Rep. Sandra Feist

Maddy summaryHF 133 appropriates $5 million for fiscal year 2026 and $5 million for fiscal year 2027 from the general fund to provide supplemental security grants to nonprofit organizations. It directly affects nonprofits that have already received federal approval through the Emergency Management Agency's nonprofit security grant program, allowing them to receive up to $75,000 total from both federal and state programs combined. The bill streamlines access by using existing federal applications as valid state applications, with grants awarded in the same order as federal funding decisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes new regulations for landlords in Minnesota who use shared meters to bill tenants for electricity and natural gas in residential buildings. It requires that all submeters installed on or after January 1, 2025, meet specific accuracy standards set by the American National Standards Institute. The law also mandates that landlords must investigate tenant complaints about inaccurate meters and refund any overcharges, while allowing landlords to collect undercharges only for the previous six months. Additionally, the bill prohibits landlords from charging tenants for the costs of installing, maintaining, or repairing these meters unless the damage was caused by the tenant's willful or negligent actions.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes new rules for ticket sales in Minnesota to increase transparency and prevent deceptive practices. It requires ticket sellers and online marketplaces to clearly display the total price, including all fees, and to provide buyers with proof of purchase and refund policies within 24 hours. The legislation also prohibits specific behaviors such as selling duplicate tickets, using unauthorized domain names, or bypassing online security measures to buy multiple tickets. The commissioner of commerce is given the authority to request data on how violations occur and to enforce these rules, with the law taking effect on January 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Minnesota Cooperative Housing Act to create a specific legal framework for housing cooperatives serving seniors, low and moderate-income individuals, and designated members. It provides clear definitions for cooperative structures and outlines operational rules, including how membership interests are treated and how conflicts with existing landlord-tenant laws are resolved. The legislation also introduces modern voting methods, such as electronic or telephonic ballots, to facilitate member participation in cooperative governance. By codifying these provisions into a new chapter of state law, the bill aims to streamline the organization and management of these housing entities while ensuring they operate within established legal boundaries.

Maddy summaryThis bill prevents the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission from issuing permits to build pipelines designed to transport carbon dioxide. It directly affects energy companies and regulators by legally barring the approval of any new carbon dioxide pipeline routes in the state. The law takes effect immediately upon final passage, ensuring that no such permits can be granted under the current statute.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows local jurisdictions in Minnesota to choose ranked choice voting for their local elections, where voters rank candidates in order of preference rather than selecting just one. It establishes specific rules for how these elections would be conducted, including procedures for counting votes and handling ballots where a candidate is eliminated based on the rankings. The legislation also permits local areas to use electronic voting machines that can automatically reallocate votes to remaining candidates after an initial winner is determined. However, the bill did not pass during the 2024 legislative session and therefore will not become law.

Maddy summaryThis law establishes a new account to manage funds related to a 2024 settlement regarding the state's retention of tax-forfeited lands and mineral rights. Counties that choose to participate must sell properties forfeited between 2012 and 2023 at auction or through brokers for at least their appraised value, keeping only a portion of the proceeds while sending the rest to the state. Counties that do not actively opt out by August 2024 are automatically considered participants, whereas those that remain non-participating retain full financial liability for claims related to properties forfeited before 2024. The bill also allocates $109 million to pay claims administrators and requires participating counties to submit regular reports on their sales efforts and results.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Minnesota's rules for licensing doctors who graduated from medical schools outside the United States. It requires these applicants to prove their school is equivalent to U.S. or Canadian institutions, pass specific medical exams, and demonstrate proficiency in English. A key provision creates a new "limited license" for foreign-trained physicians who have at least five years of work experience abroad and are willing to practice in rural or underserved urban areas. This limited license waives the usual one-year clinical training requirement and mandates that employers pay these doctors a salary comparable to a medical resident.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes minimum pay standards for teachers and certain unlicensed school staff in Minnesota, setting a salary floor of $60,000 for most full-time teachers and $80,000 for those with a master's degree and over a decade of experience. It also mandates that covered unlicensed staff members, such as paraprofessionals and aides, earn at least $25 per hour, with all these rates scheduled to be adjusted every four years based on inflation. To help school districts meet these new financial obligations, the legislation creates state aid programs that cover the cost of raising teacher salaries and unlicensed staff wages from their 2024 levels to the new minimums. The law applies to public school districts, charter schools, and other educational entities, while explicitly stating that these minimums do not interfere with existing collective bargaining agreements.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Minnesota laws to protect the privacy of judges and other judicial officials by classifying their personal information as private data. It specifically safeguards details such as residential addresses, contact information, and the names of their children or the schools they attend from being posted online by businesses, government entities, or individuals. While the law generally prohibits making this information available on the internet, it includes exceptions for news reporting, information voluntarily shared by the officials themselves, or data requested by the officials. Additionally, the legislation establishes a process allowing judicial officials to request the removal of their personal information if it has already been posted online.