Sen. Aric Putnam

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a one-time $10 million fund to reimburse Minnesota cities for costs related to federal immigration enforcement activities expected between December 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026. Eligible expenses include operations for public safety, emergency management, public works, and legal counsel incurred during that specific period. Cities must submit verified cost reports to the state auditor by August 2026, after which funds will be distributed proportionally based on each city's certified expenses. The legislation also requires cities to return any state aid received if they subsequently obtain federal reimbursement for the same costs.

Maddy summarySF 5010 is a Minnesota bill designed to increase property tax refunds for homeowners by adjusting the income thresholds and payment percentages used to calculate the state homestead credit. The legislation directly affects homeowners by raising the income limits for various tax brackets and reducing the portion of property taxes they must pay out of pocket. Specifically, the bill updates the income ranges and co-pay percentages in the relevant state statutes, allowing more households to qualify for higher refund amounts. This change means that families with incomes up to $38,219 will see an increase in their property tax refunds compared to the previous year's limits.

Maddy summarySF 2691 establishes clear standards for rent, utility charges, and fees in Minnesota manufactured home parks. It requires uniform rent rates (except for lot size/location or special services), prohibits fees based on household size, guests, home size, or occupancy, and mandates itemized billing for utilities. The bill also requires park owners to address safety hazards like dangerous trees within 14 days of resident notice and gives residents 60 days' written notice before rent increases. These changes directly affect manufactured home park residents and owners by increasing transparency and limiting arbitrary charges.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new grant program in Minnesota to provide financial assistance for establishing new cooperatives that process goods or market services. To qualify, an organization must be a legally recognized cooperative controlled by its members and operated primarily to serve Minnesota-based patrons. The program offers grants of up to $50,000 to help with tasks such as writing business plans, analyzing markets, and designing facilities, provided the recipient matches the funding with other money or resources.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a state tax credit for Minnesota employers who provide child care expenses to their employees. The credit is based on a percentage of the federal tax credit these employers already receive for such expenses, but it only counts costs incurred within Minnesota. To claim the credit, employers must apply to the Department of Employment and Economic Development, which will issue certificates based on a limited annual funding cap distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. The bill also allows unused credits to be carried forward for up to five years and specifies how the credit is shared among partners or shareholders in certain business structures. This policy is set to take effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides legal protection for racing facilities in Minnesota against nuisance lawsuits filed by neighboring property owners, provided the racing facility existed before the neighbor purchased or built their property. It defines a racing facility as any location where competitive vehicle races occur and establishes a five-mile radius around the facility as the relevant area for determining immunity. The legislation also prevents local governments from passing rules that would conflict with these immunity protections, while maintaining that facilities must still follow all environmental and health and safety laws. These protections would take effect on August 1, 2026, and apply to legal cases started on or after that date.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Minnesota's agriculture laws by adding new definitions and modifying existing provisions related to farming practices, plant regulations, and land management. It directly affects farmers, agricultural businesses, and landowners by establishing clearer rules for cell-cultured food labeling, agrivoltaic systems, noxious weed categories, and veterinary medicine practices. Key changes include defining terms like "agrivoltaic system" and "cultivated variety," requiring food labels to identify cell-cultured products, and adjusting requirements for fencing on Cervidae farms and immunity for agritourism involving off-road vehicle trails. The legislation also modifies plant and soil amendment requirements and updates noxious weed provisions to include specific categories for prohibited and controlled weeds.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a temporary property tax task force in Minnesota to study ways to reduce property taxes on homestead properties, which are residential homes and surrounding land. The task force will investigate current tax relief measures, compare how different property tax classifications affect homeowners, and analyze tax burden trends from 2015 through 2025. The group consists of state legislators, the commissioner of revenue, and representatives from county, city, and township associations who will meet publicly and submit recommendations by February 2027. The task force operates without compensation for members and will dissolve once it submits its final report to the legislature.

Maddy summarySF 3120 establishes a statewide program creating automatic savings accounts ("MinneKIDS accounts") for Minnesota children under 18 born on or after July 1, 2026. The state commissioner will open these accounts within 90 days using birth data, notify parents annually about options to opt out or qualify for additional seed deposits (up to $500 for low-income households), and manage investments. Funds in these accounts - held by the state until used for higher education - remain forfeitable if unused by age 26. The bill also creates grants for local partners to help implement the program and requires annual reporting.

Maddy summarySF 4069 updates definitions in Minnesota's veterinary practice laws to clarify terminology for professionals and facilities. It adds specific definitions for terms like "accredited program of veterinary technology," "client," "consent," "dispensing," and "emergency stabilization" while expanding the definition of "animal" to include nonhuman mammals, birds, fish, and reptiles. These changes standardize how veterinary care, drug use, and patient interactions are legally described under Minnesota Statutes. The bill directly affects veterinarians, veterinary technicians, pharmacies, and animal care facilities by providing clearer regulatory language. (Note: This is a definitional bill with no substantive policy changes described in the text.)