Rep. Natalie Zeleznikar

Maddy summaryHF 1913 creates a new limited medical license for graduates of foreign medical schools who meet specific criteria, including 60 months of practice outside the U.S. in the past decade, working in a collaborative agreement within a rural or underserved area, and providing evidence of a job offer. It requires employers of these limited license holders to carry medical malpractice insurance and pay at least the equivalent of a medical resident's salary, while prohibiting retaliation for reporting violations. Limited license holders must submit periodic certification to the medical board confirming their employment and good standing every six months. The bill also establishes a pathway to full licensure after two years of practice (1,692 hours annually), passing all USMLE/COMLEX-USA steps, and obtaining a recommendation letter.

Maddy summaryHF 51 authorizes Minnesota school districts to use state education funds for roof repairs and replacements costing $100,000 or more per site as part of the long-term facilities maintenance program. School districts must develop a ten-year facility plan that includes a roof maintenance schedule, health and safety measures (like indoor air quality management), and provisions for gender-neutral restrooms at each school. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes to explicitly include roof projects in eligible uses of the funding, effective for fiscal year 2027 and later. This legislation expands the types of maintenance projects that can be funded under the existing education finance program without changing the overall funding formula.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $20 million ($10 million for each of fiscal years 2026 and 2027) to create regional food bank grants. It directs the commissioner of Children, Youth, and Families to distribute funds to regional food banks and federally recognized Minnesota tribes to purchase, transport, and distribute food through federal programs, with optional use for hygiene products like diapers. Recipients must comply with federal food assistance guidelines and report spending to the commissioner. The program aims to increase food availability for individuals and families in need across Minnesota.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows public employees in Minnesota's police and fire retirement plan who are 55 years or older to receive their full retirement pay without reduction or suspension when they return to government employment. It amends retirement laws to require the retirement plan administrator to pay a normal retirement annuity without cutting it off due to reemployment, provided the retiree has reached age 55. The law also clarifies that continued employment does not change the annuity amount, and neither the member nor their employer must make additional retirement contributions. These changes take effect January 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHF 500 repeals Minnesota's Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board and related statutes (sections 181.211-181.217) that previously established requirements for nursing home staffing and worker protections. This bill directly affects nursing home employers in Minnesota by removing these specific regulatory standards. The key mechanism is the complete repeal of the board and its associated provisions, eliminating the legal framework that required nursing homes to comply with workforce standards and penalties for noncompliance.

Maddy summaryThis bill lowers the age threshold for early retirement reductions in Minnesota's Teachers Retirement Association from 62 to 60. It directly affects teachers who retire before normal retirement age but want to avoid reduced benefits. Specifically, members retiring before age 60 will now face the early retirement reduction, whereas previously the reduction applied only for retirement before age 62. The bill also clarifies procedures for delaying postretirement adjustments, though the exact mechanism isn't detailed in the provided text.

Maddy summaryHF 1883 establishes requirements for central service technicians working in Minnesota hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. It mandates that these technicians must either hold a nationally accredited credential (like a Certified Registered Central Service Technician) or have been employed before December 31, 2027. Facilities must ensure technicians complete 10 hours of annual continuing education related to their role, and technicians without credentials have 18 months from hire to obtain one. The bill directly affects healthcare facilities and their central service staff, while allowing health care practitioners and supervised students to perform these tasks under specific conditions.

Maddy summaryHF 788 establishes Minnesota's "Keep it Clean" program to prevent water pollution from garbage and human waste left on ice during winter activities. It adds a $10 surcharge to resident and non-resident licenses for fish houses, dark houses, and shelters, with these funds deposited into a dedicated "Keep it Clean account" in the game and fish fund. The program provides grants to local governments and nonprofits for specific pollution prevention efforts, including installing sanitary dumping stations, providing biowaste disposal services, increasing winter enforcement patrols, and running education campaigns. The bill also appropriates initial funding from the general fund and the Keep it Clean account for program administration and grants.

Maddy summaryHF 2057 requires hospitals participating in Minnesota's medical assistance program to pay an assessment based on their net inpatient and outpatient revenue (as reported in Medicare cost data). The funds collected must cover the nonfederal share of "directed payments" to these hospitals under the medical assistance program. The bill includes exemptions for critical access hospitals, children's hospitals, Indian Health Service facilities, and rural hospitals, plus a cap preventing any single hospital system from paying more than a specified percentage of total assessments. Assessments are due quarterly starting January 1, 2026, pending federal approval of the funding mechanism.

Maddy summaryHF 20 clarified which data maintained by Minnesota's Attorney General's Office must be treated as "private data" under state law. It specifically designated five categories as private: disciplinary records (excluding public hearings), non-final administrative communications, consumer complaint data (excluding confidential data), inactive investigative files, and detailed home protection hotline information (like mortgage details and income). This change directly affects the Attorney General's Office by requiring them to handle these specific data types with privacy protections. The bill was introduced in 2025 but was not passed by the legislature and was laid on the table.