Rep. Natalie Zeleznikar

Maddy summaryHF 3576 amends Minnesota law to allow school districts, school bus companies, and service cooperatives to become designated third-party programs that administer road tests for school bus drivers. It adds "third-party testing of school bus drivers" as a service cooperatives may provide under section 123A.21, and establishes rules for how these programs can operate, including agreements between entities to test drivers for other districts or companies. The bill requires agreements to be submitted to the commissioner for approval and allows reimbursement for testing services. This directly affects school bus drivers, school districts, school bus companies, and service cooperatives that provide driver testing services.

Maddy summaryHF 1 establishes a centralized Office of Inspector General (OIG) for Minnesota state government, replacing existing agency-specific inspector general offices. The OIG will oversee state spending, require agencies to halt payments when fraud is suspected, and mandate a fraud reporting hotline for employees and contractors. It directly affects all state agencies and recipients of state funds (such as contractors and organizations administering state programs) by requiring them to report suspected fraud and prohibiting retaliation against whistleblowers. The bill also specifies the OIG must coordinate with the legislative auditor and amends statutes related to fraud detection, waste prevention, and oversight.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides $4 million in state funding for Minnesota food shelf programs during fiscal years 2026 and 2027. It directs the state agency overseeing food shelves to use these funds to support community food banks that serve people facing food insecurity. The money comes from the state general fund and is added to existing base funding for these programs. This directly affects food shelves across Minnesota and the families and individuals they serve.

Maddy summaryHF 3492 authorizes Minnesota's commissioner of education to award school safety facility grants of up to $500,000 per school for security improvements like updated entry systems or safety equipment. It directly affects public, charter, tribal, and nonpublic schools statewide, with at least half the grants prioritized for schools outside the seven-county metro area. The bill appropriates $25 million from the general fund for these grants and cancels $25 million previously allocated to the Northern Lights Express rail project to fund this initiative. Grants require applications detailing other funding sources and cannot be disbursed until construction bids are secured.

Maddy summaryHF 3529 increases safe schools funding for Minnesota school districts and expands eligibility to charter schools, cooperative school units, nonpublic schools, and Tribal contract schools. For school districts, starting in fiscal year 2026, safe schools revenue will be the greater of $32,000 or $44 multiplied by the district's adjusted pupil count. Charter schools, nonpublic schools, and Tribal contract schools will receive aid calculated as $44 multiplied by their student enrollment or pupil units, as reported to the state. Funds must be used exclusively for school safety measures, including security, drug prevention programs, and student safety initiatives.

Maddy summaryHF 1157 clarifies that direct primary care service agreements - where patients pay a flat fee directly to a primary care provider instead of using insurance - are not considered health insurance. This means primary care providers operating under such agreements (like doctors charging monthly fees for services) do not need insurance licenses or comply with insurance regulations. The bill directly affects primary care providers who use this model and their patients who choose direct payment over insurance. It removes these arrangements from Minnesota's insurance oversight, defining terms like "direct fee" and "direct patient" to ensure clarity. The law amends Minnesota Statutes to explicitly exclude these agreements from insurance rules.

Maddy summaryHF 1066 increases annual funding for soil and water conservation districts in Minnesota. It amends state law to raise the annual appropriation from $15 million (for 2023-2024) to $20 million starting in 2025, paid from the general fund to the commissioner of revenue. This funding directly supports local soil and water conservation districts that provide technical assistance and cost-share programs for landowners. The bill takes effect for payments made in 2025 and subsequent years.

Maddy summaryHF 2617 modifies Minnesota's child care licensing system to improve clarity and support for providers. It requires the commissioner to create standardized inspection timelines and conduct rules for child care centers and family child care providers by January 2026, replacing mandatory technical assistance with a structured process for non-imminent violations. The bill also updates the definition of "education" to include relevant postsecondary coursework for staff qualifications and establishes a dedicated background study liaison to speed up processing for license holders. Additionally, it appropriates $50,000 for developing the standardized inspection system, directly affecting licensed child care providers and the Department of Children, Youth, and Families.

Maddy summaryHF 81 exempts off-highway vehicles, snowmobiles, and electric-assisted bicycles from Minnesota's PFAS (chemicals) restrictions that apply to juvenile products. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes § 116.943 by adding these vehicles to the list of items excluded from the definition of "juvenile product" (which otherwise covers items like cribs, strollers, and baby pillows). This means manufacturers of these vehicles are not subject to PFAS prohibitions that apply to other juvenile products. The change clarifies that PFAS rules for consumer goods do not extend to these specific recreational vehicles. The bill was referred to the Environment and Natural Resources Committee.

Maddy summaryHF 568 appropriates $6.5 million from state bonds to fund construction and renovation of education learning centers for two specific special education cooperatives in Minnesota: Northern Lights Special Education Cooperative No. 6096-52 and Area Special Education Cooperative No. 997. The funds will support centers housing regional programs for students with autism, cognitive disabilities, emotional/behavioral disorders, and other specific educational needs, including Level IV special education services. The money comes directly from state bond proceeds without requiring local matching funds. This bill provides concrete funding for physical infrastructure to expand specialized educational services for these student populations.