Sen. Glenn Gruenhagen

Maddy summarySF 2662 modifies Minnesota law to expand visitation rights for grandparents and great-grandparents of minor children. It allows these relatives to petition a court for reasonable visitation if they have a "substantial established relationship" with the child, defined by significant prior contact and parental consent/support. Courts must consider the child's best interests, including the benefit of maintaining that relationship, while ensuring visitation won't harm the parent-child bond. The bill also requires courts to consider mediation to resolve disputes and applies retroactively to cases since January 2022. This directly affects grandparents/great-grandparents seeking visitation and parents/courts handling such petitions.

Maddy summaryThis bill would remove Minnesota's requirement for electric utilities to achieve 100 percent carbon-free electricity generation by 2040. It directly affects electric utility companies in the state by eliminating the specific carbon-free energy targets previously established in state law. The legislation repeals Section 2g of Minnesota Statutes 216B.1691, which mandated that utilities meet increasing carbon-free electricity percentages of 80 percent by 2030, 90 percent by 2035, and 100 percent by 2040. By removing these provisions, the bill allows electric utilities to operate without the current mandate to source electricity exclusively from carbon-free energy technologies by the end of the decade.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment to limit Minnesota governors and lieutenant governors to two total terms in office. If approved by voters in 2026, the amendment would take effect for elections beginning in 2030, preventing any person from being elected more than twice to either office. The amendment would require voters to approve the change at the 2026 general election with a specific "Yes/No" question about term limits. It does not affect current officeholders or elections before 2030. The measure is procedural and requires voter approval to amend the state constitution.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the city of Watertown to create and manage a social district where people can consume alcoholic beverages in public spaces. The city must first designate specific areas for the district and establish rules about when and where drinking is allowed, while also ensuring that any property owner who objects to the district is not included in it. Businesses holding on-sale liquor licenses can apply for a social district license that allows them to sell drinks in special containers for public consumption within the designated area. The bill requires clear signage, management plans, and rules about container types, sizes, and responsible drinking messages to be displayed on all containers. Additionally, the city must submit a report to state legislators within two years detailing how the district was established and how the community has responded.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's custody and parenting time laws to strengthen presumptions favoring joint custody while protecting children from domestic abuse. It requires courts to consider all relevant factors when evaluating a child's best interests, including each parent's ability to nurture the child and the impact of domestic abuse on parenting arrangements. The legislation removes the previous prohibition on presuming joint physical custody and establishes a rebuttable presumption that joint legal and physical custody serves a child's best interests, unless domestic abuse has occurred between the parents. Courts must make detailed findings explaining how each factor influenced their custody decisions and cannot base rulings solely on parental gender or disability. The changes apply to cases beginning on or after August 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all medical assistance providers in Minnesota to undergo site visits as part of their enrollment process, expanding oversight to provider types that were not previously subject to mandatory on-site inspections. The legislation establishes enrollment fees for these previously exempt provider categories and creates a risk-based system where the commissioner can designate certain providers as "high-risk" for additional scrutiny, including potential payment withholding during initial enrollment. Key provisions include requirements for providers to designate compliance officers, conduct regular revalidation at specified intervals, and allow unannounced inspections for designated risk categories. The bill also outlines procedures for handling non-compliance, including suspension of billing privileges and potential enrollment revocation for providers with documented patterns of insufficient record-keeping.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands Minnesota's existing laws against sharing personal information to protect all individuals, not just law enforcement officers. It creates a new civil lawsuit option for people harmed when their private data is shared without consent, allowing them to seek damages for emotional distress, court costs, and up to $10,000 in penalties. The law applies when someone knowingly shares information that creates an immediate serious threat to safety, but includes exceptions for legitimate criminal investigations, public interest reporting, and legal proceedings. Courts would handle these cases in Minnesota counties where the parties live, where the information was shared, or where it is stored, with special protections for confidential filings to maintain privacy.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Minnesota Departments of Human Services and Children, Youth, and Families to submit annual reports to the legislature on program integrity starting November 30, 2026. The reports must include specific data from the departments' Office of Inspector General units, covering information on maltreatment investigations, licensing activities, fraud cases, and background studies. These reports will be sent to the chairs and ranking minority members of the relevant legislative committees overseeing human services and children, youth, and families. The legislation aims to increase transparency by mandating regular updates on how these departments manage oversight functions and investigate potential issues within their programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill repeals a requirement that would have mandated Minnesota to adopt new residential energy codes starting in 2026. It deletes the specific provision (previously section 326B.106, subdivision 1(g)) that required the commissioner to adopt codes aiming for a 70% reduction in residential building energy use by 2038. The repeal eliminates future updates to residential energy standards, removing a requirement that would have affected builders, developers, and local jurisdictions implementing construction codes. This change directly alters the process for updating Minnesota's residential energy efficiency rules without establishing new targets.

Maddy summarySF 4054 modifies MinnesotaCare eligibility to exclude undocumented noncitizens. The bill amends state law to state that undocumented noncitizens (defined as those residing without U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services approval) are ineligible for MinnesotaCare, effective January 1, 2026. Lawfully present noncitizens meeting federal definitions and income guidelines (up to 200% of the federal poverty level) remain eligible, as do families with citizen children who provide required citizenship documentation. This change directly affects undocumented noncitizens seeking MinnesotaCare coverage after the effective date. The bill does not alter eligibility for emergency medical assistance under separate provisions.