Sen. Bonnie Westlin

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a uniform process for handling firearm restrictions when children are involved in abuse cases or need protection services in Minnesota. It requires that petitions filed by individuals for children in need of protection include a description of any firearms believed to be possessed by the abusing party or present in the child's home. The legislation also mandates that courts prohibit abusing parties from possessing firearms for the duration of protective orders when specific conditions are met, and requires those individuals to transfer their firearms to licensed dealers, law enforcement, or other authorized parties within three business days. These changes directly affect judges, social service agencies, law enforcement, and individuals involved in child protection and domestic abuse proceedings.

Maddy summarySF 3602, the Uniform Electronic Estate Planning Documents Act, allows Minnesotans to create, sign, and store certain estate planning documents electronically with the same legal validity as paper documents. It specifically covers non-will documents like powers of attorney, health care directives (including living wills), trust instruments, and guardianship nominations, but excludes real estate deeds and vehicle titles. The bill establishes clear definitions for "electronic signature," "electronic record," and "electronic presence" to ensure these digital documents meet legal standards for authenticity and execution. This change directly affects individuals creating estate plans, their legal representatives, and healthcare providers who handle these documents.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires law enforcement agencies to disclose the name, product number, and quantity of chemical irritants (like pepper spray) used during specific operations in buildings. It applies when officers execute search warrants, apprehend suspects, or attempt to apprehend suspects. Upon request, agencies must share this information with building owners, tenants, insurers, and cleaning/remediation service providers. The disclosure must be made regardless of data classification rules, ensuring transparency about chemical deployments. The bill directly affects law enforcement practices and building occupants' awareness of chemical exposure.

Maddy summaryHF 3769 clarifies and expands health care requirements for people in Minnesota's correctional facilities. It updates tuberculosis screening rules to require testing within 14 days of intake and annually, with options including blood tests or X-rays, and adds procedures for court-ordered testing if inmates refuse. The bill also requires correctional facilities to establish at least one mental health unit for short-term care and expands access by allowing transfers for "assessment, evaluation, or stabilization" when needed. Additionally, it aligns substance use disorder treatment programs with community standards while allowing flexibility for correctional settings. These changes directly affect incarcerated individuals and staff across Minnesota's state correctional facilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies how courts publish notices and modifies several legal procedures in Minnesota, including changes to restitution rules, conciliation court jurisdiction, juror data collection, and no-fault arbitration thresholds. It expands the amount eligible for mandatory binding arbitration from $10,000 to $20,000 and updates how certain personal data, such as race and ethnicity information, is shared with the judicial branch for jury selection purposes. The legislation also allows district courts to publish their own notices online and adjusts the conciliation court's monetary limits for handling civil claims. Additionally, it clarifies how Social Security numbers and other sensitive driver data are shared with specific government agencies and modifies the expiration date for the Supreme Court Council on Child Protection.

Maddy summaryThis bill makes several changes to Minnesota election administration, including updates to absentee voting procedures, ballot delivery timelines, and the use of the statewide voter registration system. It directly affects county auditors, municipal clerks, and voters by establishing new requirements for how absentee ballots are mailed and delivered, specifying that ballots must be sent at least 46 days before regular elections and 30 days before March town elections. The legislation also clarifies rules for clerks administering elections in cities spanning multiple counties, requires training on secure access to the voter registration system, and prohibits absentee ballots from being sent to state correctional facilities. Additionally, the bill includes technical clarifications to existing election laws and appropriates funding to support these administrative changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's lobbying reporting and disclosure requirements, affecting organizations that lobby state officials. It requires lobbyists to report spending on different types of lobbying activities, including direct payments to lobbyists, advertising, research, and administrative overhead, with amounts rounded to the nearest $5,000. The bill also establishes new rules for disclaimers on paid advertisements that urge the public to contact officials, requiring the advertiser's name and contact information to be clearly visible in various formats including social media, websites, and outdoor signs. Organizations that do not file lobbying reports are exempt from the disclaimer requirement, and violations can result in civil penalties of up to $3,000.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes reducing state financial aid by 10% for any Minnesota county or city that displays a state flag different from the officially certified design. To enforce this, the state's commissioner of revenue would cut aid payments for the year following any instance where a local government uses the incorrect flag, and affected localities must notify the commissioner annually by December 31. The penalty applies specifically to aid distributed under state statutes and would only take effect starting with payments made in 2027.

Maddy summarySF 3600 establishes a lifetime ban on firearm possession for individuals convicted of certain misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor domestic assault offenses in Minnesota. The bill directly affects people found guilty of these specific domestic violence-related assaults, prohibiting them from owning or possessing firearms for life. It amends Minnesota Statutes to implement this ban, changing existing law to require that such convictions automatically trigger the firearm prohibition. The law applies to offenses classified as misdemeanors or gross misdemeanors under Minnesota's domestic assault statutes, not felony domestic violence cases. This is a substantive policy change to restrict firearm access for a specific category of domestic violence offenders.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SF 4006) modifies Minnesota's election administration rules, primarily affecting county auditors, municipal clerks, and voters. Key changes include requiring clerks to have technical capacity and training to access the statewide voter registration system, extending absentee ballot delivery timelines to 46 days before most elections, and adding procedures to prevent absentee ballots from being mailed to incarcerated voters. It also updates how voter information is recorded in the state system when absentee ballots are processed. These changes aim to standardize election operations while clarifying responsibilities for local election officials.