Rep. Liz Lee

Maddy summaryHF 1392 establishes a dedicated "consumer protection restitution account" to handle unclaimed funds from consumer protection cases in Minnesota. It requires that 50% of money recovered by the Attorney General in consumer enforcement actions - where funds aren't specifically designated for victims - be deposited into this account instead of the general fund. The account is used to distribute restitution to eligible consumers (those directly harmed by unlawful practices) who cannot be located or to whom payments weren't redeemed within 120 days, prioritizing cases with the oldest final court orders. This ensures unclaimed restitution money directly benefits victims rather than flowing into general state funding.

Maddy summaryHF 2932 appropriates $150,000 from Minnesota's arts and cultural heritage fund for fiscal year 2026 to support two cultural events: a Southeast Asian American film festival and a Hmong music festival. The funding will go directly to the Asian Economic Development Association (AEDA), which will use it to plan and host these festivals. This bill provides specific financial support for these community-focused cultural celebrations, without changing existing laws or creating new obligations. It directly benefits Minnesota's Southeast Asian and Hmong communities through expanded cultural programming.

Maddy summaryHF 1522 modifies Minnesota's definition of "agricultural land" for property tax classification purposes. It specifies that agricultural land must consist of either contiguous acreage of 10+ acres used for farming last year, or land used for intensive livestock/poultry confinement (excluding grazing-only land). This change affects farmers and landowners who qualify for lower tax rates on agricultural property, ensuring only land meeting these criteria receives the reduced 0.5% or 1% classification rate. The bill clarifies how mixed-use parcels (like land with windbreaks or timber) are classified under existing tax categories.

Maddy summaryHF 1779 authorizes an unreduced early retirement annuity for probation agency employees in Minnesota who separate from service after reaching age 60 or with at least 35 years of service, meaning they receive their full pension amount without reduction starting January 1, 2028. It also increases the employee contribution rate for these workers, requiring a higher percentage of their salary toward retirement benefits beginning January 1, 2026. The bill defines "probation agency employees" as county or state employees who provide community supervision services or oversee probation programs, including probation officers, supervisory staff, and program managers. These changes specifically affect probation staff in Minnesota's county and state agencies.

Maddy summaryHF 2548 creates the Outdoor School for All grant program to fund immersive, multiday outdoor educational experiences for Minnesota students in grades 4-8. The program provides grants to accredited overnight outdoor schools and nonprofit learning centers meeting specific criteria, including research-based curricula, integration with school standards, skill development (like leadership and critical thinking), and accessibility for underserved students. It appropriates $2.5 million for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 from the general fund. The bill directly affects public school students and providers offering equitable outdoor education, aiming to address declining outdoor engagement and access disparities.

Maddy summaryHF 2326 modifies Minnesota's safe and supportive schools requirements for public school districts and schools. It mandates developmentally appropriate programming to help students identify, prevent, and respond to prohibited conduct, value diversity, and build conflict resolution skills using evidence-based social-emotional learning. The bill requires schools to train student bystanders, prevent inappropriate special education referrals for behavioral issues, and create positive school climates. It also establishes a state model policy defining prohibited conduct and outlines procedures for compliance reviews, complaint handling, and annual climate improvement planning, effective July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHF 2549 authorizes the issuance of $44.66 million in housing infrastructure bonds specifically for the St. Paul Port Authority’s The Heights housing development project. The funds must be used for affordable housing meeting income limits set in Minnesota law (section 462A.33, subdivision 5). The bill adds a new provision to Minnesota Statutes allowing this bond authorization and requires annual transfers from the general fund to support debt service on these bonds. This bill directly affects the St. Paul Port Authority and residents of The Heights development, which is intended to provide housing for low-to-moderate-income households.

Maddy summaryHF 701 appropriates funds from Minnesota's renewable development account to construct an anaerobic digestor energy system in Louisville Township. The bill specifically provides money for Recycling and Energy, in partnership with Dem-Con HZI Bioenergy, LLC, to build a facility that converts food and organic waste into renewable natural gas and biochar. This funding applies to fiscal years 2025 and 2026, with the system designed to process local organic waste streams. The bill directly affects Louisville Township residents and the designated companies by enabling this specific renewable energy project. The funding mechanism is a grant from the renewable development account to support the construction of the facility.

Maddy summaryHF 1957 appropriates $1 million for fiscal year 2026 and $1 million for fiscal year 2027 from the general fund to the Minnesota Technology Association. The funds support the SciTech internship program, which matches college students (including graduate students) in STEM fields with paid internships at small Minnesota tech companies (under 250 employees worldwide). The grant reimburses employers for 50% of intern wages, capped at $3,000 per intern, and requires efforts to increase participation from women and other underserved groups. This one-time funding directly supports students seeking STEM internships and small employers hiring them.

Maddy summaryHF 2502 modifies Minnesota's child tax credit to reduce the "marriage penalty" by raising the income level at which the credit begins to phase out for married couples filing jointly. The bill increases the phaseout threshold from $35,000 to $63,900 for joint filers (while slightly raising the threshold for other filers to $31,950), meaning married couples will retain more of their child credit at lower income levels. This change directly affects married Minnesota taxpayers filing jointly who currently lose credit benefits at lower incomes than single filers. The adjustment takes effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024, and includes automatic inflation adjustments starting in 2025.