Rep. Sandra Feist

Maddy summaryHF 1585 allocates $150,000 for fiscal year 2026 and $150,000 for fiscal year 2027 from the arts and cultural heritage fund to provide a grant to Art From the Inside. The grant funds arts programs - including visual art, poetry, theater, dance, and music - to support incarcerated individuals and people on supervised release. These programs aim to address rehabilitation needs and promote safer correctional facilities and communities. The bill directly affects those in Minnesota correctional facilities and under community supervision through this specific funding mechanism.

Maddy summaryHF 134 appropriates $1 million for fiscal year 2026 and $1 million for fiscal year 2027 from the general fund to establish a violence prevention research center under the commissioner of public safety. The center must operate as a nonprofit, nonpartisan entity focused on reducing violence in Minnesota, with specific emphasis on gun violence. It will use data and analysis to improve criminal justice policies and practices in the state. The bill directly affects the commissioner of public safety (who administers the funds) and the research center itself.

Maddy summaryHF 773 prohibits health insurance companies in Minnesota from requiring cost-sharing (like copays or deductibles) for specific short office visits for infants, children, and adolescents. The bill applies when visits are under 15 minutes and focus on evidence-based preventive care aligned with federal Health Resources and Services Administration guidelines. It also requires insurers to allow providers to bill separately for preventive services delivered during these visits. This directly affects health insurers, pediatric providers, and families seeking routine preventive care for young patients. The law amends Minnesota Statutes section 62Q.46 to add these protections.

Maddy summaryHF 265, also known as "Brent's Law," requires Minnesota 911 call centers to identify mental health crisis calls and prioritize mental health crisis teams as primary responders when available. It mandates that 911 telecommunicators receive specific training or mental health staff screen calls to recognize crises, and establishes protocols for public safety answering points to comply. The bill also creates a civil lawsuit option for individuals or families harmed by violations, allowing claims for damages, attorney fees, and up to $15,000 in punitive damages for willful violations. This directly affects all Minnesota public safety answering points and the government entities operating them.

Maddy summaryHF 155 provides a refundable sales and use tax exemption for construction materials used in building a new city hall in Columbia Heights, Minnesota. It exempts materials purchased between September 1, 2021, and March 31, 2024, from state sales and use tax, with the tax collected first and then refunded. The refund process requires claims to be filed by December 31, 2025, and funds for refunds are appropriated from the state general fund. This bill directly affects Columbia Heights by reducing costs for its new city hall construction project.

Maddy summaryHF 1084 appropriates $1.65 million from state bonds to fund a pedestrian and bicycle trail segment in Arden Hills, Minnesota. The funds will cover property acquisition, easements, and construction of a trail along Old Highway 10 North from Lake Valentine Road to Lakeshore Place, connecting to an existing regional trail. The bill also includes money for a required boardwalk over a wetland area, as mandated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This project directly benefits Arden Hills residents and regional trail users by creating a new connected pathway for walking and biking.

Maddy summaryHF 203 appropriates $12 million from state bond proceeds to fund a new public works facility, expanded recycling area, access road, and related infrastructure improvements in Columbia Heights. The funds will cover predesign, construction, property acquisition, and demolition for the city's project. The state will issue up to $12 million in bonds under Minnesota law to provide this funding. This bill directly affects Columbia Heights by enabling specific infrastructure upgrades through state financial support.

Maddy summaryHF 359 creates a new "Minnesota Partition Act" (Chapter 558A) that will govern how shared property is divided starting August 1, 2025. It replaces older rules for partition actions, clarifies notice requirements for eminent domain proceedings (requiring a posted sign on property if service is by publication), and clarifies how transfer-on-death deeds apply. This bill directly affects property owners involved in disputes over shared ownership, such as co-owners of land or heirs with future claims. The key changes simplify the process for dividing property, require specific notice during eminent domain actions, and eliminate confusion about transfer-on-death deeds.

Maddy summaryHF 205 allocates $4.75 million from the state general fund to provide a one-time grant to the nonprofit organization People Serving People. The funding is specifically for renovating their homeless family shelter facility in Minneapolis, covering design, construction, furnishings, and equipment. This bill directly affects the shelter's residents (homeless families in Minneapolis) and the organization managing the facility. The appropriation is available until the project is completed or abandoned, effective upon final enactment.

Maddy summaryHF 501 proposes a constitutional amendment to guarantee equal rights under Minnesota law and prohibit state discrimination based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, or sex - including pregnancy decisions, gender identity, and sexual orientation. If approved by voters in 2026, it would add a new section to the Minnesota Constitution requiring state actions to use the least restrictive means to achieve compelling government interests. The amendment would directly apply to all Minnesotans and state agencies, ensuring equal protection in all state laws and programs. It requires voter approval at the 2026 general election, with the question asking whether the state constitution should include these equal rights protections.