Sen. Erin Maye Quade

Maddy summaryThis bill (SF 197) would require Minnesota school districts to add two student members to their school boards starting in the 2025-2026 school year. Student members must be enrolled in grades 9-12 at the district, live in the district, and serve two-year terms (with a maximum of two terms). Districts must create a voting process where all enrolled students in grades 9-12 can select the student members, and students gain full voting rights on school board matters. The bill also updates training requirements for all school board members, including students, to cover school finance and management. This directly affects all Minnesota public school districts and high school students seeking board representation.

Maddy summarySF 1682 modifies Minnesota's definition of "child in need of protection or services" to clarify when a child is considered without necessary care due to a physical, mental, or emotional condition. It specifically states that a parent or guardian cannot be deemed unable or unwilling to provide special care if a child remains hospitalized because residential treatment is unavailable or safe discharge isn't possible due to service gaps. The bill directly affects children with medical conditions and their families, preventing automatic neglect findings when hospitalization results from systemic care access issues. This change aims to reduce unnecessary child welfare interventions in cases where families are actively seeking but cannot access required services.

Maddy summaryMinnesota's SF 3611 limits immigration enforcement access to school sites. The bill requires school employees to refuse entry to federal, state, or local immigration officials without a judicial warrant, verify their identification, and only allow access to areas specified in the warrant. School staff must immediately notify school leadership and legal counsel when granting such entry. This applies to all public school districts and charter schools, but does not affect officials administering educational programs. The bill aims to prevent immigration enforcement actions on school property without court authorization.

Maddy summarySF 3984 prohibits health insurance companies (health carriers) in Minnesota from using algorithms or artificial intelligence to approve or deny patient requests for prior authorization on medical treatments. The bill directly affects insurers and the patients whose care requests they review, banning automated decision-making tools in this specific process. It amends Minnesota law to require human review for all prior authorization decisions, effective January 1, 2026, for plans offered or renewed after that date. This is a concrete policy change requiring insurers to manually evaluate these requests instead of relying on AI-driven systems.

Maddy summarySF 3831 clarifies that earned wage access payday loans are explicitly included within Minnesota's definitions of consumer small and short-term loans. This means lenders offering these loans must now comply with the same licensing requirements, fee limits, and registration rules that apply to other small and short-term lenders. The bill affects all businesses providing earned wage access services to Minnesota residents, including online or mobile app-based lenders without a physical Minnesota location. This clarification ensures these loans are subject to the same consumer protections, such as annual percentage rate calculations and restrictions on non-interest fees.

Maddy summarySF 4011 requires teacher preparation programs in Minnesota to include a supervised early literacy field experience for candidates preparing to teach early reading. This applies to programs enrolling students in the 2027-2028 school year or later, mandating integration with evidence-based reading instruction and opportunities to apply proven literacy practices. The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board must create rules defining which licensure areas require this experience, setting scope and outcomes, ensuring school-based placements during instructional hours (with limited waivers), and requiring actionable feedback. The bill appropriates funds for the board's rulemaking process and takes effect July 1, 2026. It directly affects teacher candidates, preparation programs, and the state's educator licensing standards.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Minnesota Migration Act Account to fund a study and provide reparation grants for American descendants of chattel slavery residing in Minnesota. It creates a dedicated account in the state treasury, appropriates funds to the commissioner of human rights for administering grants, and requires a report on the study's findings. The bill directly affects eligible Black Minnesotans who are descendants of enslaved people, aiming to address historical racial disparities. Key mechanisms include the grant program administration by the commissioner of human rights and the mandatory study to inform future reparations. The bill also includes a formal state apology for historical injustices against Black Minnesotans, as detailed in its findings.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SF 3909) repeals a 2025 law (Laws 2025, First Special Session chapter 10, article 7, section 8) that required Minnesota to assume a $250 million annual reduction in special education aid funding starting July 2027. The repeal removes the mechanism that would have triggered further funding cuts if savings from special education reforms fell short of $250 million. By eliminating this contingent reduction, the bill ensures special education aid appropriations will not be automatically reduced based on that assumption. The change takes effect July 1, 2026, directly affecting how state funding for public school special education programs is calculated.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies regulations for large data centers in Minnesota. It requires preapplication discussions with the state for data centers exceeding 100 million gallons per year in water use to assess water availability, while specifying their environmental review requirements. The bill removes data centers' energy consumption from utility energy savings goals, exempts them from contributing to energy conservation plans, and imposes a new fee on data centers. It also establishes energy efficiency requirements for data centers, adjusts how they're classified as "large energy facilities," and mandates a new tariff for their electricity use through the Public Utilities Commission. These changes directly affect data center operators and utilities managing energy programs.

Maddy summarySF 3986 allows Minnesota school districts and charter schools to count all students enrolled before November 1, 2025, who have not transferred to another Minnesota school, toward their average daily membership for the entire 2025-2026 school year. This ensures these students' enrollment continues to count for funding purposes, preventing potential budget disruptions for districts. The provision applies only to the 2025-2026 school year and takes effect retroactively from November 1, 2025. It does not alter general enrollment rules for other school years.