Sen. Ron Latz

Maddy summarySF 1289 creates criminal immunity for pregnant individuals in Minnesota, preventing charges or convictions for conduct that would not be criminal if they were not pregnant. It directly affects pregnant people who might otherwise face prosecution for actions like drug use (prescribed or not), experiencing abuse, domestic violence, or failing to maintain optimal physical health. The bill adds Section 609.077 to Minnesota Statutes, establishing that such conduct cannot form the basis of a criminal charge or conviction. This policy change shifts legal focus from punishing pregnant individuals for these circumstances to addressing the underlying issues. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires courts to appoint an independent legal reviewer (an attorney adviser or guardian ad litem) for settlement agreements in civil cases where a party has a diagnosed brain injury causing mental or cognitive impairment. The reviewer assesses whether a proposed settlement is in the best interest of that party, considering factors like their medical history, reasonable preferences, coverage of medical expenses, and financial impact on dependents. It also mandates a study by the attorney general on how Minnesota's 2022 structured settlement law changes affected cases involving people with cognitive impairments or minors, with a report due to lawmakers by January 2026. The bill directly affects individuals with brain injuries in settlement negotiations and aims to ensure their settlements are fair and informed.

Maddy summaryThe Minnesota Business Filing Fraud Prevention Act creates a process for reporting and removing fraudulent business filings. It allows a complainant (such as a business owner, employee, or person connected to a business) to submit a detailed report to the Secretary of State if they believe a filing was unauthorized and intended to alter business records or register a business using another person's identity. The Secretary of State notifies the business owner (filers) within 21 days to respond; if they fail to respond, the filing is automatically deemed fraudulent and removed. False statements in these reports are subject to criminal penalties under Minnesota law.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Minnesota law to expand the criminal offense of damaging or stealing telecommunications equipment to explicitly include broadband and cable services. It adds "broadband services, cable services, radio transmitters and receivers, satellite equipment, microwave equipment, and other transporting media including wire, cable, fiber, poles, and conduit" to the list of protected infrastructure under Minnesota Statutes §609.593. The law now covers equipment used for transmitting or transporting these services, such as routers, fiber lines, and poles. This change directly affects anyone who intentionally damages or removes such infrastructure without authorization. The policy update ensures existing penalties for damaging telecom equipment apply to modern broadband and cable systems.

Maddy summaryMinnesota Senate File 1719 creates a 11-member Task Force on Mandatory Minimum Sentences to study current sentencing practices. The task force will collect and analyze data on charges, convictions, and sentences involving mandatory minimums (like those in statutes 152.021, 152.022, and 609.11), including how often judges or prosecutors mitigate these sentences. It will assess whether current laws promote public safety and sentencing equity, and gather input from defense attorneys, victims' groups, and people impacted by mandatory minimums. The task force must report findings and recommendations to the legislature by August 2026, but the bill itself does not change sentencing laws.

Maddy summarySF 2746 requires Minnesota law enforcement agencies to use the national eTrace firearm tracing system and submit ballistics data to the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) when recovering or confiscating firearms. It defines "recovered or confiscated" firearms broadly to include those found at crime scenes, seized, forfeited, abandoned, or connected to criminal activity. Agencies must register for eTrace, report firearm details immediately after recovery, arrange for test firing (with results submitted to NIBIN), and submit shell casing ballistics data to NIBIN. This applies to all Minnesota law enforcement agencies and aims to improve firearm tracing for criminal investigations.

Maddy summarySF 2745 establishes a statewide network of at least five regional housing navigators (one per region) to directly assist families using rental vouchers (like Section 8 housing) in finding suitable housing, communicating with landlords, and accessing resources. It creates a "housing choice voucher account" to fund incentives for affordable rental housing providers, covering costs such as signing bonuses, lease setup, holding units for voucher recipients, and repairs. The commissioner of the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency must annually report to the legislature on improvements to voucher programs, focusing on portability, streamlined processes, consistent inspections, and program enhancements. These provisions aim to strengthen the housing voucher system for low-income renters and support housing providers.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes the $500 minimum fine for drivers who fail to stop for school buses when the stop-signal arm is extended. It amends Minnesota Statutes section 169.444 to eliminate the mandatory $500 penalty, allowing courts to impose fines without a minimum amount. The law directly affects drivers who violate basic school bus stop-signal requirements. The change applies only to the standard violation penalty (not the more severe gross misdemeanor penalties for passing a bus).

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits employers from misclassifying employees to avoid providing proper wages or benefits. Specifically, it amends Minnesota law to ban employers from placing workers in job categories or titles that falsely represent their actual duties, experience, or responsibilities (e.g., labeling a full-time worker as an independent contractor). The law directly affects employers who misclassify workers and protects employees who are denied rightful compensation, overtime, or benefits due to inaccurate job classifications. It adds a specific prohibition to Minnesota Statutes § 181.03, making such misclassification a clear violation.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands Minnesota's definition of "endangered" for the missing and endangered persons program. It adds specific circumstances that would trigger this status, including medical needs requiring immediate care, mental impairments (like dementia or Alzheimer's), lack of a history of running away, past threats of violence, and being lost in wilderness areas. Law enforcement agencies would use this broader definition to determine when a missing person case requires urgent search and rescue efforts. The change directly affects how police respond to missing persons reports under existing protocols.