Sen. Carla Nelson

Maddy summarySF 2172 modifies Minnesota's cannabis regulations by raising the minimum age for cannabis products from 21 to 25 years for certain items (though the bill text contains conflicting references, the primary change focuses on youth protection). It requires the Office of Cannabis Management to enforce THC content limits, prohibits added flavors in inhaled cannabis products, and updates labeling rules. The bill also mandates school districts to implement cannabis and substance use education programs for middle and high school students starting in 2025-2026, including resources for fentanyl-related risks. These changes directly affect cannabis businesses, minors, and schools across Minnesota.

Maddy summarySF 802 requires Minnesota public schools and charter schools to designate restrooms, locker rooms, changing rooms, and showers for exclusive use based on biological sex, defined as a person's chromosomes and anatomy. It specifically prohibits students with a Y chromosome from using facilities designated for females. The bill also sets rules for athletic teams, allowing sex-segregated teams only if athletic opportunities for that sex were previously limited, while requiring equal resources for comparable teams. These provisions apply to all public schools in Minnesota, directly affecting student access to facilities and sports programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill eliminates dollar limits on tax credits for Minnesota agricultural landowners who sell or rent property to beginning farmers. Currently, credits are capped at $50,000 for land sales and $7,000 annually for cash rent; the bill removes these maximums. It directly affects agricultural property owners and beginning farmers by allowing credits to scale with transaction value without annual caps. The change applies to credits under Minnesota Statutes sections 41B.0391 and 290.06, effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires health insurance plans (health carriers) to pass all rebates and discounts received from drug manufacturers or pharmacies directly to enrollees at the point of prescription drug purchase. It mandates that enrollees' out-of-pocket costs (like deductibles or coinsurance) be calculated based on a price reduced by 100% of all applicable rebates. The bill protects the confidentiality of rebate amounts as trade secrets, prohibiting health carriers from disclosing specific rebate details. It applies to all prescription drugs covered under health plans and allows health carriers to reduce patient costs further than required. Non-compliance could result in civil penalties or license suspension for the health carrier.

Maddy summarySF 2142 allows Minnesota local governments to impose location-based restrictions on cannabis businesses, such as prohibiting operations within 1,000 feet of schools or 500 feet of day cares. It permits localities to limit the number of cannabis retailers to at least one per 12,500 residents (though they may allow more) and requires local governments to certify zoning compliance for new businesses within 30 days or risk state license issuance. The bill also authorizes temporary "interim ordinances" during planning processes and mandates state collaboration to develop model regulations for business operations. This does not ban cannabis businesses but gives local governments more control over where and how they operate.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes rules for who pays costs on Minnesota's state-owned trunk highway projects. It prevents local governments from being required to cover costs (like utility relocations) incurred within a highway's right-of-way *because* of the project itself. The bill also appropriates funds from the general fund to cover these eligible project costs starting in fiscal year 2026. It applies to new projects beginning construction after July 1, 2025, but excludes projects already in the state's transportation plan before that date.

Maddy summaryMinnesota Senate File 2115 modifies rules for historic building rehabilitation tax credits by allowing a second assignment of credit certificates. It directly affects developers and businesses that qualify for these credits, enabling the original recipient to transfer the credit to a second party before claiming the first payment. The key change requires both the initial assignee and any subsequent assignee to notify the state commissioner within 30 days of each transfer. This expands prior rules that only permitted one assignment, while maintaining that credit amounts equal 100% of the federal credit (or 90% for grants) and must be claimed within three years of the allocation certificate.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits using funds from Minnesota's clean water fund, parks and trails fund, or arts and cultural heritage fund to acquire private property through eminent domain - unless the property owner specifically requests it. It amends three existing statutes (Minnesota Statutes 85.53, 114D.50, and 129D.17) to add this restriction. The law directly affects state agencies and programs that manage these funds when seeking land for projects. It changes how these funds can be spent, requiring owner consent before eminent domain may be used for acquisitions funded by these specific sources.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts certain electric meters and software used in Rochester Public Utilities' Advanced Metering Infrastructure Project from Minnesota's sales and use tax. It applies to purchases made between July 1, 2024, and March 31, 2029, for equipment directly used in this specific project. The state will refund the tax collected on these items through the same process used for other qualifying infrastructure projects. Rochester Public Utilities directly benefits from this tax relief for their metering system upgrade.

Maddy summarySF 1176 appropriates $791,000 for 2026 and $1,628,000 for 2027 to fund P-TECH implementation grants through Minnesota's Department of Education. These grants support career-focused education programs (P-TECH) that combine high school and college coursework with industry partnerships, directly affecting school districts and their business collaborators. The bill specifies $500,000 annually for a public-private partnership involving Rochester Independent School District No. 535, with unused 2026 funds rolling over to 2027. Starting in 2028, the annual base appropriation is set at $2.625 million, maintaining the $500,000 minimum for the Rochester partnership.