Sen. Liz Boldon

Maddy summarySF 3210 prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities by public or private entities receiving state funding in Minnesota. The bill requires these organizations to provide reasonable accommodations and ensures people with disabilities cannot be excluded from services or denied benefits due to their disability. It specifically bans the denial of access to service animals in public places like restaurants and hotels, and prohibits charging extra fees for service animals. This law directly affects state-funded organizations and individuals with disabilities across Minnesota.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies the due date for a required report on Minnesota's pediatric hospital-to-home transition pilot program. It changes the deadline from December 15, 2026, to October 15, 2027, for the commissioner of human services to submit the report. The report must summarize the program's impact on reducing delayed discharges, avoidable rehospitalizations, unnecessary emergency visits, and missed school days for pediatric patients on medical assistance. The change only affects the report timeline, not the program's design or funding.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes funding for schools in Minnesota to create anonymous systems where students and staff can report threats without revealing their identities. The state will provide grants to school districts, charter schools, and tribal schools, requiring recipients to contribute at least half of the project costs from their own funds. The money can be used to set up, run, and maintain these reporting tools, as well as to pay staff who respond to the threats received. To ensure fair distribution, the program must award grants to schools across all geographic regions, with at least half going to areas outside the major metropolitan area. Additionally, the bill requires annual reports detailing how the grant money was awarded and spent by each school.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a price cap for specific prescription drugs in Minnesota that are subject to federal Medicare drug price negotiation. It requires drug manufacturers to sell these medications at no more than the maximum fair price set by the federal government, while also mandating that health plans and pharmacy benefit managers reimburse pharmacies at least the higher of that federal price or the national average drug acquisition cost. The legislation includes a reporting requirement for financial details related to drug dispensing and imposes penalties on manufacturers that try to avoid these price limits by removing drugs from the market. These rules are designed to take effect on January 1, 2027, and directly impact pharmaceutical companies, health insurers, pharmacy benefit managers, and pharmacies operating within the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits Minnesota state legislators from receiving per diem living expense payments while the legislature is in regular session. It also clarifies that the only compensation legislators can accept includes their salary, insurance contributions, retirement contributions, and specific payments outlined in existing laws. The changes are scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2027.

Maddy summarySF 476 expands Minnesota's medical assistance program to cover "care evaluations" - face-to-face assessments to develop or update home care plans (excluding personal care). It modifies payment rates for homemaker services, home health agencies, and home care nursing. The bill directly affects home care recipients (including seniors and people with disabilities) and the providers delivering these services. Key changes include adding care evaluations to covered services and requiring county public health nurses to conduct certain assessments and updates. All provisions take effect January 1, 2026, or after federal approval.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $1,925,000 from the general fund for fiscal year 2027 to support public television stations in greater Minnesota. It directly provides specific grant amounts to five stations: $350,000 to Pioneer PBS, $475,000 to Lakeland PBS, $650,000 to KSMQ, $250,000 to PBS North, and $200,000 to Prairie Public Television. The funding is designated for the stations' operational expenses, not capital projects or programming development. The bill does not create new policies or affect broader public policy, but provides targeted financial support to these specific public broadcasting entities.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's eviction notice requirements for nonpayment of rent, directly affecting landlords and residential tenants. It requires landlords to provide written notices specifying the total amount due, a detailed accounting of rent and fees, and specific statements about legal aid resources and financial assistance programs. The notice must now give tenants 30 days (instead of 14) to pay or vacate before eviction action, aligning with the state's effective date of July 1, 2026. Landlords must deliver notices personally or by mail to the tenant's address at the leased premises.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires large employers in major Minnesota cities to offer tax-free commuter benefits to full-time workers who live near public transit. Specifically, companies with 50 or more employees within one mile of a regular transit route must provide a pretax benefit allowing workers to pay for transit passes through payroll deductions. The law also permits employers to offer additional subsidies for walking, biking, or carpooling and mandates that transit authorities create a map to help identify which businesses are covered. Employers can negotiate to waive this requirement through a collective bargaining agreement, and the rules do not interfere with existing union contracts.