Rep. Ron Kresha

Maddy summaryThis bill extends the expiration date of the food and beverage tax in the city of Little Falls, Minnesota, from its previous deadline to July 1, 2056. The change directly affects the city's ability to collect this tax and impacts local restaurants and businesses that currently pay the levy. The legislation amends existing state law to update the expiration timeline and includes an effective date provision tied to the city's compliance with specific administrative requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new program to provide mental health care services to Minnesota students through telehealth. It requires the state Department of Education to select a mental health care provider by January 1, 2027, to offer remote mental health services to students and their families across the state. The selected provider must use Minnesota-licensed clinicians, offer appointments within one week of referral, and serve students in rural, suburban, and urban areas. The bill also mandates annual reporting on student access, engagement rates, clinical outcomes, and costs, and appropriates $9 million from the general fund in 2027 to support these services.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's "Read Act" to require literacy instruction based on "science of reading" research, emphasizing evidence-based methods like phonics and decoding while explicitly excluding the three-cueing system. It establishes a new Office of Achievement and Innovation within the Department of Education to support literacy implementation and creates a statewide school performance reporting system. The bill also allows school boards to opt out of complying with certain recently enacted state education laws or rules and authorizes fund transfers for education programs through fiscal year 2029. These changes directly affect all Minnesota public school districts, educators, and students by reshaping literacy instruction requirements and school accountability systems.

Maddy summaryHF 2874 regulates "earned wage access services" in Minnesota, which allow workers to access a portion of their earned but unpaid wages before their regular pay date. The bill directly affects Minnesota residents who use these services and the companies (providers) offering them. Key requirements include: providers must clearly disclose all fees, offer a no-cost option for accessing wages, prohibit tying services to voluntary tips/donations, and allow consumers to cancel services without fees. The law excludes payroll services and employers who directly provide early wage access to their own employees. It aims to ensure transparency and prevent unfair practices in this growing financial service.

Maddy summaryHF 3674 repeals Minnesota Statutes section 8.33, which required the Attorney General to represent certain utility customers before the Public Utilities Commission and in federal proceedings. This procedural bill eliminates the state's obligation for the Attorney General to advocate on behalf of residential and small business utility consumers in these specific regulatory contexts. The repeal does not change substantive utility regulations or create new requirements. It is a straightforward statutory correction to remove an existing duty.

Maddy summaryHF 2016 modifies Minnesota's general education funding to include safe schools aid for charter schools. The bill adds $36 per adjusted pupil unit for charter schools, calculated annually, to be reserved exclusively for school safety purposes defined in state law (section 126C.44, subdivision 4). This funding is integrated into the existing general education revenue calculation for charter schools, which previously received funding as though they were school districts. The change directly affects all public charter schools operating in Minnesota by providing dedicated safety funding aligned with district-level practices. It does not alter overall funding formulas but specifies a new, targeted use for a portion of existing revenue.

Maddy summaryHF 3550 allows Minnesota school districts to develop their own health education standards instead of using statewide requirements. Currently, districts must follow state-mandated health standards, but this bill gives them the option to create local standards that meet their community's needs. When statewide health standards become available (expected after 2025), districts must choose between adopting the state standards or continuing with their locally developed ones. The bill becomes effective July 1, 2025, and applies to all public school districts in Minnesota.

Maddy summaryHF 3495 expands eligibility for school safety grants to include nonpublic schools and Tribal contract schools in Minnesota, previously only allowing public school districts and charter schools to apply. The bill appropriates $24.3 million for 2024 (with additional funds for 2026) to fund security-related facility improvements, cybersecurity insurance premiums, and associated costs for eligible schools. It amends existing law to explicitly include these school types in the grant program and allocates up to $100,000 for grant administration. This one-time appropriation is available until June 30, 2029.

Maddy summaryHF 3492 authorizes Minnesota's commissioner of education to award school safety facility grants of up to $500,000 per school for security improvements like updated entry systems or safety equipment. It directly affects public, charter, tribal, and nonpublic schools statewide, with at least half the grants prioritized for schools outside the seven-county metro area. The bill appropriates $25 million from the general fund for these grants and cancels $25 million previously allocated to the Northern Lights Express rail project to fund this initiative. Grants require applications detailing other funding sources and cannot be disbursed until construction bids are secured.

Maddy summaryHF 3494 creates a new "safe schools aid" program in Minnesota to fund school safety initiatives for public school districts, charter schools, and cooperative school units. It replaces the previous "student support personnel aid" with specific funding rates: $34.32 per pupil unit for districts (minimum $40,000), $1.60 per pupil unit for cooperative units (minimum $40,000), and $20,000 for charter schools. The funds must be used directly for school safety purposes, including hiring security personnel, implementing violence prevention programs, providing mental health support staff, enhancing facility security, and improving school climate. This aid applies to fiscal year 2027 and beyond, with all school entities required to use the funds for specified safety-related expenses.