Sen. Grant Hauschild

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $5 million from the general fund for a one-time grant to Saint Ann's Residence in Duluth. The funds are specifically for designing, constructing, and equipping renovations to its assisted living facility. The grant must be used to repair and upgrade the physical facility, benefiting the residents of Saint Ann's Residence. The appropriation is available for fiscal year 2026 and expires upon project completion or abandonment.

Maddy summarySF 2759 establishes the "Great Start Affordability Scholarship" program to help Minnesota families with children from birth to kindergarten pay for child care. It provides scholarships to families earning under 150% of the state median income, capping child care costs at no more than 7% of their annual income. The program requires participating child care providers to meet quality standards and use scholarship funds to supplement, not replace, existing federal funding. It mandates transitioning eligible families from current child care assistance programs to this new system by July 1, 2028. The bill also requires the commissioner to create local input processes and develop funding mechanisms based on community needs.

Maddy summarySF 3017 extends the expiration date of Hermantown's local sales and use tax from December 31, 2036, to December 31, 2046. This bill directly affects Hermantown residents and city finances, as the tax funds specific city projects like infrastructure improvements. The key provision simply modifies the termination date in existing law, with no changes to tax rates or collection methods. The extension ensures continued funding for previously authorized projects until 2046, unless the city council determines funds are sufficient earlier.

Maddy summarySF 2760 establishes a state-funded program to provide payments to eligible rural child care programs in Minnesota communities with 2,500 or fewer residents. It directly affects family day care homes, licensed child care centers, tribally licensed programs, and other qualifying early learning providers. Key provisions require programs to apply for funding, submit enrollment data, maintain detailed records of staff compensation and attendance for six years, and use funds primarily to recruit/retain educators. The commissioner administers the program and may recover payments for non-compliance, including failure to meet attendance or record-keeping requirements.

Maddy summarySF 1080 establishes a state grant program to help licensed ambulance services cover operating deficits, where revenue from insurance and other sources falls short of operational costs. Eligible providers (excluding specialized life support services and certain single-license holders in high-response-density areas) can apply for grants funded through a new state account, with awards limited to covering verified past deficits and capped at 5% above prior grants without special approval. Grants must be used exclusively for operational or capital expenses related to ambulance services, and the program requires annual reporting to the state health department.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies restrictions on Minnesota optometrists' ability to prescribe and administer certain medications. It specifically changes time limits for prescribing oral steroids (currently limited to 14 days without physician consultation), oral antivirals (10 days), and oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (7 days). The amendment would allow optometrists to prescribe these medications for longer durations under specified conditions, without requiring physician consultation for the extended periods. This directly affects licensed optometrists in Minnesota who provide eye care and prescribe medications related to eye conditions. The change is made to Minnesota Statutes section 148.56, subdivision 1, which defines optometry practice.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a refundable sales and use tax exemption for construction materials used on Itasca County's government center projects. It applies to materials purchased between May 1, 2021, and December 31, 2024, for construction, renovation, or remodeling of the county's government facility. Taxpayers pay the tax upfront but receive a refund through the standard process for such projects, with claims due by January 1, 2026. The exemption is retroactive to May 2021 and funded from the state general fund.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies how Minnesota school districts and charter schools calculate transportation funding adjustments. It changes the formula for "transportation sparsity revenue" by requiring districts to increase their adjustment by the greater of zero or 35-70% of the difference between their actual transportation costs and certain revenue components (like basic revenue and prior transportation aid). The change affects all independent, common, and special school districts, as well as charter schools, which receive the same per-pupil adjustment. The new calculation method applies to fiscal year 2026 and later funding.

Maddy summarySF 2914 extends the deadline for using a 2023 grant to the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District for wastewater infrastructure. The bill amends previous law to allow the district to use funds allocated for designing, constructing, and rehabilitating four secondary clarifiers in its wastewater treatment system until December 31, 2029 - instead of the original 2023 deadline. This extension directly affects the district's project timeline for upgrading its wastewater treatment system. The bill makes no new policy changes but adjusts the timeframe for an existing appropriation.

Maddy summaryMinnesota Senate File 660 eliminates the "shotgun use area" restriction for deer hunting. The bill repeals the existing law that limited hunters in specific northern Minnesota areas to shotguns only during the regular deer season, and instead allows all legal firearms statewide during that season. This directly affects deer hunters across Minnesota, removing geographic restrictions that previously required hunters in certain regions to use only shotguns. The key change is a statewide policy shift from restricted firearm use in defined zones to uniform access to all legal firearms during the regular deer hunting season.