Rep. Peggy Bennett

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 1 establishes a centralized Office of Inspector General (OIG) for Minnesota state government, replacing existing agency-specific inspector general offices. The OIG will oversee state spending, require agencies to halt payments when fraud is suspected, and mandate a fraud reporting hotline for employees and contractors. It directly affects all state agencies and recipients of state funds (such as contractors and organizations administering state programs) by requiring them to report suspected fraud and prohibiting retaliation against whistleblowers. The bill also specifies the OIG must coordinate with the legislative auditor and amends statutes related to fraud detection, waste prevention, and oversight.

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.

Maddy summaryHF 3491 authorizes Minnesota to participate in a federal tax credit program that allows scholarship-granting organizations (SGOs) to provide scholarships to students. These SGOs must be tax-exempt nonprofits that spend at least 90% of funds on scholarships, verify household income, prioritize returning students and siblings, and avoid earmarking funds for specific students. The bill requires SGOs to annually report compliance to the Minnesota Department of Education, which must then post a list of qualified organizations online. The law explicitly states it does not grant schools or districts additional control over nonpublic schools or students.

Maddy summaryHF 3529 increases safe schools funding for Minnesota school districts and expands eligibility to charter schools, cooperative school units, nonpublic schools, and Tribal contract schools. For school districts, starting in fiscal year 2026, safe schools revenue will be the greater of $32,000 or $44 multiplied by the district's adjusted pupil count. Charter schools, nonpublic schools, and Tribal contract schools will receive aid calculated as $44 multiplied by their student enrollment or pupil units, as reported to the state. Funds must be used exclusively for school safety measures, including security, drug prevention programs, and student safety initiatives.

Maddy summaryHF 3380 requires longer prison sentences for violent offenders who used firearms in their current crime and at least two prior violent crimes. It mandates that judges impose the maximum possible sentence for these offenders (instead of standard sentencing guidelines) and eliminates parole eligibility for them. The bill also requires that sentences for these offenders be served consecutively to any prior prison terms. This affects repeat violent offenders with firearm involvement, directly changing their sentencing outcomes under Minnesota Statutes § 609.1095.

Maddy summaryHF 1435 modifies Minnesota's education innovation framework by updating requirements for school districts offering experiential learning programs and P-TECH schools. It requires districts to publicly adopt and regularly review plans for innovation programs (like work-based learning or project-based schools), including student outcome assessments. The bill also revises the P-TECH school approval process to mandate specific application details, such as written agreements with colleges/businesses, economic development alignment, and budget plans. These changes affect Minnesota school districts seeking to implement innovation programs or P-TECH schools, focusing on transparency and program structure. The bill recodifies related education innovation statutes without altering core program eligibility.

Maddy summaryHF 1157 clarifies that direct primary care service agreements - where patients pay a flat fee directly to a primary care provider instead of using insurance - are not considered health insurance. This means primary care providers operating under such agreements (like doctors charging monthly fees for services) do not need insurance licenses or comply with insurance regulations. The bill directly affects primary care providers who use this model and their patients who choose direct payment over insurance. It removes these arrangements from Minnesota's insurance oversight, defining terms like "direct fee" and "direct patient" to ensure clarity. The law amends Minnesota Statutes to explicitly exclude these agreements from insurance rules.

Maddy summaryHF 29 suspends the scheduled 2030-2031 review of Minnesota's social studies academic standards and repeals requirements for schools to include ethnic studies content in their curriculum. It also cancels funding allocated for ethnic studies programs. The bill modifies existing education statutes by removing mandates for schools to integrate ethnic studies or Indigenous education into social studies standards, effectively eliminating these curriculum components. This directly affects Minnesota public schools and students by removing specific educational content requirements and associated funding. The changes take effect upon final enactment.

Maddy summaryHF 15, the "Safe Haven In Every Local District (SHIELD) Act," requires all Minnesota public school districts and charter schools to include specific student and staff safety measures in their long-term facility plans by August 2025. The bill creates new grants to fund comprehensive security systems, including features like bullet-resistant doors, emergency alert systems, and staff training, with priority given to schools serving the most students. School districts must apply for these grants through the Minnesota School Safety Center, which will rank applicants and provide lists of approved vendors. The law appropriates funds from the general fund for fiscal year 2026 to support these security upgrades and plan updates.