Rep. Jeff Backer

Maddy summaryHF 1 would repeal the provision allowing undocumented adults to enroll in MinnesotaCare, ending their current eligibility for this state health coverage program. The bill directly affects undocumented adults in Minnesota who currently receive health coverage through MinnesotaCare. Its key mechanism is removing the specific language that permits this coverage, effectively ending their access to the program. This is a repeal of an existing policy, not a new benefit.

Maddy summaryHF 1290 authorizes qualifying locations to display roadside signage indicating the availability of an automatic external defibrillator (AED) on their premises. This bill allows establishments that meet specific criteria to erect signs along roadsides. The purpose is to help people quickly identify and locate AEDs during an emergency.

Maddy summaryHF 2464 modifies accreditation rules for environmental laboratories in Minnesota that test water samples for compliance with state permits. It allows these labs to request exemption from certain national quality control and personnel requirements if they follow Minnesota's adopted water testing standards (Standard Methods for Water and Wastewater) and provide personnel details. The bill also establishes specific proficiency testing rules: labs must pass two annual testing studies, with consequences for failures including supplemental testing or potential accreditation revocation. These changes directly affect environmental labs seeking accreditation for water analysis under state permit programs. The policy update shifts oversight to Minnesota-specific standards while maintaining testing requirements for lab accreditation.

Maddy summaryHF 1675 requires Minnesota's medical assistance programs to individually price phototherapy lights (devices used for medical treatments like neonatal jaundice) rather than applying a single rate to all such equipment. This change applies to services provided on or after July 1, 2015, and affects providers billing the state for these devices. The bill specifies that individual pricing applies to phototherapy lights as a distinct category of durable medical equipment, excluding items covered under volume purchase contracts or certain Medicare-related programs. This is a technical adjustment to Minnesota Statutes section 256B.766, focusing on reimbursement accuracy for this specific medical device.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's property tax classification rules for special agricultural homesteads. It clarifies that properties initially classified as class 2a agricultural homesteads (typically under 10 acres with specific land use requirements) maintain that classification even if adjacent land changes use, as long as the owner still owns at least 20 acres of noncontiguous agricultural land within four townships/cities and meets the agricultural value threshold. The bill also specifies that noncontiguous land must be notified to county assessors to be included in homestead classification. It primarily affects Minnesota farmers who own qualifying agricultural properties meeting these revised maintenance criteria.

Maddy summaryHF 2662 provides financial aid to Minnesota ambulance services with low emergency response density (30 or fewer responses per square mile). Eligible providers receive funding calculated in three parts: 20% equally distributed, 40% based on service area size (capped at 1,200 sq miles), and 40% based on a points system for emergency calls. The bill appropriates $15 million annually for 2026-2027, requiring recipients to spend funds within two years on local ambulance services and submit annual reports on usage. It excludes specialized life support responses from calculations and mandates reporting to the legislature on fund distribution. This directly affects rural ambulance providers with limited service area coverage.

Maddy summaryHF 973 eliminates co-payments, coinsurance, and deductibles for mobile crisis intervention services in Minnesota's emergency mental health system. This directly affects individuals seeking immediate mental health crisis support, removing financial barriers to accessing these services. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 245.469 and 256L.03, subdivision 5, to require that mobile crisis teams provide services without cost-sharing from clients. It also appropriates state funds to cover these eliminated costs, ensuring no out-of-pocket expenses for residents during mental health emergencies.

Maddy summaryHF 3235 provides a supplemental rate for housing support providers in Otter Tail County serving adults recovering from substance use disorder, mental illness, or housing instability. Beginning July 1, 2025, county agencies must negotiate a supplemental rate for up to 24 beds, not exceeding the existing maximum rate plus inflation adjustments. This rate applies specifically to providers offering room and board and supplementary services within Otter Tail County. The bill directly affects eligible housing providers in that county by creating a new funding mechanism for their services.

Maddy summaryHF 2554 designates a specific bridge on Burnsville Parkway over Interstate Highway 35W in Burnsville, Minnesota, as the "Elmstrand * Finseth * Ruge Heroes Memorial Bridge." The bill amends Minnesota Statutes section 161.14 to formally name the structure and requires the transportation commissioner to adopt appropriate signage for it. This is a commemorative measure naming a physical location, not a policy change affecting residents or creating new laws. The bridge itself is the direct subject of the designation, with no broader legislative impact beyond the memorial name and signage.

Maddy summaryHF 500 repeals Minnesota's Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board and related statutes (sections 181.211-181.217) that previously established requirements for nursing home staffing and worker protections. This bill directly affects nursing home employers in Minnesota by removing these specific regulatory standards. The key mechanism is the complete repeal of the board and its associated provisions, eliminating the legal framework that required nursing homes to comply with workforce standards and penalties for noncompliance.