Sen. Foung Hawj

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Minnesota employers to inform current employees within 72 hours if a federal immigration agency plans to inspect their employment eligibility records. It also mandates that employers prohibit federal immigration agents from entering nonpublic work areas, such as offices or storage rooms, unless the agents present a valid judicial warrant or court order. To support compliance, the state labor commissioner must provide a standardized notice template by August 2026, and employers face civil fines of up to $10,000 for failing to follow these notification and access rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a grant program to help small businesses in Minnesota that suffer financial losses due to nearby road construction projects. It requires the commissioner of employment and economic development to set up a system where local organizations distribute one-time payments to businesses with fewer than 25 employees located within 300 feet of a construction site. These grants can only be used for payroll, operating costs, or facility expenses, and funding comes from allocating one percent of each eligible project's total budget. Additionally, the bill mandates that transportation authorities designate a business liaison to communicate with affected owners about project impacts and inform them about the available grant assistance.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires large feedlots in Minnesota, defined as those with 1,000 or more animal units, to provide financial proof before receiving or renewing a permit. The financial guarantee must be sufficient to cover the costs of closing the facility and cleaning up manure storage areas if the operator fails to comply with environmental rules. Additionally, the legislation mandates that the state Pollution Control Agency create and maintain a list of abandoned manure storage areas and develop a schedule to phase in these new financial requirements for 250 permittees per year, starting with the largest operations.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands eligibility for Minnesota state veterans homes to include former commissioned officers of the Public Health Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. To qualify, these individuals must have served on active duty for at least 181 consecutive days or been discharged due to service-related disability, and must have been separated under honorable conditions. The legislation amends existing state statutes to formally recognize these groups as veterans for the purpose of receiving nursing care and related health services at the homes.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $1.75 million from the state general fund to support the development and implementation of a new 911 communication platform. The funds are allocated to the Commissioner of Public Safety, who will grant the money to the Metropolitan Emergency Services Board for the project. The platform is designed to enable 911 centers to share information and coordinate emergency responses across different jurisdictional boundaries in real time. Additionally, the grant allows the recipient to use the money for two years of ongoing maintenance for the system.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows nonstate organizations contracted to run the Lights On program to use grant funds for administrative costs, provided they submit a detailed list of these expenses in their required reports. Currently, the law prohibits counties, cities, towns, and law enforcement agencies from using such funds for administrative purposes, but this measure creates an exception for private partners. The change applies immediately upon enactment and aims to clarify how different types of organizations can manage their grant money while maintaining transparency through itemized reporting.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands and clarifies the procedures for the Minnesota Clemency Review Commission and Board of Pardons to improve how clemency applications are processed. It establishes new panels of three members to prescreen applications, allowing them to recommend denial or referral for a hearing without requiring the applicant to attend the initial review. The legislation also modifies eligibility rules for pardons and introduces a mechanism for waiving waiting periods in cases of unusual circumstances, while granting governors the authority to waive hearing requirements for specific petitions. Additionally, the bill sets a minimum frequency for board meetings and outlines how victims, law enforcement, and prosecutors may provide input during the review process.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies how Minnesota acquires state lands and adjusts certain state park boundaries. It establishes new procedures for purchasing land and easements, including specific payment formulas for stream easements based on agricultural and forest market values, and allows the commissioner to acquire access easements to native prairie at up to 50% of the standard payment rate. The legislation also adds specific parcels to Frontenac and Great River Bluffs State Parks while removing a portion of land from Mille Lacs Kathio State Park. These changes affect the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and landowners whose properties may be acquired or whose land boundaries will change.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a Greenhouse Gas Pollution Superfund in Minnesota that would charge fossil fuel companies for emissions produced between 1995 and 2026. The program targets businesses that extracted or refined fossil fuels and are responsible for more than one billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions during that period. Money collected from these charges would be placed in a dedicated account to fund climate change adaptation projects for state, local, and Tribal governments, as well as disadvantaged communities. The state commissioner would determine how much each company must pay based on their emissions and distribute funds according to adopted rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's soil and water conservation laws to update how conservation districts are created and managed. It requires the state board to consider specific factors like voter support, economic conditions, and scientific data when deciding whether to establish new conservation districts or continue existing ones. The legislation also clarifies that landowners and their agents are responsible for implementing soil and water conservation practices on private property. Additionally, the bill allows conservation districts to run demonstration projects on state lands with agency cooperation and on private lands with owner consent. These changes aim to streamline administrative decisions while maintaining the state's policy goals for protecting soil, water, and natural resources.