The Political Subdivisions Committee voted to pass amended Senate Bill 20‑97 and re‑refer it to the Appropriations Committee. The bill establishes a rural community endowment with a principal threshold before distributions may be expended.

Representative Moshenbacher explained the amendment’s central feature: the department may not expend monies from the rural community endowment fund until the principal reaches at least $10 million, of which at least $5 million must be derived from gifts, donations, bequests or similar private sources. Moshenbacher said the provision is intended to leverage private investment and create a perpetual endowment that can support rural communities over time.

The committee considered and amended language that initially used the phrase “non state” funding; members debated whether that phrase might be ambiguous and ultimately deleted it on a committee amendment. Committee members also discussed whether the $5 million state investment should remain in the bill; several members said appropriations could adjust funding levels later but recommended keeping a policy signal of $5 million in place. The amendment to delete the words “from non state” on page 2, line 2 passed on a roll call and the committee then moved the amended bill; the final motion to pass the amended bill and re‑refer to appropriations passed 7 yeas, 2 nays, 4 absent, not voting. Representative Moshenbacher volunteered to carry the bill.

During discussion, members asked about allowable sources for the private match and whether local economic development councils could contribute. Representative Moshenbacher said the intent was not to include additional state appropriations as the private match; the language was intended to allow private, local, or other non‑appropriated contributions. Members also raised fiscal concerns about committing $5 million in state investment and noted the bill will proceed through Appropriations, which could alter funding amounts.

The amendment text also changed the statute’s phrasing in places (for example, replacing certain categorical uses of “social and cultural events” and refining the definition of eligible small businesses) to focus the endowment on projects “critical to the vitality of rural communities.” No appropriation amount was finally altered by the committee; fiscal allocation remains subject to the Appropriations Committee’s review.