Representative Igo presented House File 263, described as a technical bill to correct language in a prior appropriation for the Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency (AEOA). The committee heard from Scott Zoharick, AEOA executive director (appearing by Zoom), who said the agency seeks clarity so funds originally appropriated for predevelopment may be used specifically for acquisition and rehabilitation of a building in Hibbing to house housing services and a modern commercial kitchen.

Zoharick said AEOA currently rents 15,000 square feet for housing services in Hibbing at roughly $150,000 per year and has an annual housing department budget near $16,000,000. He told the committee the proposed project would allow AEOA to own and rehabilitate a building in the city's industrial park, create a commercial kitchen to prepare roughly 400,000 meals annually for seniors across 12 counties, and support rehabilitation and resale of existing homes as workforce housing in partnership with St. Louis County.

Representative Lee Pinto asked whether the original statutory language was broad enough to allow the work without the fix; Representative Igo explained the agency found the language too broad and requested a clarification to ensure the funds could be used for building acquisition and predevelopment. A House research representative and agency staff said specifying capital use in statute is common practice to avoid implementation barriers when funds are used for buildings rather than services.

Committee members described the bill as a technical but necessary fix. Representative Igo moved to lay the bill over for possible inclusion in a future omnibus bill; the motion carried and the bill was laid over. No final appropriation or roll-call vote was recorded in committee testimony.