Sen. Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Minnesota's business services laws to improve how the Secretary of State handles unpaid filing fees and manages liens on business property. It allows the Secretary of State to refuse future filings from individuals with rejected payments, terminate inactive business entities, and pursue collection of outstanding fees. The legislation also modernizes lien procedures by enabling electronic filing and establishing a centralized database for lien notices, renewals, and releases. Additionally, it requires the Secretary of State to organize financing statement information into a master list categorized by farm product for better record-keeping. These changes directly affect business entities, employers, and the Secretary of State's office by streamlining administrative processes and clarifying enforcement mechanisms.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the sale and use of paraquat dichloride, a pesticide, in Minnesota. Starting January 1, 2027, no one can sell or distribute this pesticide, and by January 1, 2028, its use is also banned. The state's agriculture commissioner will collect and dispose of any prohibited stockpiles and must submit a report by January 1, 2028, detailing past usage and supply chain status to legislative committees. These measures directly affect farmers, pesticide distributors, and state agricultural regulators. The legislation aims to remove paraquat dichloride from the market through a phased timeline while ensuring proper disposal and oversight.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes adding a new provision to the Minnesota Constitution that would allow the state to take on debt specifically for purchasing, installing, maintaining, and upgrading digital infrastructure used by state government agencies and courts. If approved by voters at the 2026 general election, this change would enable the state to use general obligation debt to fund hardware and software systems owned or used by constitutional officers, executive agencies, the legislature, legislative agencies, and state courts. The amendment would be placed on the ballot with a yes or no question asking whether the state should be authorized to use debt for improving its digital infrastructure.

Maddy summaryThis bill restricts public utilities in Minnesota from including certain expenses in the rates charged to customers. It prohibits utilities from recovering costs related to executive compensation over $300,000 for their ten highest-paid officers, as well as expenses for advertising, lobbying, political contributions, charitable donations, travel, and other specified categories. Utilities must submit detailed annual reports to regulators listing these expenses by category, including dates, amounts, vendors, and business purposes. If a utility violates these rules, regulators can require refunds to customers plus interest and impose penalties equal to 200 percent of the improperly recovered amount. The bill does not limit compensation paid from sources other than ratepayers, such as investor funds.

Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies the Minnesota Attorney General's role when bringing civil law enforcement actions on behalf of the state, ensuring the Attorney General acts in the public interest rather than as a legal representative for any specific state agency. It establishes that other state departments and agencies are generally not parties to these lawsuits and their records are protected from discovery unless they are specifically named in the case. The legislation also confirms that each state agency remains the sole custodian of its own records and prevents internal sharing of attorney-client privileged information between the Attorney General's prosecution divisions and other parts of the Office. These changes aim to define boundaries between the Attorney General's independent enforcement authority and the operational independence of other state government entities.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs Minnesota's commissioner of health to conduct a comprehensive study on how the state can support innovations in cell and gene therapies for treating rare diseases. The study will examine current research capacity, healthcare infrastructure, workforce needs, funding options, and access barriers across the state, with input from patients, healthcare providers, industry experts, and other stakeholders. By January 1, 2028, the commissioner must submit a report to the legislature with findings and recommendations for strategic investments, policy changes, and regulatory actions to advance these therapies. The bill also defines key terms such as cell and gene therapy and rare disease to establish a clear framework for the study.

Maddy summarySF 3753 modifies Minnesota's sales tax law to exempt certain nonprofit organizations from paying tax on prepared food purchases. Specifically, it adds a new provision (subdivision 4(e)) clarifying that prepared food bought by nonprofits operating for charitable, religious, or educational purposes is tax-exempt when distributed as part of their exempt activities. This directly affects nonprofits like community kitchens, shelters, or schools that serve meals while conducting their core mission. The change removes a current tax barrier for these organizations, effective for sales after June 30, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies how Minnesota counties contribute to administrative costs for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). It changes state statutes to adjust the financial responsibility counties have for covering the administrative expenses associated with running SNAP programs. The legislation directly affects county agencies that manage SNAP operations and the state Department of Human Services that oversees these programs. By amending specific sections of Minnesota law, the bill establishes new requirements for how administrative cost shares are calculated and managed between state and local governments. The change aims to clarify the financial relationship between the state and counties regarding SNAP administration without altering benefit eligibility or amounts for recipients.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $200,000 from Minnesota's general fund in fiscal year 2027 to provide a grant to Helping Paws, Inc. The funding supports the organization's work in breeding, training, and placing service dogs for individuals with physical disabilities, veterans and first responders with service-related PTSD, and professionals in courthouse, educational, and mental health settings. The appropriation is designated as a one-time honorarium in memory of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman. The bill also allows the commissioner of health to accept private donations to supplement the state funding, with all such donations deposited in a dedicated account that expires on July 1, 2028.

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution formally honors Terese Hemmingsen for her significant contributions to nursing in Minnesota. The measure recognizes her extensive clinical experience, academic leadership, and development of scholarship programs that support nursing students. It directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare an official copy of the resolution and send it to Ms. Hemmingsen as a gesture of appreciation.