Sen. Liz Boldon

Maddy summarySF 1950 appropriates funds from the general fund for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to improve and expand the physical infrastructure of food shelf facilities. The bill directs the commissioner of children, youth, and families to provide grants to nonprofit organizations, federally recognized Tribes, and local governments. These grants specifically support upgrades to buildings, equipment, and other physical facilities used by food shelves to distribute emergency food. The bill does not change eligibility for food assistance programs but focuses on funding the physical infrastructure supporting food distribution.

Maddy summarySF 1913 creates a new "locally controlled housing fund" within Minnesota's housing development fund to support affordable housing projects. The fund provides financial assistance to eligible local entities (cities, counties, tribes, community land trusts, or housing authorities) for acquiring, rehabilitating, or building housing that meets specific affordability requirements. Key provisions require that 30% of units serve households earning ≤50% of area median income, 30% serve households earning 50-100% of area median income, and all housing must be accessible with no income-based segregation. Funds operate as a reusable revolving loan, with recipients retaining ownership stakes of at least 75% and agreeing to long-term affordability restrictions for tenants. This directly affects low-to-moderate-income households and local governments seeking to expand affordable housing stock.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new grant program to support individuals and families affected by fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) in Minnesota. It appropriates $1 million for fiscal year 2026 and $1 million for fiscal year 2027 from the general fund to the commissioner of health. The funds will be awarded to a statewide organization focused exclusively on FASD prevention and intervention, requiring it to develop programming that provides education, resource navigation, support groups, and social connection opportunities for people with FASD and their caregivers. The bill directly affects Minnesotans living with FASD and their families by expanding access to targeted support services.

Maddy summarySF 2021 requires Minnesota's Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board to create and maintain a plain-language handbook about lobbying rules on its website. The handbook must clearly explain lobbyist registration requirements (including thresholds and government employee exemptions), which activities count toward those thresholds, and differences between lobbying the legislature, executive branch, or other entities. It directly affects registered lobbyists, government entities, and organizations engaging in lobbying activities. The board must update the handbook regularly and consult with diverse groups, including nonprofits and BIPOC-led organizations, when developing it. The handbook must be published by January 15, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $2.4 million from state bonds to fund improvements at intersections along U.S. Highway 14 in Byron, Minnesota. The funds will cover environmental analysis, design work, and eventual construction of grade-separated interchanges (replacing at-grade intersections and traffic signals) at key points including Highway 14's intersections with Olmsted County State-Aid Highways 3 and 5. The project directly affects Byron residents, commuters, and drivers using this corridor by aiming to improve traffic flow and safety. The bond proceeds must first be used for planning and design before funding construction of the interchanges and associated infrastructure.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows large Minnesota cities (with over 100,000 residents) to extend their zoning and subdivision regulations to nearby unincorporated land, even in areas where counties or towns already have their own zoning. Currently, such cities cannot extend authority into zones with existing county/town regulations, but this bill removes that restriction. It applies specifically to areas within two miles of a city's boundary. The change affects unincorporated territories adjacent to large cities and modifies existing statutes (462.357 and 462.358) to permit this expanded jurisdiction.

Maddy summaryThis bill imposes additional taxes on Minnesota corporations where the CEO's pay is 50 times or more than the median worker's pay, with tax rates increasing as the pay gap widens (0.2% for 50:1-100:1 ratios up to 1.5% for 500:1+). Corporations subject to this tax would also be ineligible to receive state grants or subsidies. The tax applies to corporations meeting the ratio thresholds as reported under federal pay disclosure rules, effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025. It directly affects large corporations with significant CEO-worker pay disparities that report such data under federal requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's state rental assistance program rules. It changes how funds are distributed to program administrators based on the number of eligible households in each county, using U.S. Census data. It also clarifies that households already receiving federal Section 8 housing assistance cannot qualify for state aid. Additionally, the bill prioritizes rental help for families with children under 18 and households earning up to 30% of the area median income.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes local governments, housing authorities, and counties to establish local housing trust funds using dedicated public revenue sources for housing purposes. It amends Minnesota Statutes to define key terms like "local housing trust fund" and clarifies that these funds must be created with dedicated public funding. The bill provides the legal framework for communities to create these funds but does not allocate specific funding or mandate their creation. It focuses on enabling local options rather than imposing new requirements.

Maddy summaryMinnesota Senate Bill 477 modifies supervision requirements for mental health case managers, behavioral aides, and rehabilitation workers. It allows case managers without a bachelor's degree to qualify through experience (e.g., 3+ years as a case manager associate) instead of education, reduces annual supervision hours from 40 to 38, and permits secure electronic messaging for case management contacts. The bill also exempts certain residential treatment providers from client rights requirements and adjusts critical incident reporting timelines for mental health residential programs. These changes directly affect mental health service providers and their staff who deliver care to adults with serious mental illness.