Sen. Andrew Mathews

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $1 million from the general fund for fiscal year 2026 to hire eight school safety specialists at the Minnesota School Safety Center. The funding is one-time and available until expended, supplementing existing appropriations for school safety specialists in 2026 and 2027. It directly supports Minnesota public schools by expanding staffing at the state safety center, which provides resources and training to school districts.

Maddy summarySF 3849 requires Minnesota's Department of Human Services (DHS) and Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) to disclose the existence of ongoing investigations into possible overpayments of public funds to service providers or recipients within 30 days of a written request. This affects service providers and recipients who may be under investigation for potential overpayments of state benefits. The bill amends existing law to mandate this 30-day disclosure timeline, replacing previous requirements that allowed agencies to withhold such information without a specific time limit. It does not change the substance of investigations or payment decisions, only the disclosure process for the investigation's existence.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Minnesota licensing boards to automatically suspend or revoke a license, or refuse license renewal, when a licensed professional or applicant is convicted of specific theft or fraud offenses. It directly affects individuals holding state-licensed professions (like healthcare, finance, or trades) who face convictions under listed statutes, including fraud (e.g., 609.23, 609.52) or theft (e.g., 609.2231, 609.496). The key provision mandates that boards take this action without discretion upon a court conviction for any of the 14 specified offenses. The law applies to all licensed professionals covered under Minnesota Statutes 214.10, effective immediately after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes Sherburne County, Minnesota to collect a 0.25% local sales and use tax if approved by voters in a special election. The tax revenue would be used to cover administrative costs and fund up to $75 million for a law enforcement center that includes a jail. The county could issue bonds to help finance the project, with repayment coming from the tax revenue, and the tax would expire after 20 years or once the project costs are fully covered.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Minnesota state budget forecasts to include estimates of how fraud affects state programs and revenues. It mandates that the state budget commissioner consult with legislative committee chairs and staff when determining variables like inflation and fraud impacts, with specific timing requirements for these consultations. The law also adds a new requirement for forecasts to explicitly address the budgetary consequences of fraud committed against state programs. These changes apply to the state budget forecasting process and affect the Minnesota Department of Revenue and legislative budget committees.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows municipal utilities and cooperative electric associations in Minnesota to count spending on fuel-switching improvements for low-income households toward their required low-income conservation spending. The key change adds a provision permitting utilities to apply money spent on efficient fuel-switching upgrades to meet their existing 0.2 percent spending requirement for energy conservation programs serving low-income residents. This adjustment expands how utilities can fulfill their mandated conservation spending obligations by including specific fuel-switching expenditures alongside other conservation program costs. The bill applies to consumer-owned utilities that provide electric service and affects the reporting and compliance mechanisms for low-income energy assistance programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill repeals a previous law that required the Minnesota Attorney General to represent certain utility customers in proceedings before the Public Utilities Commission and in some federal cases. The change removes the Attorney General's mandatory representation role for residential and small business consumers in utility-related matters. While the bill does not alter the Public Utilities Commission's existing authority to regulate utility energy conservation programs, it eliminates the specific statutory requirement for the Attorney General to act as legal counsel for consumer and small business interests in those proceedings. The legislation also includes a conforming change to related statutes to remove references to the repealed representation requirement.

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 creates a sales tax exemption for preowned motor vehicles sold in Minnesota, affecting private buyers and dealers who sell used cars and trucks. It defines a preowned vehicle as any motor vehicle previously titled, registered, or transferred to a person and operated before the current sale, regardless of mileage if it was previously owned by someone other than a dealer. The exemption applies to sales and purchases made after June 30, 2026, and adds this category to the list of other existing tax exemptions for specific types of vehicles and organizations.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new criminal offense for intentionally disrupting worship services at religious establishments in Minnesota. It applies to individuals who enter a clearly marked place of worship with the intent to disrupt a scheduled service and commit a crime there, classifying the first offense as a gross misdemeanor and repeat offenses as a felony punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of $10,000. The law defines a religious establishment as a building used for worship services by a religious organization that is clearly identified with a posted sign or other means. The provisions will take effect on August 1, 2026, and only apply to crimes committed on or after that date.