Rep. Patty Mueller

Maddy summaryHF 64 establishes the Office of Achievement and Innovation within Minnesota's Department of Education to help school districts and charter schools research and adopt innovative teaching practices focused on literacy, math, science, and career readiness. The office will maintain a central resource for educational strategies and vet nonprofit organizations that support student achievement, requiring nonprofits to submit financial records, program history, and legal compliance documentation. It modifies the state budget to allocate $2 million annually for the new office's staffing, separate from other equity, diversity, and inclusion funding. The office provides advisory support only - its guidance is not binding on schools.

Maddy summaryHF 65 repeals the state's authority to adopt statewide health education standards for Minnesota public schools and cancels related funding. This bill directly affects public schools, as it removes the requirement for them to implement new statewide health standards (previously planned for implementation), allowing them to continue using locally developed health curricula instead. Key provisions include amending education statutes to clarify that "locally developed academic standards in health apply" without needing state adoption. The bill does not change standards for other subjects like math, science, or language arts, which remain subject to statewide requirements. The effective date for these changes is July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHF 1178 appropriates $20 million from state bonds to fund the initial phase of the University of Minnesota's FAARM program in Mower County. The funds cover land acquisition, site preparation, design, and preconstruction for new education, research, animal housing, and support facilities. The University of Minnesota must cover the remaining one-third of project costs, while the state issues bonds to pay for the state share. This bill directly affects the University of Minnesota's agricultural research operations and Mower County residents where the facilities will be built.

Maddy summaryHF 260 extends an exemption for small employers from Minnesota's Paid Leave Law until January 1, 2028. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes to exempt employers with 20 or fewer employees (as calculated under section 268B.14, subdivision 5b) from the law's requirements. This means small businesses in Minnesota will not need to provide paid leave to employees until 2028, while larger employers must comply earlier. The exemption expires on January 1, 2028, after which all employers must adhere to the full Paid Leave Law.

Maddy summaryHF 303 allows transit operators (like public bus companies) to create third-party testing programs for their own and other transit operators' bus drivers. The bill amends Minnesota law to let transit operators form agreements with other transit operators to conduct driver testing, with the testing entity being reimbursed by the employer. Key provisions require these agreements to be approved by the commissioner and mandate that certified testers must be employed by the transit operator providing the service. This directly affects transit operators and their drivers by creating a formal mechanism for shared driver testing services. The bill does not change testing requirements but establishes a framework for how testing can be outsourced between transit entities.

Maddy summaryHF 426 provides $1 million in state funding for clean water infrastructure in Waseca, specifically for a new water tower project. The bill appropriates money from state bond proceeds to the city of Waseca for acquiring land, permanent easements, and designing the water tower, with no requirement for local matching funds. The state will issue bonds up to $1 million to cover this cost, following Minnesota's bond laws. This directly affects the city of Waseca by enabling a key water infrastructure upgrade. The funding is effective upon final enactment.

Maddy summaryHF 425 appropriates $8.9 million from state bond proceeds to fund sanitary sewer improvements in Waseca, Minnesota. The city of Waseca will receive a grant to design, construct, and engineer upgrades to its sewer system, including reducing inflow/infiltration, increasing capacity, and reconstructing the Nelson Lift Station. The funds also cover related street, roadway, and sidewalk reconstruction within project areas, with no requirement for local matching funds. The state will issue bonds up to $8.9 million to finance this appropriation, as authorized under Minnesota bonding laws. This bill directly affects Waseca's infrastructure projects and public health systems.

Maddy summaryHF 629 appropriates $3,909,000 from state bond proceeds to fund contamination remediation in Blooming Prairie. The funds will support the city's cleanup of soil and groundwater contamination along Trunk Highway 218, including removal of contaminated soil and rehabilitation of wastewater, drinking water, and utility infrastructure. The bill authorizes the state to issue bonds up to this amount to cover the appropriation, following Minnesota's bond procedures. This directly affects Blooming Prairie residents and infrastructure by addressing environmental contamination in a specific corridor.

Maddy summaryHF 516 modifies Minnesota's teacher shortage reporting requirements and mandates a new annual report on teacher supply and demand. It updates the definition of "shortage area" to include regions where teacher diversity doesn't match student diversity, and requires the Professional Educator Licensing Board to submit detailed reports starting November 2025. These reports must include data on teacher retirement, licensure, diversity, specific shortage areas (like special education and STEM fields), and school districts' hiring progress. The bill directly affects school districts, the licensing board, and state education committees by requiring standardized, field-specific data collection. The first report must include field-specific teacher openings and hiring data by February 2026.

Maddy summaryHF 56 creates a new "safe schools aid" program to fund school safety initiatives in Minnesota, replacing the previous "student support personnel aid" program. It provides funding calculated as either $40,000 per school district or the safe schools allowance ($48.73 per adjusted pupil unit) multiplied by enrollment, with smaller amounts for charter schools and cooperatives. The funds must be used for specific safety purposes like hiring school safety personnel, drug prevention programs, security upgrades, mental health support, and cybersecurity measures, as outlined in the bill. The program becomes effective for fiscal year 2026, with appropriations starting in 2026, and repeals the prior section 124D.901.