Sen. Erin Maye Quade

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's mandatory reporting requirements for child maltreatment, expanding the scope of who must report and clarifying penalties for failure to report. It includes clergy members and other religious ministers in the list of mandatory reporters, while protecting confidential communications that are otherwise privileged under state law. The legislation also strengthens criminal penalties, making failure to report a gross misdemeanor and elevating it to a felony when multiple children are involved, while adding civil liability for false reports. Additionally, the bill prohibits organizations from having policies that discourage mandatory reporters from making required reports.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows members of the Minnesota legislature to voluntarily choose to participate in the general state employees retirement plan through the Minnesota State Retirement System. It directly affects state legislators and modifies existing retirement statutes to include elected coverage for legislative members alongside current state employees. The key provision adds a new clause to the state's retirement laws, enabling legislators to opt into the same retirement plan as other classified state workers if they choose to do so. This change does not require legislators to join the plan but provides them with the option to elect coverage under the same terms as other state employees.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits retailers in Minnesota from using surveillance technology to set different prices for individual consumers or specific groups of people. It directly affects retail food stores and other businesses that might use cameras, facial recognition, or other monitoring tools to track shoppers and charge them varying amounts for the same items. The law defines surveillance-based price setting as offering customized prices based on data collected through electronic surveillance technology, including biometric data, browsing history, and other personal information. Retailers must instead use traditional pricing methods like shelf tags or signs that display the same price for all customers of a specific item. The bill aims to prevent discriminatory pricing practices while maintaining transparency in how prices are determined and displayed.

Maddy summaryMinnesota's SF 3695 requires a study of the economic impact of the federal Operation Metro Surge immigration enforcement operation. It appropriates funds to contract a nonpartisan entity to analyze effects on state agencies, businesses (including child care providers), counties, cities, school districts, and other local entities. The study must be completed and submitted to legislative committees by February 1, 2027. This is a procedural bill focused on gathering data, not implementing new policies.

Maddy summaryMinnesota's SF 4061 establishes the Minnesota Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (MNSNAP) to maintain food assistance for Minnesotans who lost federal SNAP benefits due to new restrictions after July 1, 2025. It directly affects vulnerable groups like veterans, seniors, people experiencing homelessness, foster youth aging out, and working parents who lost jobs. Key provisions require counties to conduct face-to-face assessments within 30 days of enrollment to identify barriers to federal SNAP eligibility, and transition participants back to federal benefits when they qualify. The bill also mandates a moratorium on terminating benefits for those without medical or behavioral health assessments by July 2026, ensuring continuity of support.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $1 million for fiscal year 2026 and $1 million for fiscal year 2027 from the general fund to support Minnesota's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Outreach Program. The funds will be administered by the commissioner of children, youth, and families to help connect eligible Minnesotans with food assistance programs. It directly affects low-income residents who may qualify for nutrition benefits but need help navigating the application process. The bill provides concrete funding for an existing outreach program under Minnesota Statutes § 142F.12, without changing eligibility rules or benefit amounts.

Maddy summarySF 1120 prohibits Minnesota government entities (like police departments and local agencies) from requesting or obtaining "reverse-location data" - information about the location of unnamed individuals' devices based on phone signals or Wi-Fi. The bill bans both direct requests to companies and court orders for this data, except during declared "sudden emergencies" like natural disasters or terrorist attacks. It also states that evidence obtained through illegal requests or orders cannot be used in any court case. Violating this law could lead to civil lawsuits against the government entity.

Maddy summarySF 2540 creates the Minnesota Young Readers Club program to provide monthly book deliveries to pre-K through 5th grade students reading below grade level. Eligible students include those identified through universal screening, scoring below proficiency on state assessments, or recommended by educators. The program requires the Department of Education to partner with an organization to distribute culturally relevant, age-appropriate books monthly to students' homes or schools, along with family support materials offering home literacy strategies in accessible formats. It also mandates a report on program implementation and outcomes, aligning with Minnesota's Read Well by Third Grade initiative.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $500,000 from the workforce development fund to support a local news talent pipeline program in Minnesota. The funds will be given to the Minnesota News Media Institute to create paid internships for Minnesotans interested in journalism careers across newspapers, television, radio, and digital news platforms. The program requires recipients to distribute opportunities geographically and consult with local news organization associations, while allowing up to five percent of funding for administrative costs. This one-time appropriation aims to strengthen Minnesota news outlets by encouraging more people to pursue careers in local news operations.

Maddy summarySF 3768 requires all health insurance plans in Minnesota to cover doula services - defined as childbirth support provided by a certified doula - without any out-of-pocket costs for enrollees (such as deductibles or co-pays). The bill prohibits health plans from imposing review requirements, referral limits, or quantity restrictions on this coverage. The commissioner of commerce will reimburse insurers for the added costs starting in fiscal year 2028, funded through state appropriations, with the policy taking effect January 1, 2027. This applies to all health plans offered after that date and modifies Medicaid coverage for doula services to align with these requirements.