Sen. Erin Maye Quade

Maddy summarySF 510 establishes a three-year pilot program (2026-2029) to increase access to advanced coursework in six Minnesota school districts or charter schools. It requires participating schools to automatically enroll eligible students in advanced courses (like AP, college-level dual credit, or honors classes) based on meeting state test standards or earning top grades, while allowing parents to opt their child out. The bill appropriates funds to cover AP exam fees for all automatically enrolled students, support teacher training, provide instructional materials, and offer tutoring, with specific requirements to recruit teachers of color and report data on student participation and outcomes. Schools must notify parents in multiple languages about the enrollment policy and track participation data by student group.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $8.4 million from the general fund for fiscal year 2026 to provide grants to school districts, nonpublic schools, charter schools, and school bus service companies. The funds are specifically for purchasing and installing camera systems that capture vehicles passing stopped school buses with flashing lights. The commissioner of public safety must distribute these grants following existing requirements from 2021 legislation, and the one-time appropriation expires June 30, 2027. The policy directly affects school transportation safety by funding technology to enforce stop-signal laws.

Maddy summarySF 1837 clarifies how Minnesota school districts can use state funds for student support personnel (like counselors, psychologists, and nurses). It specifies that these funds can be used to hire new staff, increase part-time positions, make temporary pandemic-related hires permanent, or pay for contracted services from licensed professionals if new hires aren't possible. The bill also allows districts to maintain existing support positions if they provide assurance they would otherwise be eliminated. This applies to school districts, charter schools, and cooperative education units using state aid for student support services. The changes take effect for fiscal year 2025 and later.

Maddy summarySF 1852 expands Minnesota's dependent care credit to make it more accessible for families. It directly affects Minnesota taxpayers with qualifying dependent care expenses, particularly parents of young children. Key provisions include establishing a new "Great Start child care credit" for infants under one year, allowing deemed expenses for care provided in licensed family day care homes operated by parents, and simplifying documentation requirements. The bill adjusts credit calculations to exclude certain support programs from dependency determinations and clarifies income thresholds for eligibility. These changes aim to increase the credit amount available for eligible families with childcare costs.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Minnesota Medicaid to cover home birth services for low-risk pregnancies under specific conditions. It directly affects pregnant people choosing home births and eligible providers (certified midwives, nurse-midwives, physicians, or physician assistants). To qualify, recipients must be deemed low-risk with documented prenatal care, have a care plan including consent forms and hospital transfer options, and receive services from an approved provider. Coverage includes prenatal, labor, birth, and postpartum care, with providers paid at 100% of physician rates and facility services at 70% of hospital rates for uncomplicated deliveries.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $96.565 million annually for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 from the general fund to the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families for its Early Learning Scholarships program. The funding directly supports low-income families with young children by expanding access to subsidized early childhood education. It adds this amount to the program’s existing base funding, increasing resources available for scholarships under Minnesota Statutes section 142D.25. The bill does not change eligibility rules or program structure, only providing new funding for current operations.

Maddy summarySF 1591 clarifies the age limit for Minnesota students with disabilities to receive special education services. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes section 125A.03 to specify that services must continue until July 1 after a child turns 22, but cannot extend beyond the completion of secondary school or its equivalent. This directly affects students with disabilities transitioning from K-12 education who would otherwise lose eligibility mid-year upon turning 22. The key provision ensures continuity of services through the end of the school year following a student's 22nd birthday, aligning with federal requirements. The change takes effect for the 2025-2026 school year.

Maddy summarySF 1127, the Damon Leivestad Direct Care Sustainability Act, modifies Minnesota's medical assistance program to directly support employed people with disabilities aged 65 and older. It eliminates asset limits (previously $3,000 individual/$6,000 household) and medical assistance premiums for this group, while establishing new enhanced payment rates for community-based direct care services and supports. The bill also creates "employment incentives asset accounts" allowing these individuals to save up to $17,000 in nonexcluded assets without affecting eligibility. These changes aim to improve financial stability for working people with disabilities and strengthen payment structures for direct care providers. The bill affects approximately 10,000 employed Minnesotans with disabilities aged 65+ and the community care workforce serving them.

Maddy summaryMinnesota Senate File 1597 eliminates fees for certified birth certificates for newborns under one year old. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes section 144.226 to require that parents not be charged any fees for certified birth records when the child is less than a year old. This directly affects new parents who need official birth certificates for their infants. The key provision removes financial barriers to obtaining these essential documents during a child's first year of life.

Maddy summarySF 1570 provides a refundable sales tax exemption for building materials used in constructing Apple Valley's Central Maintenance Facility. The exemption applies to materials purchased between March 1, 2025, and August 1, 2028, with refunds processed starting July 1, 2025. The state appropriates funds from the general fund to cover these refunds, which are retroactive to purchases made after February 28, 2025. This directly affects the City of Apple Valley (as the project owner) and contractors/suppliers selling construction materials for the facility.