Rep. Shane Mekeland

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies how Minnesota calculates financial aid given to local governments when coal, nuclear, or natural gas power plants are retired or switch fuel sources. It directly affects counties, cities, towns, and school districts that currently receive this transition assistance. The law updates the rules for determining which areas qualify for aid and changes the formula used to calculate the payment amount, including new requirements for utilities to notify the state before retiring a plant. Additionally, the bill adjusts the timeline for when aid payments begin and sets specific conditions under which a local government might stop receiving funds if its overall tax capacity grows significantly.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires nonemergency medical transportation providers in Minnesota to equip their vehicles with global positioning systems and rear-facing cameras, while also mandating that they compile trip information and keep recordings for two years. The law applies to private and public transportation companies that carry Minnesota health care program beneficiaries to medical appointments, but exempts public transit systems, volunteer drivers, and not-for-hire vehicles. Providers must also comply with existing wheelchair securement standards and background check requirements for their drivers, with the commissioner of transportation responsible for enforcing these safety and operational rules. The bill amends current statutes to establish these new technical and data retention standards for vehicles used in medical transportation services.

Maddy summaryHF 3809 modifies Minnesota's expedited eviction process for specific situations, directly affecting residential tenants and landlords in cases involving safety threats or property damage. The bill requires landlords to file an affidavit with specific facts proving why an expedited hearing is needed (e.g., tenant endangering others or damaging property), sets strict hearing timelines (5-7 days after summons), and imposes a $500 civil penalty for misuse of the process. It also restricts courts from combining expedited hearings with other claims like nonpayment of rent. This bill applies only to the specified emergency eviction scenarios, not standard eviction cases.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a one-time property tax refund program for Minnesota property owners who paid eligible taxes in 2026, affecting residential, agricultural, and commercial property classifications. The program allocates $4 billion from the state general fund to provide refunds based on a percentage calculated by the Department of Revenue, with applications accepted between July 15 and September 15, 2026. Any unclaimed refund amounts will automatically be converted into property tax credits for 2027 on the properties where no refund was requested. The legislation defines specific property categories eligible for the refund and sets clear deadlines for application processing and payment distribution.

Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies what actions by public officers and employees in Minnesota count as misconduct, specifically including knowingly providing false information to the legislative auditor and failing to perform mandatory duties. It increases penalties for repeat offenders, raising the maximum prison sentence to three years or fines up to $5,000 for a second or subsequent violation. The legislation also extends the statute of limitations for prosecuting public misconduct and removes the offense from eligibility for automatic expungement, meaning convictions cannot be automatically sealed from public records. These changes take effect on August 1, 2026, and apply to crimes committed on or after that date.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as Harvey's Law, requires licensed child care centers in Minnesota to install video security cameras in public and shared areas under specific conditions. Centers must have cameras if they are required to post a maltreatment investigation memorandum, with compliance needed within six months and maintained for four years. Additionally, starting in 2027, centers receiving certain state child care funding must also install and maintain these cameras. The law applies to facilities with public access areas and aims to enhance safety oversight through video monitoring requirements.

Maddy summaryHF 3687 modifies Minnesota's medical assistance and MinnesotaCare coverage for chiropractic services. The bill removes the previous age restriction (limiting coverage to those under 21) and establishes new rules: chiropractic care for spinal pain, chronic conditions, and related services is covered for all ages, but limited to 24 visits per year without prior authorization. It also restricts x-ray coverage to specific spine examinations necessary for diagnosing subluxation. This affects all MinnesotaCare and medical assistance recipients seeking chiropractic care, changing coverage from age-limited to broadly applicable with visit and x-ray restrictions. The changes take effect January 1, 2027, or after federal approval.

Maddy summaryHF 2614 prohibits Minnesota counties and municipalities from requiring or incentivizing homeowners to join a homeowners association (HOA) as a condition for residential permits or development approvals. It also bans local governments from forcing HOAs to include terms in their governing documents (like declarations or bylaws) that aren't required by state law. The bill amends state statutes to specifically block counties from conditioning permits on HOA creation or requiring HOA-related features, and extends similar restrictions to municipalities for residential development permits. This directly affects homeowners in new residential developments and HOAs by limiting local government control over HOA formation and internal rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates one-time funding from Minnesota's renewable development account to support Liberty Diversified International in planning and constructing an anaerobic digester or biomass thermal generation facility in Becker. The facility would use organic waste to produce renewable natural gas, biochar for soil use, or commercial heat and industrial process energy. The funds are designated specifically for this project and are to be managed by the commissioner of commerce.

Maddy summaryHF 2817 amends Minnesota law to extend service line of duty death benefits to part-time, paid on-call, and volunteer firefighters. The bill updates the definition of "public safety officer" to include these firefighters when performing specific duties like firefighting, emergency medical services, or hazardous material response. This change ensures that the families of these firefighters who die while on duty receive the same death benefits previously available only to full-time firefighters. The policy applies to firefighters working for local government fire departments or independent nonprofit firefighting organizations.