Sen. Rob Kupec

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a financial incentive program for Minnesota retail gasoline stations that sell specific biofuel blends containing 11 to 15 percent ethanol. Starting in 2028, eligible stations that have not previously sold these blends can receive up to five cents per gallon in payments, with a total annual cap of $50,000 per station. The program requires stations to submit monthly sales reports and verify their volumes against existing fuel sales records, with funding of $5 million appropriated from the general fund. Only stations operating in Minnesota that are not fleet operators and have not received money from the AGRI Biofuels Infrastructure Grant Program qualify for these payments.

Maddy summaryThis bill raises Minnesota's legal age for kratom possession and sale from 18 to 21 years old. It makes it a misdemeanor for anyone under 21 to possess kratom and a gross misdemeanor to sell it to minors. The law applies to all kratom products containing mitragynine or related compounds, directly affecting young adults under 21 and businesses selling these products. The bill takes effect August 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes employment restrictions for former state employees and legislators in Minnesota to prevent conflicts of interest related to state grants. It prohibits former legislators from working for companies they voted to fund with grants within 12 months of leaving office, and bars former state employees from working for organizations they helped evaluate, rank, or administer grants for during their tenure. The legislation also defines violations as criminal offenses and allows the state to void affected grants, require repayment of funds, and ban violators from receiving future state grants for one year. Additionally, the bill expands the definition of serious crimes used to recall state officers to include more misdemeanor offenses involving public safety and dishonesty.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides legal protection for racing facilities in Minnesota against nuisance lawsuits filed by neighboring property owners, provided the racing facility existed before the neighbor purchased or built their property. It defines a racing facility as any location where competitive vehicle races occur and establishes a five-mile radius around the facility as the relevant area for determining immunity. The legislation also prevents local governments from passing rules that would conflict with these immunity protections, while maintaining that facilities must still follow all environmental and health and safety laws. These protections would take effect on August 1, 2026, and apply to legal cases started on or after that date.

Maddy summarySF 4072 changes Minnesota's veteran benefits eligibility and ends a specific program. It states that veterans who have forfeited federal benefits (per U.S. Code Title 38) do not qualify for Minnesota's state-funded benefits, services, or programs. The bill also discontinues the Environmental Hazards Information and Assistance Program, which provided veterans with health information related to exposures like Agent Orange, referrals to federal programs, and support for disability claims. This is achieved by repealing existing statutes (196.19-196.26 and 197.225) that governed the program and establishing the new eligibility rule. The change directly affects veterans who lost federal benefits and ends state support for environmental hazard-related veteran services.

Maddy summarySF 3120 establishes a statewide program creating automatic savings accounts ("MinneKIDS accounts") for Minnesota children under 18 born on or after July 1, 2026. The state commissioner will open these accounts within 90 days using birth data, notify parents annually about options to opt out or qualify for additional seed deposits (up to $500 for low-income households), and manage investments. Funds in these accounts - held by the state until used for higher education - remain forfeitable if unused by age 26. The bill also creates grants for local partners to help implement the program and requires annual reporting.

Maddy summarySF 4069 updates definitions in Minnesota's veterinary practice laws to clarify terminology for professionals and facilities. It adds specific definitions for terms like "accredited program of veterinary technology," "client," "consent," "dispensing," and "emergency stabilization" while expanding the definition of "animal" to include nonhuman mammals, birds, fish, and reptiles. These changes standardize how veterinary care, drug use, and patient interactions are legally described under Minnesota Statutes. The bill directly affects veterinarians, veterinary technicians, pharmacies, and animal care facilities by providing clearer regulatory language. (Note: This is a definitional bill with no substantive policy changes described in the text.)

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's tax reduction authority for businesses operating in border city enterprise zones, directly affecting local governments and companies in cities like Breckenridge, Dilworth, East Grand Forks, Moorhead, and Ortonville. Key provisions include increasing the income tax credit for hiring employees from $3,000 to $5,000 per year, adding a new reimbursement option for land acquisition costs to prevent business relocation, and allowing the commissioner to allocate $2 million for tax reductions based on population. The legislation also removes certain restrictions on eligible properties, such as those owned by financial institutions and fraternal organizations, while maintaining exclusions for recreational facilities, public utilities, and franchised food and beverage businesses. Additionally, the bill expands the flexibility for cities to designate development zones by allowing them to designate all or any part of the city rather than limiting the number or size of designated areas.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new Human Services Systems Steering Committee to oversee and recommend improvements to Minnesota's human services information technology systems, which are used by counties and state agencies. The committee will include representatives from the Departments of Human Services, Children, Youth, and Families, and Information Technology Services, along with members from county organizations, who will meet at least quarterly to review system goals, resource allocation, and funding. Before any major changes or new systems are implemented, the relevant commissioners must consult with the committee and counties, and significant changes require at least seven committee members to vote in favor. The committee must also provide public input opportunities, record all votes, and submit annual reports to legislative committees starting in 2027. Additionally, the bill appropriates funds to expand county technology tools like Data Depot and BlueZone Scripting Collaborative to more counties and Tribal Nations.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies eviction procedures for residents of manufactured home parks in Minnesota by extending the time a writ of recovery is stayed from seven to 90 days, allowing residents more time to arrange removal or an in-park sale. It requires park owners to include specific notices informing residents of their right to receive surplus funds from home sales after debts are paid and mandates that owners return any remaining money within 30 days if the resident provides contact information. The legislation also establishes a clear order for applying sale proceeds, prioritizing outstanding rent and utility charges before returning any surplus to the former resident. These changes directly affect park owners and residents by altering the timeline and financial protections during eviction and subsequent home sales.