This bill allocates funding from the state's general fund to support a study on lead exposure in Dakota County. The money will be given to Dakota County Public Health to investigate sources of lead emissions and their impact on residents, with a specific focus on children under six, pregnant women, and those living near high-emission areas. The study is authorized to examine whether current air and water quality standards have been exceeded and to recommend steps for protecting the community from lead risks. Additionally, the state health commissioner may offer technical assistance and provide access to de-identified blood lead data to aid the research.
This bill establishes a $1.2 million grant for the STRIPES program to fund a student mentoring initiative in Minnesota schools. The funds are designated for five specific purposes: organizing weekly mentoring meetings, supporting operations in five existing schools, expanding the program to new schools, creating a university partnership to train future teachers from diverse backgrounds, and helping teachers build culturally responsive classrooms. Grant recipients must submit a detailed report by January 15, 2028, to the Department of Education and legislative committees, outlining how the money was used, the number of students and mentors involved, and the results of the program.
This bill prohibits Minnesota cities, counties, and towns from penalizing homeless individuals for specific activities on public land, such as sleeping, eating, storing belongings, or occupying parked vehicles. It establishes a legal defense for homeless people charged with these actions if they do not have access to an adequate alternative indoor space, which is defined as a free, accessible, and indefinite housing option that allows for family and pets. The legislation also grants the state attorney general the power to enforce these rules and allows individuals to sue for damages or court orders if their rights are violated. Finally, the bill overrides any local laws that conflict with these protections, ensuring a consistent statewide standard for how public spaces are used by homeless residents.
This bill creates a pilot program to test a trauma-informed approach for managing behavior and guiding students in prekindergarten through first grade. It allocates $1.2 million to fund the Mindful Foundations curriculum, which uses a specific five-step method to help educators support young children. Selected school districts will receive money to hire specialists, train staff and families, and evaluate how the program affects student outcomes and teacher retention. By the end of the pilot year, the program must submit a detailed report to lawmakers to determine if the approach should be expanded statewide.
This bill expands the rules for heavy trucks in Minnesota by allowing six-axle and seven-axle vehicles to carry more weight when transporting construction materials like asphalt and concrete, provided they have a special permit. It also limits the ability of local governments to pass new rules that restrict aggregate mining or production facilities while permits are pending or environmental reviews are underway. Additionally, the bill requires an audit of how counties collect and spend their aggregate production tax and provides funding to update a regional inventory of aggregate resources.
This bill requires businesses in Minnesota to offer arbitration agreements to consumers only after a purchase or lease is completed, rather than before or during the transaction. It mandates that any such arbitration agreements be written in clear, conspicuous language and kept separate from other general terms of the sale. The law declares any pre-transaction arbitration clauses void and unenforceable, while allowing businesses to negotiate arbitration terms separately after the consumer transaction is finalized. These provisions take effect on August 1, 2026, and apply to agreements made on or after that date.
This bill establishes the Revised Minnesota Unclaimed Property Act to update and streamline how businesses and financial institutions report and turn over unclaimed property to the state. It directly affects merchants, banks, corporations, and other business entities that hold money or assets belonging to people who cannot be located. The bill creates clear definitions for terms like "apparent owner" and "business association," authorizes the commissioner of commerce to create administrative rules, and allocates funding for implementation. It also repeals existing unclaimed property laws to replace them with this new framework, aiming to improve clarity and consistency in how unclaimed property is handled across Minnesota.
This bill modifies Minnesota's expedited eviction process to apply only to specific situations involving safety threats or property damage. It requires landlords to submit detailed affidavits proving their case before a judge can schedule a fast-track hearing. The law sets strict timelines, requiring tenant summons within 24 hours and hearings within five to seven days, while prohibiting courts from combining these cases with other claims like unpaid rent. Additionally, the bill authorizes courts to impose fines up to $500 on landlords who improperly seek expedited hearings without sufficient evidence. These changes directly affect landlords, tenants, and courts handling eviction cases in Minnesota.
This bill requires the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to conduct background checks when requested by the Office of the Legislative Auditor. It amends Minnesota Statutes section 299C.76 to officially add the Legislative Auditor to the list of agencies authorized to request criminal history information. The legislation defines specific types of records that can be accessed, including federal tax information and national criminal history records, while establishing confidentiality requirements for handling these sensitive documents. This change expands the Legislative Auditor's ability to access criminal background data for oversight purposes.
This bill updates Minnesota's business services laws to improve how the Secretary of State handles unpaid filing fees and manages liens on business property. It allows the Secretary of State to refuse future filings from individuals with rejected payments, terminate inactive business entities, and pursue collection of outstanding fees. The legislation also modernizes lien procedures by enabling electronic filing and establishing a centralized database for lien notices, renewals, and releases. Additionally, it requires the Secretary of State to organize financing statement information into a master list categorized by farm product for better record-keeping. These changes directly affect business entities, employers, and the Secretary of State's office by streamlining administrative processes and clarifying enforcement mechanisms.
This bill allows nonprofit limited liability companies to apply for licenses as child-placing agencies in Minnesota, expanding the types of organizations that can legally place children for adoption. It also modifies background study requirements for childcare workers, allowing the commissioner to determine the timing of these studies rather than requiring them at every reapplication, while maintaining safety standards through fingerprinting and criminal history checks. Additionally, the bill updates definitions of family relationships for foster care purposes to include important friends of children or their parents, and clarifies bonding requirements for adoption agencies to ensure proper record-keeping if an agency ceases operations. These changes affect adoption agencies, childcare providers, foster care families, and state licensing officials by adjusting regulatory frameworks for child welfare services.
This bill modifies how Minnesota acquires state lands and adjusts certain state park boundaries. It establishes new procedures for purchasing land and easements, including specific payment formulas for stream easements based on agricultural and forest market values, and allows the commissioner to acquire access easements to native prairie at up to 50% of the standard payment rate. The legislation also adds specific parcels to Frontenac and Great River Bluffs State Parks while removing a portion of land from Mille Lacs Kathio State Park. These changes affect the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and landowners whose properties may be acquired or whose land boundaries will change.
