Rep. Bidal Duran

Maddy summaryThis bill increases funding for peace officer training reimbursements in Minnesota, directing $2.949 million in the first year and $6.042 million in the second year to local governments for training costs. It establishes a $4.942 million annual Philando Castile Memorial Training Fund specifically for law enforcement training courses focused on use of force, crisis response, conflict management, cultural diversity, and autism training. The bill requires training sponsors to submit detailed course outlines, instructor qualifications, and learning assessments to the Peace Officer Standards and Training Board, with ongoing reviews to ensure courses meet approved learning outcomes. Additionally, it raises the base funding for reimbursing other board-approved training courses from $878,000 to $3.878 million starting in fiscal year 2028.

Maddy summaryHF 12 restricts participation on female-designated sports teams in Minnesota K-12 schools to students identified as female at birth, based on specific medical criteria. It requires students in disputes about sex to provide a physician's statement confirming their sex using three factors: reproductive anatomy, natural testosterone levels, and chromosome analysis. The bill directly affects public and private schools offering girls' sports teams and students seeking to join them. It amends Minnesota education law to take effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHF 2136 appropriates $250,000 for fiscal year 2026 and $250,000 for fiscal year 2027 from the general fund to provide grants for forensic interview training scholarships. The funds will support nationally recognized organizations that offer scholarships to law enforcement, child protection workers, prosecutors, health professionals treating child maltreatment cases, and forensic interviewers at children's advocacy centers. These scholarships cover basic, advanced, and specialized forensic interview training. The bill directly affects Minnesota professionals working with child abuse cases by expanding access to specialized training through state-funded scholarships.

Maddy summaryHF 1434 requires commercial websites sharing material harmful to minors (defined as content with sexual depictions lacking artistic value for minors) to verify users are 18+ if 25% or more of the site’s pages contain such material. It mandates age verification using approved methods like commercial databases, prohibits retaining user identifying information, and creates a private right of action for parents to sue violators. The Minnesota Attorney General can enforce the law through civil actions, and commercial entities face $25,000 penalties per violation. This bill directly affects websites meeting the 25% harmful content threshold and targets operators of commercial platforms accessible to Minnesota residents.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires drivers to stop at least 20 feet away from a school bus displaying flashing red lights while children are boarding or exiting. It directly affects all drivers approaching school buses on Minnesota roads, mandating they remain stopped until the red lights cease flashing. The bill also adds a new provision warning drivers that amber lights indicate red lights will soon activate, requiring them to prepare to stop. These changes aim to improve safety for children near school bus stops. The bill is currently pending passage after committee approval.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would exempt Minnesota local governments and school districts from complying with state mandates unless the state provides funding to cover the costs of compliance. The bill defines a state mandate as any requirement that affects daily operations, changes resource allocation, or alters spending priorities for these entities. If passed, it would allow local governments to formally refuse compliance through a resolution if they believe funding is insufficient, while also creating a process for agencies to contest these decisions through hearings. The amendment would be submitted to voters at the 2026 general election and would take effect on January 1, 2027, if approved.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases criminal penalties for unlawful possession of firearms in Minnesota, directly affecting individuals who have prior violent crime convictions or are otherwise prohibited from owning guns. It raises the maximum prison sentence for those with violent crime convictions who possess firearms from 15 to 20 years and increases fines up to $30,000. The legislation also elevates penalties for prohibited persons possessing certain weapons from gross misdemeanors to felonies with up to 15 years in prison, and extends sentencing enhancements for offenses committed in sensitive locations like schools and parks. Additionally, it increases penalties for illegally transferring firearms to prohibited individuals, raising the maximum sentence from two to four years for private transfers and from five to eight years for transfers resulting in subsequent violent crimes. All changes take effect on August 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Minnesota commissioner to create rules mandating that schools implement comprehensive, multilayered security systems to protect students from armed attacks. The law directs that specific security measures be finalized through a rulemaking process and may include bullet-resistant doors and windows, ballistic wall panels, remote lock-down systems, unified emergency communication networks, and access control systems for first responders. Schools would also need classroom duress alarms, staff training on emergency protocols, and secure electronic access controls for building entrances and distribution rooms. The bill directly affects school districts and the Minnesota commissioner responsible for state fire code regulations.

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.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides a specific calculation adjustment for base year formula aid to the city of Northern in Minnesota. It sets the 2026 aid amount used for 2027 funding calculations at $116.91 multiplied by the city's 2024 population. The measure directly affects the city of Northern by determining how much state aid it will receive in 2027. This is a procedural financial adjustment that does not change the overall state aid formula but establishes a fixed value for one municipality's calculation.