Rep. Liz Lee

Maddy summaryHF 2904 requires certain Minnesota school employers - including school districts, charter schools, and vocational education centers - to join the state's public employees insurance program. It establishes an "educator group insurance program" specifically for school employees, mandating coverage tiers that match existing school employee pool options and including high-deductible plans. The bill creates a labor management committee with 12 members (including seven from Education Minnesota and representatives from unions and school administrators) to study program issues like cost efficiency. It also requires mutual agreement between the commissioner and the committee before changing cost-sharing plans. This bill directly affects school employees and their employers by integrating them into the state's insurance framework with specific administrative structures.

Maddy summaryHF 76 limits how much Minnesota utility customers can pay for executive compensation. It prohibits utility regulators from approving rate increases that cover the top 10 executives' pay at public utilities with 300,000+ Minnesota retail customers if that pay exceeds the governor's annual salary. The bill defines "compensation" broadly to include salary, bonuses, and other pay, but excludes standard benefits and expense reimbursements. Utilities may still pay executives from non-ratepayer sources (like investor funds), but regulators must ensure this doesn't unfairly burden customers in other states.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes two new advisory groups in Minnesota: an Advisory Council on Community Collaboration, Stability, and Preparedness and a Minnesota Common Ground Task Force. The council will include representatives from law enforcement, local governments, behavioral health, and community organizations to study how to better prepare for civil unrest and political instability. These groups will work together to develop strategies for building trust, improving communication, and creating toolkits for de-escalation during times of community tension. The bill also requires these groups to hold public meetings and submit annual reports to the governor and the legislature, with funding provided to support their operations.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies how the St. Paul local sales tax revenues can be spent, directing funds specifically toward street and bridge improvements as well as park and recreation facilities. It requires the city to pass a resolution by August 31 to authorize using tax money for park projects, or the funds cannot be used for that purpose. The changes apply retroactively to May 24, 2023, allowing the city to use the tax revenue for these designated projects without needing new voter approval.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies the rules for the St. Paul Teachers Retirement Fund Association and adjusts pension funding for Independent School District No. 625. It increases the pension adjustment rate for ISD 625 to 5.95% for fiscal year 2027 and later, while setting a lower rate of 1.25% for other districts starting in 2025. Additionally, the legislation raises employee contribution rates for the basic program to 11.25% in 2026 and 11.5% thereafter, and adjusts employer contribution rates for coordinated members. These changes take effect on July 1, 2026, with specific provisions for pension revenue calculations beginning in fiscal year 2027.

Maddy summaryHF 3454 modifies Minnesota's social work licensing rules to clarify when professionals can use titles like "social worker." It requires county social workers without a social work degree or license to stop using those titles in public by July 1, 2026, unless they were already employed by the county before July 1, 2027. The bill also mandates that all social workers using public-facing titles must display their license designation (e.g., LSW, LISW) and prohibits misleading claims about their qualifications. These changes directly affect county agency social workers and ensure title usage aligns with licensing status.

Maddy summaryHF 309 amends Minnesota Statutes §84.523 to tighten mining restrictions in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) and Rainy River headwaters. The bill requires the commissioner of natural resources to determine that proposed mining (for taconite, sand, gravel, or granite) in the Rainy River headwaters would not harm the BWCA before any permits are issued. This modifies existing law by adding this specific assessment step, directly affecting mining operations seeking approval in these areas. The change maintains the general prohibition on mining without legislative approval but adds a new administrative requirement for the commissioner to evaluate environmental impacts. The bill focuses on protecting the BWCA's wilderness character through stricter permitting conditions.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits large food retail stores in Minnesota from using surveillance technology to set personalized prices for individual customers. It bans the use of electronic shelving labels and prevents stores from collecting data on shoppers under 17 years old or using protected class information like race or gender to determine pricing. The law applies to grocery stores over 10,000 square feet or larger stores with significant food sales, while excluding financial institutions and insurance companies from its requirements.

Maddy summaryHF 3408 bans retailers from setting personalized prices for goods based on consumer surveillance data like facial recognition, biometric scans, or location tracking. It directly affects stores selling physical items (including retail food stores) by prohibiting the use of electronic surveillance technology to create customized pricing for individual shoppers. The bill defines prohibited data broadly to include biometric information, browsing history, and other personal details collected through surveillance methods. Retailers must now use standard pricing approaches instead of surveillance-based price setting.

Maddy summaryHF 3794 prohibits businesses from using automated systems to set individualized prices or wages based on surveillance data about consumers or workers. It directly affects companies that collect and analyze personal data like browsing history, location, biometrics, or purchase habits to adjust pricing or pay. The bill defines key terms (e.g., "surveillance data" includes inferred behaviors and biometrics) and allows exceptions for cost-based pricing, publicly available group discounts (like for veterans or seniors), and insurance risk assessments. It creates new legal standards to prevent discrimination tied to personal data collection, without banning all personalized pricing.