This bill requires the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to conduct background checks when requested by the Office of the Legislative Auditor. It amends Minnesota Statutes section 299C.76 to officially add the Legislative Auditor to the list of agencies authorized to request criminal history information. The legislation defines specific types of records that can be accessed, including federal tax information and national criminal history records, while establishing confidentiality requirements for handling these sensitive documents. This change expands the Legislative Auditor's ability to access criminal background data for oversight purposes.
This bill updates Minnesota's business services laws to improve how the Secretary of State handles unpaid filing fees and manages liens on business property. It allows the Secretary of State to refuse future filings from individuals with rejected payments, terminate inactive business entities, and pursue collection of outstanding fees. The legislation also modernizes lien procedures by enabling electronic filing and establishing a centralized database for lien notices, renewals, and releases. Additionally, it requires the Secretary of State to organize financing statement information into a master list categorized by farm product for better record-keeping. These changes directly affect business entities, employers, and the Secretary of State's office by streamlining administrative processes and clarifying enforcement mechanisms.
This bill allows nonprofit limited liability companies to apply for licenses as child-placing agencies in Minnesota, expanding the types of organizations that can legally place children for adoption. It also modifies background study requirements for childcare workers, allowing the commissioner to determine the timing of these studies rather than requiring them at every reapplication, while maintaining safety standards through fingerprinting and criminal history checks. Additionally, the bill updates definitions of family relationships for foster care purposes to include important friends of children or their parents, and clarifies bonding requirements for adoption agencies to ensure proper record-keeping if an agency ceases operations. These changes affect adoption agencies, childcare providers, foster care families, and state licensing officials by adjusting regulatory frameworks for child welfare services.
This 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.
Harvey's Law requires licensed child care centers in Minnesota to install video security cameras in public and shared areas under specific conditions. The law applies to centers that have been involved in maltreatment investigations starting July 1, 2026, and to centers receiving state child care funding beginning July 1, 2027. Facilities must install cameras within six months of receiving a maltreatment investigation memorandum and keep them operational for four years. The bill also establishes that these centers must follow the requirements outlined in the Minnesota Statutes section 142B.68.
This bill authorizes the commissioner of health in Minnesota to award grants for peer-to-peer suicide prevention programs and training programs for high school students. It directly affects school districts, charter schools, alternative schools, and nonprofit organizations by providing funding to implement evidence-based initiatives. The grants would support programs where students in grades 9 through 12 serve as peer mentors under adult supervision, helping identify warning signs of mental health crises and referring peers to trusted adults. The legislation also requires training programs to teach students about recognizing suicide risk, active listening skills, and how to connect peers with supportive adults.
This 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.
This bill strengthens fraud prevention measures for vehicle and snowmobile registrations, licenses, passes, and permits issued by the Minnesota Commissioner of Natural Resources. It makes it unlawful for individuals or dealers to use temporary registration permits without intending to complete a sale, to obtain registrations through false or misleading information, or to possess fraudulent registration documents. The bill establishes specific penalties, including voiding any permits obtained through fraud and imposing misdemeanor charges for individuals and gross misdemeanor charges for dealers who violate these provisions.
This 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.
This bill prohibits the sale and use of paraquat dichloride, a pesticide, in Minnesota. Starting January 1, 2027, no one can sell or distribute this pesticide, and by January 1, 2028, its use is also banned. The state's agriculture commissioner will collect and dispose of any prohibited stockpiles and must submit a report by January 1, 2028, detailing past usage and supply chain status to legislative committees. These measures directly affect farmers, pesticide distributors, and state agricultural regulators. The legislation aims to remove paraquat dichloride from the market through a phased timeline while ensuring proper disposal and oversight.
This bill authorizes the University of Minnesota to receive $100 million in state funding for capital improvements to its School of Dentistry on the Twin Cities campus. The funds will be used to design, renovate, and construct clinical, teaching, research, and administrative spaces, along with related infrastructure and hazardous materials cleanup. The state will issue bonds to finance the project, with the university covering approximately one-third of the total costs from its own sources. The legislation takes effect immediately upon final enactment.
This bill expands eligibility criteria for water-use permits from the Mt. Simon-Hinckley aquifer in Minnesota, directly affecting water resource management and permit applicants. It requires that new permits only be issued for potable water or agricultural irrigation outside metropolitan counties, ensures no feasible alternatives to this water source exist, and mandates inclusion of a water conservation plan with each permit. The changes modify existing state statutes to add these specific conditions that must be met before the commissioner can approve new water appropriations from this aquifer.
