Rep. Julie Greene

Maddy summaryHF 1534 transfers Minnesota's Healthy Eating, Here at Home program from the Minnesota Humanities Center to the Department of Health. It establishes the Fresh Bucks pilot program, allowing SNAP and Summer EBT recipients to get a dollar-for-dollar match on fresh produce purchases (up to $20 daily/$80 monthly) at participating grocery stores and retailers. Both programs target low-income households using federal nutrition benefits, with the Healthy Eating program providing $10 vouchers for farmers' market purchases and Fresh Bucks focusing on fresh produce. The bill requires annual reports from administering nonprofits and appropriates funding for both initiatives. It amends Minnesota Statutes to clarify program administration, definitions, and reporting requirements.

Maddy summaryHF 1845 expands Minnesota's definition of "veteran" to include two specific groups: (1) Hmong veterans naturalized under the federal Hmong Veterans' Naturalization Act of 2000, and (2) individuals who served honorably with secret guerrilla units or irregular forces operating from Laos in support of U.S. forces between February 28, 1961, and May 14, 1975. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes section 197.447 to add these categories to the existing definition, ensuring these veterans qualify for state benefits. It also creates an advisory task force of veterans, experts, and community members to help determine eligibility under the new definition. This change directly affects Hmong veterans and Laotian-based veterans who previously may not have met Minnesota's veteran criteria.

Maddy summaryHF 45 appropriates $1 million for fiscal year 2026 and $1 million for fiscal year 2027 from the general fund to support Minnesota's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Outreach Program. This funding directly assists the commissioner of children, youth, and families in operating outreach efforts to help eligible Minnesotans access food assistance benefits. The bill provides specific, dedicated funding for the program under Minnesota Statutes, section 142F.12, without changing eligibility rules or benefit amounts. It ensures consistent financial support for outreach services that connect residents to existing nutrition assistance programs.

Maddy summaryHF 1105 amends Minnesota law to require the state health commissioner to *conduct* maternal death studies annually, changing the previous language from "may" to "must." This directly affects the Minnesota Department of Health, which must now systematically analyze preventable maternal deaths to improve healthcare systems. The bill mandates these studies to identify preventable causes and inform medical, health, and welfare service planning. Its key provision is making the maternal death study process mandatory, aiming to reduce preventable deaths through data-driven system improvements. The law applies statewide to all maternal health outcomes covered under Minnesota's health system.

Maddy summaryMinnesota's HF 1146 establishes the "Minnesota SNAP Step Up for Seniors" program, which provides a state-funded supplement to federal SNAP benefits for Minnesotans aged 55 or older. The bill ensures that seniors receiving SNAP benefits below $50 per month receive additional state funds to bring their total monthly benefit up to at least $50. The supplement is added to existing SNAP benefits and is not counted as income for other programs. The bill appropriates state funds for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to cover this supplemental benefit.

Maddy summaryHF 2043 appropriates $250,000 from the general fund to the Minnesota Department of Education for a three-year student attendance marketing campaign. The campaign must raise awareness about attendance importance and absenteeism consequences, address barriers to school attendance, and be inclusive for all public school students. The Department must issue a request for proposals, award contracts to organizations with proven outreach capacity, and require post-campaign reports detailing goals, strategies, outcomes, and fund usage. This one-time funding is available only for fiscal year 2026 and expires June 30, 2028.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $1.5 million for fiscal year 2026 and $1.5 million for fiscal year 2027 from the general fund to the commissioner of health. The funds are designated for distribution to organizations providing sexual and reproductive health services under Minnesota Statutes section 145.925. It directly affects community health providers and clinics that offer these services by providing dedicated state funding. The bill makes no changes to existing services or eligibility but allocates specific funding amounts for two consecutive fiscal years.

Maddy summaryHF 1439 appropriates $750,000 for fiscal year 2026 and $750,000 for fiscal year 2027 from the workforce development fund to the Minnesota Grocers Association Foundation. The funds support the "Carts to Careers" initiative, which provides job skills training, outreach, and scholarships for students pursuing careers in the food retail industry. The program aims to strengthen the workforce pipeline in Minnesota's food sector by covering training, certifications, and related development costs. This one-time appropriation directly benefits food industry workers and students seeking careers in grocery retail.

Maddy summaryHF 31 modifies how Minnesota school districts calculate eligibility for compensatory revenue funding (used to support students from low-income backgrounds). It changes the method to combine both direct certification (using existing eligibility data) and application of education benefits to determine funding. The bill also allows districts to allocate up to 20% of compensatory funds off-site for broader student needs, while requiring 80% to stay at the school building level. Additionally, it establishes a Compensatory Revenue Task Force to review the system and updates professional development requirements for teachers under the Read Act.

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.