Sen. Judy Seeberger

Maddy summarySF 3881 grants the Office of the Foster Youth Ombudsperson new investigative powers to better protect foster youth. The bill allows the ombudsperson to directly access medical and placement data, enter foster care facilities without notice for inspections, subpoena witnesses, and review complaints about youth safety or rights. It requires foster care agencies, placement managers, parents, and guardians to forward all communications addressed to the ombudsperson immediately and not open them. This directly affects foster youth by strengthening oversight of their care and agencies responsible for their placement. The changes aim to improve transparency and responsiveness to concerns in Minnesota’s foster care system.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires food manufacturers and brand owners to test packaged food products for ortho-phthalates (a group of chemicals used in plastics) and report the results to Minnesota's Department of Agriculture. It applies to most packaged foods sold in the state, excluding fresh meat, deli cheese, bakery items, and produce sold at retail locations. Manufacturers must submit detailed reports including the product's UPC code, test results showing detectable levels or absence of ortho-phthalates, lab accreditation details, and testing methodology. The reporting requirement takes effect July 1, 2026, and testing must be conducted by laboratories accredited under ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standards.

Maddy summaryThis bill makes three key changes: (1) It lowers the property tax increase threshold for homeowners from 12% to 8% to qualify for a refund and raises the maximum refund from $1,000 to $1,500, effective for 2026 claims; (2) It creates a new monthly tax on social media companies collecting data from Minnesota users, with rates starting at $0.10 per user for 100,001-500,000 users and increasing to $0.50 per user for over 1 million users; (3) It establishes one-time public safety funding for local and tribal governments, requiring a report on the allocation of these funds. The changes directly affect Minnesota homeowners, social media businesses with significant Minnesota user bases, and local government entities.

Maddy summarySF 4032 prohibits for-profit health insurance carriers in Minnesota from setting lower reimbursement rates for anesthesia services based solely on a provider's license type or title, as long as the provider is practicing within their legally authorized scope. This law directly affects for-profit health insurance companies and anesthesia providers, ensuring they cannot discriminate in payments due to a provider's specific license (e.g., nurse anesthetist vs. physician anesthesiologist). The bill takes effect January 1, 2027, applying to all health plans offered, issued, or renewed on or after that date. It does not restrict rate-setting based on other factors, only differential rates tied to license type.

Maddy summarySF 4029 would appropriate $4 million from state bonds to fund a Washington County facility that processes wood waste and diseased trees into sustainable products. The bill authorizes the state to sell up to $4 million in bonds to cover costs for acquiring land, designing, constructing, and equipping the facility. Washington County directly benefits as the recipient of the grant for this regional processing project. The legislation focuses on funding infrastructure for waste conversion, with no additional policy changes beyond the bond appropriation.

Maddy summarySF 4023 would amend Minnesota law to allow public schools to temporarily remove kindergarten through grade 3 students for up to two days (one partial day and one full day) immediately after a disciplinary incident. This brief removal period is specifically intended to enable schools to communicate with parents or guardians about the incident and then return the student to full classroom participation. The bill maintains the general prohibition on disciplinary dismissals for these young students but creates this narrow exception for immediate communication. It does not permit longer suspensions or expulsions without meeting strict safety conditions, and takes effect for the 2026-2027 school year.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SF 3489) shortens the time limit for filing medical malpractice lawsuits in Minnesota from four years to two years after the injury occurs. It also caps noneconomic damages (for pain, suffering, and inconvenience) at $500,000 per case and restricts judgments against healthcare providers' personal income or assets unless the provider acted willfully/maliciously or lacked $1 million in insurance coverage. The changes apply to lawsuits filed on or after August 1, 2025, directly affecting patients seeking compensation and healthcare providers facing liability. Key provisions include the reduced filing deadline, damage limits, and asset protection rules for providers.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SF 3553) requires Minnesota public school districts and charter schools to allow students in grades 9-12 to possess and administer opiate antagonists (like naloxone) to other students experiencing a suspected opioid overdose. It directly affects high school students and school staff by expanding access to life-saving overdose reversal medication during school hours. The law amends statute 121A.224 to mandate this policy, ensuring students have legal protection under section 604A.04 when using these medications appropriately. The bill focuses on concrete policy change: making naloxone available to students in schools without requiring additional permissions.

Maddy summarySF 3902 requires Minnesota ambulance services to collect and annually report specific prehospital care data for all emergency responses. The bill mandates reporting on call volume, dispatch reasons, response modes, transport destinations, patient fee information, and mutual aid activity by municipality. This data must be submitted to the state director of Emergency Medical Services, who will then make it publicly available each year. The requirement applies to all ambulance services operating within Minnesota's municipal boundaries and takes effect on August 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies which vehicles require auto insurers to pay a 50-cent surcharge per six months of comprehensive coverage. It expands the list of covered vehicles to include fleet vehicles and recreational vehicles, while removing the previous exclusion for vehicles over 10,000 pounds. Insurers must collect this surcharge separately from premiums and send the revenue to the state's automobile theft prevention program. The change directly affects insurers writing comprehensive auto policies for these specific vehicle types in Minnesota.