Sen. Aric Putnam

Maddy summaryThis bill requires ticket resellers and online ticket marketplaces to clearly disclose pricing information to consumers when selling tickets for events in Minnesota. The law mandates that sellers show the total ticket cost including all fees, the original purchase price, and the percentage markup on resale tickets. It also requires sellers to display their refund policies and confirm that buyers have read these disclosures before completing a purchase. The bill defines various terms like ticket reseller and place of entertainment to clarify who must comply with these new transparency requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates emergency managers as essential employees in Minnesota, ensuring they are included in the state's list of workers who must remain on duty during emergencies. It amends existing statutes to add emergency managers alongside firefighters, peace officers, dispatchers, and other critical personnel who are protected from being sent home during crises. The law also clarifies that for state employees, essential workers include specific groups like law enforcement and healthcare professionals regardless of severance pay, while excluding employees whose negotiating employer is the state court administrator. Additionally, the bill specifies that all employees at Hennepin Healthcare System are considered essential employees under this definition.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's housing assistance programs by clarifying eligibility rules, adjusting income calculations, and extending deadlines for spending certain housing funds. It defines who cannot receive housing grants or loans by specifying restrictions on individuals and businesses that have previously received tax credits for housing investments. The legislation also exempts income earned from lived-experience engagement work from counting toward public assistance eligibility limits, allowing people to participate in housing program review and feedback without losing benefits. Additionally, the bill updates the maximum bond limitation for residential rental projects and makes technical corrections to existing housing statutes.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's expedited eviction process to apply only to specific situations involving safety threats or property damage. It requires landlords to submit detailed affidavits proving their case before a judge can schedule a fast-track hearing. The law sets strict timelines, requiring tenant summons within 24 hours and hearings within five to seven days, while prohibiting courts from combining these cases with other claims like unpaid rent. Additionally, the bill authorizes courts to impose fines up to $500 on landlords who improperly seek expedited hearings without sufficient evidence. These changes directly affect landlords, tenants, and courts handling eviction cases in Minnesota.

Maddy summarySF 3753 modifies Minnesota's sales tax law to exempt certain nonprofit organizations from paying tax on prepared food purchases. Specifically, it adds a new provision (subdivision 4(e)) clarifying that prepared food bought by nonprofits operating for charitable, religious, or educational purposes is tax-exempt when distributed as part of their exempt activities. This directly affects nonprofits like community kitchens, shelters, or schools that serve meals while conducting their core mission. The change removes a current tax barrier for these organizations, effective for sales after June 30, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill adds motorcycles to Minnesota's Digital Fair Repair Act, expanding the law to cover motorcycle repair. It requires manufacturers to provide independent repair shops (unaffiliated with the manufacturer) with diagnostic tools, parts, and documentation on "fair and reasonable terms," meaning at the same price and without restrictive conditions like mandatory registration or forcing shops to become authorized dealers. The law directly affects motorcycle owners and independent repair businesses by ensuring they have equal access to necessary repair resources as dealership shops. Key provisions prevent manufacturers from imposing unnecessary costs or restrictions on parts, tools, or documentation for motorcycles, aligning motorcycle repair with existing digital electronics coverage.

Maddy summaryMinnesota Senate File 1690 establishes a stewardship program requiring manufacturers of covered circuit boards, batteries, and electrical products to fund collection, recycling, and disposal of these items. It directly affects electronics manufacturers and brands, who must pay into a new reimbursement system managed by a Covered Products Reimbursement Board (Section 3.17). Key provisions include prohibiting mercury in batteries (Section 3.4) and defining "covered products" to exclude medical devices and motor vehicles (Section 3.12). The bill amends multiple statutes to implement this system, effective January 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryThis bill restricts corporate ownership of single-family homes by prohibiting any corporate owner (including corporations, partnerships, or real estate investment trusts) from owning 50 or more such homes. It increases the deed tax rate to 0.5% for transfers of single-family homes to corporate owners (from the standard 0.0033%), with revenues dedicated to affordable housing programs. The bill also creates a statewide landlord database and includes exceptions for government entities, affordable housing nonprofits, and homeowners with homestead property. These changes aim to limit large-scale corporate control of residential housing while funding affordability initiatives.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires drivers to stop at least 20 feet away from a school bus displaying flashing red lights while children are boarding or exiting. It directly affects all drivers approaching school buses on Minnesota roads, mandating they remain stopped until the red lights cease flashing. The bill also adds a new provision warning drivers that amber lights indicate red lights will soon activate, requiring them to prepare to stop. These changes aim to improve safety for children near school bus stops. The bill is currently pending passage after committee approval.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota veterans benefits to include veterans of the Secret War in Laos, a group that includes both naturalized Hmong veterans and those who served with special guerrilla units or irregular forces in Laos between 1961 and 1975. It directs the commissioner of veterans affairs to establish an eligibility verification process and issue certificates of eligibility for these veterans to access existing state benefits. The legislation also requires the creation of a fee schedule for burial services and allows fee waivers for indigent eligible applicants. Changes take effect on July 2, 2025, for naturalized veterans and after verification for those who served in guerrilla units, with a driver's license designation option becoming available on November 1, 2026.