Sen. Bill Lieske

Maddy summaryThis bill allows Minnesota counties and municipalities to delay compliance with certain state mandates until the state provides the necessary funding to cover the costs. It defines these mandates as those that affect daily operations, change resource allocation, or alter spending priorities for local governments. The law applies only to state mandates that take effect after June 30, 2026, ensuring local governments are not required to implement unfunded requirements from that date forward.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a tax subtraction for Minnesota residents who receive medals or prize money from the United States Olympic Committee for competing in the Olympic or Paralympic Games. The provision allows athletes to exclude the value of these awards from their state taxable income, starting for tax years beginning after December 31, 2025. By amending Minnesota Statutes 290.0132, the legislation adds a specific category of income that can be subtracted when calculating state income tax liability. The bill does not affect other types of income or tax calculations beyond this specific Olympic-related provision.

Maddy summaryThis bill repeals the hospital construction moratorium in Minnesota and allows hospitals to continue any construction exemptions they previously received under the old law. It directly affects hospitals and the state health commissioner by removing restrictions on building new beds, relocating facilities, or expanding existing hospital capacity. The legislation keeps existing exemption conditions in place and updates inspection rules to focus on accredited hospitals while maintaining oversight through validation surveys. Additionally, the bill prevents license renewal for hospitals that fail to meet the original conditions of their construction exemptions.

Maddy summaryThis bill defines misuse of earned sick and safe time in Minnesota and outlines specific situations where employers may request documentation from employees. It states that misuse occurs when employees use this leave for purposes not covered by the law, removing certain employee protections in such cases. The bill also allows employers to ask for reasonable documentation when there is a pattern of suspected misuse, such as repeatedly taking leave before or after scheduled days off, using small increments of time at shift boundaries, or taking leave on days when other paid leave was previously denied. Employers must follow existing rules when requesting documentation and cannot be considered retaliatory for doing so.

Maddy summaryThis bill limits the duration of orderly annexation agreements in Minnesota to a maximum of ten years and clarifies that nonparties cannot annex property covered by such agreements. It also narrows the specific conditions under which municipalities can annex land through ordinances, removing previous provisions that allowed annexation based on land being completely surrounded by municipal limits and eliminating a clause that required 60 percent of an area's perimeter to be bordered by the municipality. The law applies to agreements entered into on or after August 1, 2027, and requires that municipalities must follow the procedures outlined in an orderly annexation agreement if one exists for the property in question.

Maddy summarySF 1746 modifies Minnesota's licensing rules for acupuncture and herbal medicine practitioners. It clarifies that "acupuncture" now explicitly includes techniques like dry needling and trigger point therapy, and defines "acupuncture needle" with specific size and material standards. The bill also updates continuing education requirements to ensure programs directly relate to acupuncture practice while excluding practice management courses. Additionally, it establishes an advisory council for the acupuncture board with specific membership criteria, including licensed practitioners and NCCAOM-certified professionals. These changes aim to standardize definitions and training for practitioners under Minnesota's health licensing framework.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the City of Northfield to impose a local sales and use tax of up to 0.5% with voter approval, which would directly affect residents and businesses in the city. The tax revenue must be used exclusively for three specific projects: $2.8 million for the Northfield Public Library, $2.8 million for the Community Resource Center, and $7.5 million for interconnected Riverfront Parks. The legislation also grants the city authority to issue up to $13.1 million in bonds to finance these projects, with the tax revenue serving as a source of repayment. The tax would expire after 20 years or once the projects are fully funded, whichever comes first, with any remaining funds going to the city's general fund.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's human services laws to exempt counties classified as economically distressed from paying their share of costs for certain mental health and substance use disorder services. A county is considered economically distressed if more than 15 percent of its population lives in poverty and over 70 percent of its land area is exempt from property taxation. The legislation also appropriates new funding for opioid overdose prevention, traditional healing practices for American Indians, safe recovery sites, and child protection services related to addiction. These changes directly affect county governments, the state Department of Human Services, and communities struggling with substance use disorder and economic hardship.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands Minnesota's doxxing law to protect not only law enforcement officials but also their family and household members from having personal information shared publicly. It defines protected information to include phone numbers, email addresses, home addresses, directions to homes, and photographs of individuals or their residences. The law requires that sharing this information creates an imminent and serious threat to safety, and it increases penalties by making violations felonies punishable by up to two years in prison or a $4,000 fine when victims suffer great bodily harm or death. The bill also establishes that repeat offenders will face felony charges rather than misdemeanor penalties. These changes will take effect on August 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Minnesota Department of Human Services and related agencies to compare actual spending against previously forecasted budgets for specific programs. It mandates that the legislative auditor conduct audits to investigate significant deviations between projected and actual expenditures, with the option to accept department explanations if they are deemed reasonable. The legislation also establishes a process for contingent program cancellations if spending variances exceed specified thresholds and requires quarterly public reporting of actual expenditures beginning in 2027. Additionally, the bill directs how budget forecasts should account for potential program reductions and requires notifications to legislative committees when spending deviations occur.