Rep. Bianca Virnig

Maddy summaryHF 1479 establishes a quarterly refund system for Minnesota pharmacies that sell prescription drugs (referred to as "legend drugs") outside the state. Pharmacies can claim refunds equal to the tax they paid to distributors for those out-of-state sales, multiplied by Minnesota's tax rate, against their state tax liability. The bill requires pharmacies to file refund requests quarterly based on when they delivered drugs outside Minnesota (e.g., by July 1 for Q1 deliveries), with claims due within one year of the delivery quarter. This directly affects community pharmacies that dispense prescription drugs to patients outside Minnesota. The refund process begins for sales occurring after December 31, 2025.

Maddy summaryHF 3021 establishes a grant program to fund mobile clinics providing youth sports physicals at Minnesota schools. The bill appropriates $1 million for fiscal year 2026 and $600,000 for 2027 to cover these services, requiring grant recipients to provide matching funds equal to 25% of the grant amount. Mobile clinics must conduct required health screenings - including cardiac checks, mental health assessments (stress, anxiety, depression), and musculoskeletal exams - and offer free physicals to uninsured students. Clinics must report data on services provided and referrals to the health commissioner for program improvement. This directly affects Minnesota public schools, uninsured student athletes, and mobile health clinics receiving state grants.

Maddy summaryHF 3074 creates legal rights for transportation network company (TNC) drivers in Minnesota to form and join labor organizations for collective bargaining. It directly affects "active drivers" who completed at least the median number of rides in the most recent two quarters, as defined by the bill. The law establishes a certification process where drivers can designate an exclusive representative (like a union) through the Bureau of Mediation Services, while prohibiting TNCs from controlling or dominating driver representation groups ("company unions"). Drivers gain the right to negotiate terms and conditions of work, including grievance procedures, with TNCs, and the bill defines "lockout" to prevent TNCs from restricting driver access to the platform during disputes.

Maddy summaryHF 101 prohibits Minnesota schools from listing parent contact information (like home addresses, phone numbers, or email addresses) as "publicly available directory information." This directly affects parents, as schools can no longer automatically share their personal contact details with the public without explicit consent. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes §13.32 by removing parent contact information from the definition of directory information, requiring schools to treat it as private data instead. Exceptions exist only for temporary sharing with school referendum committees during election periods (90 days prior to voting), with strict limits on use and destruction after elections.

Maddy summaryHF 3072 modifies Minnesota's literacy incentive aid program to expand how school districts can use these funds. It specifically adds new eligible uses, including hiring literacy leads and intervention specialists, providing approved training for teachers on evidence-based reading instruction, and covering costs for substitute teachers during required training. The bill applies directly to K-4 school districts receiving literacy incentive aid, which is calculated based on student proficiency, growth, English learner concentration, and poverty factors. It appropriates state funding to support these expanded uses, ensuring districts can implement evidence-based reading programs as outlined in their local literacy plans. The changes aim to strengthen early literacy support without altering the core funding formulas.

Maddy summaryHF 1419 modifies how Minnesota reimburses nursing facilities for elderly care services. It introduces a "known cost change factor" based on the average annual minimum wage increase for nursing home workers approved by the Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board. This factor adjusts reimbursement rates by multiplying facility costs by the factor before calculating payments per resident day. The changes apply to facilities licensed as nursing homes or both nursing homes and boarding care homes, affecting their state reimbursement rates starting January 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryHF 1652 prohibits health plans in Minnesota from removing a drug from their formulary (list of covered drugs) or increasing a patient's cost for a previously prescribed drug during the same plan year. This directly affects patients enrolled in health plans who rely on specific medications, preventing unexpected disruptions to their treatment. Exceptions include removing drugs deemed unsafe by the FDA, withdrawn by the FDA or manufacturer, or when switching to a lower-cost FDA-approved generic or biosimilar drug with at least 60 days' notice to patients and providers. The law takes effect January 1, 2026, for health plans offered or renewed on or after that date.

Maddy summaryHF 1686 expands training requirements for licensed security officers in Minnesota. It mandates 40 hours of pre-employment training (up from 12 hours) within 21 days of hire, plus 24 hours of annual continuing education for all officers, with an additional 6 hours yearly for those armed with firearms or weapons. The bill requires new training content including mental health crisis response, de-escalation techniques, CPR/AED use, legal use of force standards, and building safety disruptions. These requirements apply to all licensed security officers, managers, and employees in Minnesota, effective January 1, 2026. The bill also ensures employees can obtain copies of their training certificates from employers at no cost.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands eligibility for the state's Housing Challenge Program to include charter schools, contract alternative schools, and Tribal contract schools as recipients of small grants (under $100,000) for housing projects. It modifies existing law to allow these school types - previously limited to school districts - to access funds for constructing owner-occupied homes. Schools using the grant for home construction must require future occupants to complete homeownership education and counseling under separate law. The change directly affects these specific school entities by broadening their access to housing program funding. The bill does not alter the maximum grant amount or the requirement for homeownership education.

Maddy summaryHF 2717 increases funding for school safety programs in Minnesota by raising the minimum safe schools revenue for school districts to $100,000 or $44 per student (starting fiscal year 2026), and establishes "safe schools aid" to reimburse districts for safety costs. It expands this funding to cooperative school units (like shared service groups) starting in 2027, appropriating $4.354 million annually for cooperative units. Funds must be used for specific safety purposes including security personnel, mental health services, facility upgrades, violence prevention programs, and cybersecurity. The bill applies to all Minnesota school districts and cooperative units, with most provisions effective for fiscal year 2026.