This bill requires health insurance plans in Minnesota to reimburse clinical trainees providing alcoholism, mental health, and chemical dependency services at the same rate as independently licensed professionals. The law applies to all health plans offering these benefits and takes effect on January 1, 2027. It ensures that trainees supervised by licensed providers receive equal payment for their work, which may help expand access to mental health and substance use disorder care. The provision does not apply to services outside the trainee's scope of practice or to certain county-based public health plans.
This bill amends Minnesota law to allow counties to adopt local ordinances permitting residents to keep up to 24 chickens on their property. The change adds a new provision to existing feedlot zoning regulations, giving local governments authority to approve small-scale backyard chicken keeping through their own ordinances. The bill does not require counties to allow chickens but enables those that choose to do so by updating state statutes. This policy change affects rural and suburban residents who may wish to raise chickens for personal use or small-scale production.
This bill modifies the legal definition of "prepared food" for sales tax purposes in Minnesota, affecting food retailers and sellers. Under the new definition, food is considered prepared if it is sold with eating utensils provided by the seller or if it is sold heated, heated by the seller, or mixed by the seller into a single item. The bill includes specific exceptions for bakery items, unheated ready-to-eat meat and seafood sold by weight, raw animal foods requiring consumer cooking, food that is only sliced or repackaged, and food sold by certain manufacturers. These changes will apply to sales and purchases made after June 30, 2026.
This bill requires the Minnesota commissioner of natural resources to grant a permanent 33-foot-wide easement across specific state-owned land in Crow Wing County. The easement would allow access and utility services for adjacent private property, with precise boundaries defined by legal land survey descriptions. The state land subject to the easement is located in Sections 8 and 9 of Township 46, Range 29, while the benefiting property is Lot 3 and part of Section 9 in the same township. This legislation creates a permanent right-of-way that the state must provide to the neighboring landowner.
This bill expands Minnesota's public employees defined contribution retirement plan to include emergency medical providers, volunteer and on-call firefighters, and certain municipal rescue squad members who currently lack access to existing pension coverage. The legislation allows these workers to enroll in the plan within 30 days of starting service, provided their employer ratifies their membership election, and permits participation in both the new plan and a firefighters relief association retirement plan simultaneously. By amending state statutes, the bill ensures these public safety professionals can build retirement savings through the same defined contribution structure available to other public employees, while maintaining requirements that they must not already be covered by another pension plan.
This bill requires social services agencies in Minnesota to provide new or like-new luggage to children entering, moving between, or exiting foster care. The law specifically prohibits agencies from using disposable bags or cardboard boxes and bans them from reclaiming the provided luggage once a child has it. Agencies may accept donations of suitable luggage and must report their compliance annually to the Office of the Foster Youth Ombudsperson. The changes take effect on January 1, 2027.
This bill requires Minnesota law enforcement agencies to report detailed information about domestic abuse incidents to the commissioner of public safety by January 15 each year, including data on arrests, victim and suspect demographics, and case outcomes. It authorizes arrests for suspected nonfelony domestic abuse and mandates that individuals arrested for suspected domestic abuse be held in custody until their first court appearance. The legislation also establishes a Task Force on Improving Responses to Domestic Violence Crimes to study and recommend improvements, with the requirement to submit annual reports. Additionally, the bill expands the legal definition of domestic abuse to include violations of various restraining and no contact orders, and appropriates funding to support these changes.
This bill authorizes the state of Minnesota to issue bonds totaling up to $2,235,000 to fund improvements for the dental assisting program at South Central College's North Mankato campus. The funds will be used to design, renovate, and equip classroom and laboratory spaces specifically for this program. The money will come from the bond proceeds fund and is managed by the Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. The bill requires the commissioner of management and budget to handle the bond sale according to existing state statutes and constitutional provisions.
This bill authorizes the state of Minnesota to issue up to $47 million in bonds to fund grants for emergency shelter facilities for people experiencing homelessness. The funds can be used by eligible applicants including tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, and local housing authorities to build or operate safe shelter facilities. The state commissioner of administration will manage the bond issuance and establish a special fund to handle the proceeds and debt payments. The bonds may be structured with terms up to 21 years and can be sold at public or private sale to raise the necessary capital for these housing projects.
This bill increases reimbursement rates for mental health services provided by psychologists and other masters-prepared professionals under Minnesota's medical assistance program. Starting in 2027, the state will pay 100 percent of the Medicare rate for neuropsychological assessments, testing, and psychological testing, matching the higher rates previously paid to doctoral-level professionals. The law also requires managed care organizations and county purchasing plans to reimburse providers at least as much as the fee-for-service rate, with provisions to adjust capitation payments if federal approval is delayed. Additionally, the bill repeals an existing statute that previously set lower payment rates for masters-prepared mental health professionals.
This bill appropriates $3 million from the renewable development account in fiscal year 2027 to provide a grant to The Heights Community Energy for constructing a geothermal energy system. The funding is designated for a specific recipient organization to build a heating and cooling system that uses underground piping and heat pumps to exchange thermal energy with the earth. The legislation defines the geothermal energy system as one or more heat pumps connected to earth-embedded piping with associated distribution and building mechanical infrastructure. This funding comes from the existing renewable development account established under Minnesota Statutes section 116C.779.
This bill proposes adding a constitutional amendment to Minnesota that would prohibit the state from requiring local governments to implement programs or services without providing full funding to cover the costs. The amendment would make any state law or rule unenforceable against local governments if it imposes financial obligations without appropriate legislative appropriations, except for specific exceptions like criminal laws, emergency measures, federal mandates, voter-approved local actions, and requirements costing less than one percent of a local budget. If voters approve the measure at the 2026 general election, the change would take effect on January 1, 2027, allowing local governments to seek legal relief if the state imposes unfunded mandates.
