Rep. Sandra Feist

Maddy summaryHF 2216 protects residents of Minnesota assisted living facilities by prohibiting facilities from requiring a legal guardian as a condition for admission or continued residence. It requires facilities to get commissioner approval before raising fees by more than the Consumer Price Index, demanding detailed financial documentation including operational costs, balance sheets, and comparisons to similar facilities. The bill also prevents facilities from terminating or not renewing contracts based on certain grounds and updates arbitration rules for contract disputes. These changes directly affect assisted living facilities and their residents by increasing oversight of fees and residency terms.

Maddy summaryHF 1795 appropriates state funds for Minnesota's farm-to-school and early childhood care programs, directly supporting schools and child care providers serving children. The bill allocates specific funding for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to purchase Minnesota-grown fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, grain, and dairy for these settings, including reimbursements for equipment and food purchases. It also sets aside $150,000 annually for a statewide coordinator to assist farmers and institutions, and allows limited state funding (up to 7.5% of federal funds) to support federal program administration. Eligible entities must participate in federal nutrition programs like the National School Lunch Program.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to create specialized training for peace officers investigating sexual assaults, focusing on victim-centered, trauma-informed approaches. It mandates that all law enforcement agencies establish written policies for handling sexual assault reports and that officers complete specific training courses within one year of assignment and periodically thereafter. The legislation also directs the Bureau to conduct an evaluation of the training programs to assess their effectiveness in improving case outcomes and identifies key partners who will help develop and review the curriculum. Additionally, the bill appropriates funds to support these training initiatives and policy requirements.

Maddy summaryHF 3483 modifies Minnesota's trespass law to require law enforcement to obtain a warrant signed by a judicial officer before entering property for civil immigration enforcement. It also prohibits local law enforcement from detaining individuals solely based on federal civil immigration detainers. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes § 609.605 to add a specific provision (subdivision 1, clause (6)) requiring a warrant with probable cause for immigration-related trespass entries. This directly affects local police and sheriff's departments by restricting their ability to act on federal immigration requests without judicial oversight. The law applies to all trespass offenses involving immigration enforcement activities on private property.

Maddy summaryHF 974, the Equal Access to Broadband Act, updates Minnesota's broadband laws by defining key terms like "broadband" (meeting FCC standards for high-speed internet), "underserved areas" (lacking 100/20 Mbps wired service), and "broadband infrastructure." The bill requires broadband providers to coordinate with local governments when placing infrastructure in public rights-of-way, including notifying them before installation to minimize future disruptions. It preserves local governments' authority to require franchises from broadband providers, while excluding electric cooperatives and satellite-only providers from these requirements.

Maddy summaryHF 3000 creates a new exoneration compensation account in Minnesota's special revenue fund to provide preliminary monetary damages to certain exonerated individuals. It authorizes $5,000 per year of incarceration (or $2,500 per year of supervised release) to people who were wrongfully convicted and whose prosecutors agreed before the exoneration petition that the case likely shouldn't have been filed. The bill appropriates $250,000 from the general fund to the account in fiscal year 2026, with additional funds replenishing the account after payments are made. These preliminary payments reduce the final compensation amount awarded under existing exoneration laws.

Maddy summaryHF 1944 amends Minnesota law to require all state agencies, counties, cities, and towns to use federal standard time (not daylight saving time) year-round starting in 2025. It changes how time is referenced in state law to align with federal standards, meaning state government operations and references to time must follow federal rules. The bill automatically expires if federal law ever permits states to adopt year-round "advanced standard time." It directly affects all Minnesota local and state government entities that reference time in their operations or laws.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies the definition of "teacher" for two Minnesota retirement systems to exclude certain individuals, including those working on J-1 visas and some university employees. It directly affects teachers and education staff in public schools, charter schools, and state colleges who currently or may soon be covered by these retirement plans. The key provision requires the retirement associations to refund employee contributions made by teachers employed on May 31, 2026, who would have been ineligible under the new definitions, with interest paid by July 31, 2026. This change clarifies eligibility criteria and ensures non-eligible workers do not contribute to the retirement funds.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a one-time $300,000 grant program in fiscal year 2027 to help children in foster care who are noncitizen immigrants obtain legal documentation. The funding will support partnerships between social services agencies and qualified nonprofit organizations to identify children lacking birth certificates or Social Security cards and assist them in gaining permanent legal status. To receive funds, applicants must demonstrate a collaboration between a social services agency and a nonprofit with specific expertise in immigration relief, legal representation, and serving diverse communities. The bill also includes confidentiality protections for the private data of children receiving services under the program.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new grant program to provide social services and mental health support to victims of Operation Metro Surge, a federal immigration enforcement operation. The program will fund organizations that help affected individuals with basic needs like housing, food, and employment assistance, as well as mental health care. Eligible applicants include nonprofits, government agencies, tribal nations, and legal service providers, with priority given to areas most impacted by the operation. The bill appropriates unspecified funding from the state's general fund for one-time use through June 2029, requiring grantees to report on program participation and outcomes.