Sen. Grant Hauschild

Maddy summaryThis bill requires electric utilities in Minnesota to create and submit detailed wildfire safety plans to the state commission. These plans must outline specific procedures for inspecting power lines, managing vegetation near infrastructure, and coordinating with other utilities, including protocols for public safety power shutoffs. The legislation also allows utilities to recover the costs of implementing these approved safety measures through customer rates. By defining what constitutes a qualified utility and mandating specific safety standards, the bill aims to reduce the risk of wildfires caused by electrical infrastructure while ensuring transparency in utility operations.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Minnesota Department of Education to hire a mental health care provider to offer telehealth services to students across the state. The selected provider must use licensed Minnesota clinicians, ensure appointments are available within one week of referral, and demonstrate experience billing insurance plans. The provider will be required to submit annual reports on student access, engagement rates, clinical outcomes, and cost effectiveness, with data broken down by school district. The legislation also appropriates $9 million from the general fund for the 2027 fiscal year to support these services.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies existing laws to allow the city of Hermantown to collect a local sales tax of 0.5% if approved by voters. The collected tax revenue must be used to cover administrative costs and fund three specific community projects: adding an ice sheet to the Hermantown Hockey Arena, building a trail connecting the Essentia Wellness Center to the Munger Trail, and upgrading Fichtner Park. Additionally, the bill authorizes the city to issue bonds to finance these projects without requiring a separate election or counting against the city's debt limits.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the state to provide $3.8 million in funding to the city of Rice Lake for upgrading its sewer and water systems. The money will be used to extend water lines along Martin Road, add new sewer and water infrastructure along a frontage road, and improve sewer lines near the intersection of Martin and Rice Lake Roads. To pay for this project, the state will issue up to $3.8 million in bonds, which will be repaid over time through the bond proceeds fund. The legislation takes effect immediately after it is passed by the legislature.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a one-time grant program to help small businesses in Two Harbors cope with disruptions caused by road construction on Trunk Highway 61. To qualify, businesses must have 100 or fewer employees, be located in the 55616 zip code, and suffer specific issues like reduced access or parking due to the project. The funds can be used for payroll and operating costs but cannot go toward capital improvements or bonuses, while up to five percent of the budget may cover administrative expenses. The Department of Employment and Economic Development will manage the program and must submit a detailed report of all awards by January 15, 2029.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides $1 million in one-time funding to Minnesota counties, municipalities, and townships to help plan and develop regional drinking water systems. The funds can be used for planning activities like feasibility studies, engineering analysis, legal assessments, and community engagement to support infrastructure projects under state law. The commissioner of health must create an application process by November 2026 that prioritizes projects addressing aging infrastructure, water quality, affordability, or economic development, with each grant capped at $300,000 annually and requiring a 25 percent match from recipients. A report on grant awards and project progress must be submitted to legislative committees by January 2027.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a public registry in Minnesota for repeat domestic violence offenders, requiring courts and correction officials to collect and submit offender information to the Department of Public Safety. The registry will include personal details such as names, addresses, photographs, and conviction records, with information published on a searchable public website and made available to law enforcement. Offenders must register for varying periods depending on their prior conviction history, ranging from five years for one prior offense to 20 years for four or more prior offenses, and failure to comply with registration requirements is a misdemeanor offense.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's homestead credit refund program by excluding scholarships, dependent flexible spending accounts, and health flexible spending accounts from the income calculation. Specifically, it removes these items from the list of income sources used to determine eligibility and the amount of the credit refund. The change directly affects taxpayers who receive these funds, ensuring they are not counted as taxable income for the purpose of this state tax benefit. By updating the statutory definition of income, the legislation aligns the credit calculation with how these specific financial benefits are treated under federal tax laws.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates funding from the state's general fund to the Pollution Control Agency to conduct a study on critical materials found in Minnesota's waste stream. The study will focus on items listed on the federal 2023 Critical Materials List and must be completed by October 1, 2028, with results submitted to relevant legislative committees. Key findings will include estimates of how much critical material enters the state's economy, how much is currently recovered through recycling or extraction, and the total volume of these materials present in waste. The legislation directly affects the state's environmental agency and provides data to inform future policy decisions regarding resource recovery and waste management.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's timber permit laws to improve transparency and provide flexibility for landowners. It requires the state to include a specific assessment of frozen ground access needs in timber sale lists and mandates that permits for such tracts last at least four years, ending on May 31 of the fifth year. Additionally, the legislation creates a new process allowing holders of existing unexpired permits to request a one-year extension without penalty or interest, provided they are not delinquent on payments or have active trespass violations. These changes directly affect state timber purchasers and the Department of Natural Resources by altering permit duration requirements and extension procedures.