Sen. Ann Johnson Stewart

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a Greenhouse Gas Pollution Superfund in Minnesota that would charge fossil fuel companies for emissions produced between 1995 and 2026. The program targets businesses that extracted or refined fossil fuels and are responsible for more than one billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions during that period. Money collected from these charges would be placed in a dedicated account to fund climate change adaptation projects for state, local, and Tribal governments, as well as disadvantaged communities. The state commissioner would determine how much each company must pay based on their emissions and distribute funds according to adopted rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota laws governing how coroners and medical examiners handle personal property found with unidentified or unclaimed decedents. It allows officials to store, bury with, or dispose of such property rather than automatically releasing it to the county for sale. The changes also update procedures for inventorying property, determining who may claim it, and using sale proceeds to cover reasonable expenses. These provisions directly affect county coroners, medical examiners, and the families or estates of deceased individuals whose property is in custody.

Maddy summaryMinnesota bill SF 3987 extends the deadline for filing vehicle title transfers from 10 to 20 calendar days after a sale, affecting new vehicle owners and dealers who must submit transfer paperwork. It modifies rental motor vehicle license plate eligibility by including one-ton pickup trucks in the definition of "rental motor vehicle" and adjusts requirements for auto rental companies. The bill also makes technical corrections to several vehicle registration statutes, including updating deadlines for dealers to file transfer applications and clarifying when registration taxes must be paid. These changes aim to streamline the title transfer process and update eligibility criteria for rental vehicle licensing.

Maddy summarySF 3685 prohibits Minnesota public libraries, school libraries, and the Minitex network from entering contracts with publishers that restrict their ability to lend digital books and audiobooks. The bill bans terms that prevent libraries from loaning digital materials, including through interlibrary loans, or limit standard lending functions. It only applies after Minnesota's secretary of state confirms other states with at least 7 million combined population have enacted similar laws. This ensures libraries maintain control over digital lending without restrictive publisher terms.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires large industrial or commercial groundwater users - such as data centers or major facilities whose new or additional water use would exceed 100 million gallons per year or 50% of a municipality's current annual water allocation - to apply for their own water-use permits instead of modifying existing municipal permits. It mandates that the state department prepare a draft permit and allow a 30-day public comment period before issuing a permit for these large users. Additionally, these users must report their water usage monthly by the 15th of each month, while other users report annually. The changes aim to improve transparency, ensure public health and watershed protections, and prevent conflicts in water use.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires drivers to stop at least 20 feet away from a school bus displaying flashing red lights while children are boarding or exiting. It directly affects all drivers approaching school buses on Minnesota roads, mandating they remain stopped until the red lights cease flashing. The bill also adds a new provision warning drivers that amber lights indicate red lights will soon activate, requiring them to prepare to stop. These changes aim to improve safety for children near school bus stops. The bill is currently pending passage after committee approval.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's regulations on importing, stocking, and transferring fish eggs and aquatic life in aquaculture facilities. It directly affects licensed aquaculture operations, permit holders, and the commissioner of natural resources by updating disease testing and import requirements. The key changes allow certain fish species with specific diseases to be imported or transferred under approved treatment protocols and adjust disease-free history requirements based on facility type and disease status. The bill also clarifies rules for stocking private aquatic life into public waters and establishes conditions under which fish with particular pathogens may be moved between facilities or into areas where those diseases already exist.

Maddy summarySF 3684 modifies Minnesota's Mary C. Murphy Library Construction Grants Program to increase the maximum grant amount for library renovations, expansions, or new construction from $1 million to $2 million (or 50% of approved costs, whichever is less). It changes the required matching funds from "local" to "non-state" funds, allowing libraries to use broader non-state funding sources like private donations or local revenue. The bill appropriates $10 million in state bond proceeds to fund the program, with bonds authorized for sale to cover this cost. These changes will take effect for grants awarded after June 30, 2026, directly affecting public library jurisdictions statewide.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new Land Monument Protection Fund in Minnesota to support the Public Land Survey System monument grant program. It establishes new recording fees for mortgages and deeds that will be collected by county recorders and deposited into this fund. The mortgage recording fee is set at 0.23% of the debt amount, while deed recording fees vary based on transfer value, ranging from a flat $1.65 to 0.33% of net consideration for larger transfers. All revenue generated from these fees will be used to fund the monument grant program, with the changes taking effect on July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new stewardship program for batteries in Minnesota and prohibits mercury in batteries, affecting manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of battery products. The legislation creates specific definitions for terms like "covered battery," "brand," and "distribute" to clarify which products fall under the program and how sales are handled. It also modifies existing rules for lead acid batteries and rechargeable consumer products while authorizing the state agency to create implementing rules and appropriating funds for the program. The bill includes an effective date of January 1, 2030, for enforcement provisions and July 1, 2026, for certain definition changes, with some existing battery-related statutes being repealed or amended.