Sen. Eric Pratt

Maddy summarySF 1823 requires Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) to include specific details in its annual report to legislative committees about how state agencies are addressing audit recommendations from the Legislative Auditor. The bill mandates that for each recommendation, the report must detail: (1) actions taken, (2) completion status, (3) reasons for delays, (4) remaining work needed, and (5) a timeline for full resolution. This directly affects MMB and all executive agencies subject to Legislative Auditor audits. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes section 16A.057 to enforce these reporting requirements, effective January 15 annually.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $2.25 million from the general fund for fiscal year 2026 to the Neighborhood Development Center (NDC) to support small business programs. The funds will directly assist small businesses and entrepreneurs through training, lending, business services, real estate initiatives, and technical assistance - both within Minnesota’s seven-county metro area and outside it. The grant also covers one-on-one entrepreneur support and operations for a cybersecurity center. Unspent funds from the first year may carry over to the second year. This is a one-time appropriation with no further funding authorization.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows small employers (100 or fewer employees) to request refunds of special assessments they paid into Minnesota's workforce development fund. Refunded money must be used exclusively for training current Minnesota employees to upskill, advance careers, or increase salaries with their employer. The bill requires the workforce development commissioner to report annually on fund balances, collected assessments, and refunded amounts to the legislature starting in 2026. It becomes effective July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySF 1142 modifies Minnesota's net energy metering rules for small solar and renewable energy systems. It allows residential and small commercial customers with systems under 40 kilowatts to choose compensation at the average retail energy rate instead of the current avoided cost rate. This change applies when they send excess electricity back to the grid, directly affecting homeowners and small businesses with solar installations. The bill adjusts billing provisions for these systems under Minnesota Statutes 216B.164, giving customers a new option for how they're paid for surplus energy. The amendment focuses on updating compensation methods without changing the 40-kilowatt capacity threshold for small systems.

Maddy summaryThis bill makes the "Philando Castile Memorial Training Fund" an ongoing annual appropriation of $6 million starting in fiscal year 2026. It directly affects law enforcement agencies and training sponsors by providing ongoing reimbursement for approved courses focused on use of force (Minn. Stat. §626.8452), crisis response/conflict management/cultural diversity (§626.8469), and autism training (§626.8474). Key provisions require course sponsors to submit detailed applications including course outlines, instructor qualifications, and learning assessments, with the board reviewing courses annually to ensure they meet approved learning outcomes. The fund must first reimburse all eligible approved courses before potentially covering additional training.

Maddy summarySF 1609 clarifies a process for people convicted of certain felony murders to seek retroactive relief. It allows individuals convicted under Minnesota Statutes sections 609.185 (paragraph a, clause 3) or 609.19 (subdivision 2, clause 1) to petition courts if they prove they didn’t cause the death and either didn’t intentionally aid the killing or weren’t a major participant in the underlying felony. If approved, courts must vacate the original murder conviction and resentence the person for the most serious remaining offense, a related felony, or a lesser included offense. The bill ensures sentences don’t increase total confinement time and requires victim notification for any resentencing hearing.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $150,000 for fiscal year 2026 and $150,000 for fiscal year 2027 from the arts and cultural heritage fund to support the Hmong Cultural Center of Minnesota. The funds will be administered by the Minnesota Humanities Center Board of Directors to cover museum programs, library services, and educational classes. These activities specifically aim to teach the public about the historical, cultural, and folk arts heritage of Hmong Minnesotans. The bill directly affects the Hmong Cultural Center of Minnesota by providing dedicated funding for its core programming and outreach.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows volunteer emergency services providers (like firefighters, ambulance attendants, and paramedics with at least three years of service) to purchase up to four tires for their personal vehicle every three years using their municipality’s existing tire contract. The volunteer must pay for the tires, including taxes and fees, and the municipality must provide written authorization listing the volunteer’s service years, vehicle license plate, and the contract reference. It applies only to volunteers currently serving and requires municipalities to document each purchase. The bill creates a simple administrative process with no cost to the municipality.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows Minnesota's utility commission to temporarily suspend or delay implementation of carbon-free energy standards for electric utilities under specific circumstances. It requires the commission to evaluate factors like customer cost impacts, environmental costs, grid reliability, and whether delays stem from issues beyond the utility's control (such as equipment shortages or transmission constraints). Utilities requesting a delay must submit a compliance plan, and the commission must grant a two-year delay if equipment or transmission issues are beyond the utility's control. The bill does not change the carbon-free standards themselves but provides a mechanism for temporary relief when implementation would cause significant rate hikes, reliability concerns, or other documented challenges.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $10.8 million from state bond proceeds to reconstruct County State-Aid Highway 50 from Kenrick Avenue to Klamath Trail in Dakota County, as part of the Interstate 35 interchange project. The funds will cover design, construction, right-of-way acquisition, pedestrian/bike facilities, utility relocation, and stormwater management for the corridor. Dakota County and the city of Lakeville are the direct recipients for these mobility and safety improvements. The state will issue up to $10.8 million in bonds under existing statutes to finance this project, effective upon final enactment.