislative session, we also want to reflect on the many accomplishments from last year's session. Bills passed in the 2023 legislative session represent a once-in-a-generation investment in connecting people to the outdoors, mitigating and adapting to climate change, and manage natural resources proactively. These investments will benefit Minnesota’s environment, economy, and health long into the future.
A few highlights from last session:
- “Get Out MORE” — the Modernize Outdoor Recreation Experiences initiative received a one-time investment of $150 million to improve accessibility at DNR-managed facilities and public lands, modernize camping infrastructure, renew and rehabilitate public water accesses, modernize fish hatcheries and shore fishing sites, and to replace culverts and bridges. Additional information can be found online, and in the media stories below:
- $5 million was provided for the Upper Sioux Agency State Park land transfer to ensure the agency can prepare the park for transfer to the Upper Sioux Tribal Nation.
- Along with the appropriation mentioned above, the legislature authorized the DNR to begin the process of conveying all state-owned land within the boundaries of Upper Sioux Agency State Park to the Upper Sioux Community.
We invite you to stay up to date on DNR’s work by signing up for one of our topic-specific email lists, exploring opportunities on our Engage with DNR public engagement platform, or following us on Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram.
Thank you for subscribing to the DNR Legislative Update Email List. We look forward to sharing more updates with you during this year's legislative session. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Jason Garms
Government Relations Unit
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
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