Rep. Patty Acomb

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $28.18 million from Minnesota's Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund for grants to community organizations and local projects. The funds are specifically for the ENRTF Community Grant Program, which supports local environmental and natural resource initiatives. This one-time funding is available until June 30, 2028, for fiscal year 2026.

Maddy summaryHF 1678 expands access to essential community supports for older Minnesotans and people with dementia by lowering the age threshold from 65 to 60 and removing asset limits for eligibility. The bill increases annual funding for caregiver respite services grants by $2 million each year (fiscal years 2026-2027) and maintains a $400 monthly service cap. It directly affects individuals needing community-based care who don’t qualify for nursing facilities, allowing access to services like adult day care, homemaker support, and respite care. The changes require no asset assessment and mandate annual reassessment for continued eligibility.

Maddy summaryHF 2370 allows Minnesota state agencies to temporarily withhold payments to individuals or organizations (program participants) receiving state or federal funds if a credible fraud allegation is under investigation. Agencies must notify participants within five days of withholding, explain the action without revealing investigation details, and allow them to submit evidence. Withholding ends if fraud evidence is insufficient or after legal proceedings conclude, and case details become public afterward (except for the complainant's identity). This bill directly affects people and groups enrolled in state-funded programs like welfare, housing assistance, or Medicaid who are subjects of fraud investigations.

Maddy summaryHF 2506 establishes a new premium subsidy program administered by MNsure, providing a 20% subsidy on monthly gross premiums for eligible individuals purchasing individual health insurance plans in Minnesota. This directly affects Minnesota residents enrolled in individual market plans who are not receiving federal advance premium tax credits or public coverage, as well as health insurance carriers that receive payments from MNsure. The program begins January 1, 2026, with MNsure paying health carriers directly for each eligible individual's coverage, excluding the subsidy from eligibility calculations for other state programs. The bill also ends the existing Minnesota Premium Security Plan (MPS) after December 31, 2025, and appropriates funds to support the new subsidy program.

Maddy summaryHF 1485 requires Minnesota health insurers and medical assistance programs to cover over-the-counter (OTC) contraceptive drugs, devices, and products without cost-sharing (like co-pays or deductibles). It applies directly to health plans and enrollees, mandating coverage of all FDA-approved OTC contraceptives at the point of sale without prescription requirements or quantity limits. The bill also requires health plans to list covered contraceptive services accessibly and cover provider-recommended methods based on medical necessity. This law takes effect January 1, 2026, for health plans offered, issued, or renewed after that date.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands tax increment financing (TIF) revenue uses for Minnetonka, Richfield, and St. Louis Park. It allows these cities to redirect up to 15% more TIF revenue (previously limited to local projects) to transfer directly to local housing trust funds. Funds transferred must support rental housing for households at or below 80% of area median income or homeownership for households at or below 120% of area median income. The transferred funds no longer count as TIF revenue for annual reporting purposes under state law.

Maddy summaryHF 1065 extends timeframes for Minnetonka's Opus Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district. It extends the initial five-year period for using TIF funds to ten years and the period for using tax increments after that to eleven years, instead of the standard five and five years. The bill specifically applies to the Opus TIF district established in 2021 by Minnetonka's economic development authority and exempts it from certain standard TIF rules under Minnesota Statutes section 469.176, subdivision 4j. This change allows the district more time to use tax increment funds for its designated development projects.

Maddy summaryHF 2096 appropriates $641,000 from Minnesota's arts and cultural heritage fund for the city of Wayzata to renovate the historic Wayzata Section House. The funds will convert the building into a Lakeshore Learning Center, a facility focused on educational programming. The bill directly affects Wayzata (the city) and the historic property, providing specific funding for its renovation and repurposing. This is a funding measure with no policy changes beyond the allocation for this specific project.

Maddy summaryHF 2144 appropriates unspecified funds from the general fund for the Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program under Minnesota Statutes § 462A.204, for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The bill directly affects families in Minnesota at risk of homelessness by providing funding for prevention and assistance services. Key provisions include directing the Housing Finance Agency to administer the program using these allocated funds. This is a funding bill with no new policy requirements, solely authorizing budget resources for an existing state program.

Maddy summaryHF 1898 expands Minnesota's data privacy law to apply to all towns across the state, not just those in the metropolitan area. The bill amends the definition of "political subdivision" in Minnesota Statutes to explicitly include every town, regardless of location. This means all towns must now comply with the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act when handling personal data collected from residents. The key change is removing the existing geographic restriction that previously limited the law's application to certain towns. This policy update ensures consistent data privacy standards for all municipal governments in Minnesota.