Rep. Kim Hicks

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a special election process for the Rochester Independent School District No. 535 school board, requiring elections to follow Minnesota Statutes chapter 205A. The legislation allows the district to choose between electing board members at large or dividing the district into separate election districts, with specific ballot formatting rules to prevent incumbent bias. The bill also clarifies how board members take office and handles transitions between different election systems, while designating the law as a special provision that applies only to this specific school district.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits employers in Minnesota from requiring a valid driver's license as a condition for getting or keeping a job. It allows employers to ask for a driver's license only if driving is essential to the job or serves a legitimate business purpose, and it permits employees to use other forms of identification that meet federal standards instead. The law also clarifies that employers can still accept a driver's license if one is voluntarily offered, but doing so cannot be used as proof of discrimination. These changes would take effect on January 1, 2027, and apply to employers, employment agencies, and labor organizations.

Maddy summaryHF 3780 clarifies rules for "shared services," where one support worker provides care to two or three eligible individuals (like seniors or people with disabilities) simultaneously in the same setting. It requires detailed daily documentation of services, including specific time tracking and recipient signatures, and mandates that workers receive training for each recipient they serve. The bill also requires wage increases for support workers providing these shared services and redefines key terms to ensure clarity in program implementation. This directly affects personal care support workers, their employers, and the individuals receiving community-based care services under Minnesota’s medical assistance program.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands paid blood donation leave eligibility to include employees of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, who were previously excluded from the state's existing blood donation leave policy. Under the new provision, these employees can take up to three hours of paid leave per 12-month period to donate blood at a location away from their workplace, provided they give 14 days' notice to their employer. The leave cannot reduce vacation time, pension benefits, sick leave, seniority, or other earned benefits, ensuring that taking time to donate blood does not negatively impact employees' compensation or employment status.

Maddy summaryThis bill adjusts Minnesota's rest and meal break requirements for specific work situations where taking breaks could compromise safety or care. It exempts certain employees from standard break rules when they are the sole worker providing life-sustaining services, caring for vulnerable adults, or responding to emergencies. Despite these exemptions, the law requires that exempted workers still be allowed time to use the restroom and eat meals while working. The changes directly affect employers and employees in healthcare, emergency services, and other critical care roles who may currently face challenges with break scheduling.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands the investigative authority of Minnesota's Office of the Foster Youth Ombudsperson to better protect children in foster care. It grants the ombudsperson the power to enter and inspect any facility where a foster youth lives, including detention centers and treatment facilities, without prior notice. The office will also gain direct access to social services and medical records, the ability to subpoena witnesses and documents, and the authority to receive complaints from any source regarding a child's safety or welfare. Additionally, the law requires placement managers and caregivers to immediately forward any communications from foster youth to the ombudsperson without opening them first.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment to allow Minnesota to use state debt for purchasing, installing, maintaining, and upgrading digital infrastructure used by government agencies and courts. The change would add a new provision to the state constitution permitting the state to borrow money for hardware and software systems owned or used by state officials, executive agencies, the legislature, and state courts. If passed, the amendment would be voted on by Minnesota residents at the 2026 general election and would require a two-thirds legislative vote to authorize the debt. The measure focuses specifically on expanding the state's borrowing authority to cover modern technology needs rather than traditional infrastructure projects.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides state funding to Rochester Public Schools to support a school-based mental health program. The money will be used to continue activities originally funded by a federal grant that was later canceled, allowing the district to maintain mental health services for students. Up to two percent of the funds can be used for administrative costs, and the money is available for one-time use until June 30, 2029. The legislation directly affects the Rochester Independent School District No. 535 and its students by ensuring continued access to mental health resources.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's human services background study requirements and updates the definition of serious maltreatment for vulnerable adults and children. It requires law enforcement to obtain written authorization every 90 days to delay background check notifications when an ongoing criminal investigation is at risk. The legislation also expands the definition of serious maltreatment to include financial exploitation of vulnerable adults involving $1,000 or more and clarifies what types of injuries qualify as serious. Additionally, the bill mandates background checks for all adults working in children's residential facilities and foster residence settings, regardless of whether they have direct contact with residents. These changes primarily affect human service providers, licensing agencies, and law enforcement officials who conduct background investigations.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Minnesota's human services licensing and background check rules to strengthen program integrity and clarify how providers are defined and regulated. It directly affects individuals and organizations that provide services to state-funded programs, such as childcare, foster care, and social services. Key changes include expanding the definition of "convicted" to include diversion programs and guilty pleas, clarifying what constitutes a credible fraud allegation, and allowing the state to withhold payments from providers involved in fraud, theft, or license suspensions. The bill also adds a provision permitting law enforcement to delay notifying customers about criminal investigations when doing so could compromise the investigation, with renewals required every 90 days. These updates aim to create clearer standards for licensing decisions and ensure funds are not paid to entities with proven or suspected fraudulent activities.