Sen. Karin Housley

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $10 million in state bond proceeds to fund grants for "safe routes to school" projects under Minnesota Statutes §174.40. The funds will be used by the commissioner of transportation to support local projects that improve walking and biking infrastructure around schools, such as sidewalks, crosswalks, and traffic calming measures. The state will sell bonds up to $10 million to finance this program, following standard bond procedures outlined in Minnesota law. This directly affects school districts and communities seeking to enhance student safety during commutes.

Maddy summaryMinnesota Senate File 1943 prohibits pet shops (physical retail stores selling animals to the public) from selling or transferring ownership of cats and dogs, effective August 1, 2026. The bill allows pet shops to provide space for nonprofit animal shelters, humane societies, or 501(c)(3) rescue groups to offer animals for adoption, but pet shops cannot own the animals or charge fees for this space. It does not affect breeders, direct sales from breeders, or nonprofit adoption organizations themselves. The law aims to shift pet sales toward adoption-focused organizations while maintaining transparency requirements for pet dealers.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes Minnesota law enforcement agencies to hold individuals for up to 48 hours after their arrest if the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has issued an immigration detainer. It applies only to people who are not U.S. citizens or do not have lawful immigration status, and it protects officers from liability if they act in good faith while following these procedures. Under the law, a court's order to release a defendant is paused during this holding period to allow time for a secure transfer to federal authorities, but the person remains under the court's jurisdiction and can still post bail. If federal officials do not take custody within the 48-hour window, the individual must be released immediately provided all other bail conditions are met.

Maddy summarySF 3587 creates specific exceptions to Minnesota's hospital construction moratorium, which generally prohibits increasing bed capacity or building new hospitals. The bill allows certain projects to proceed, including pediatric bed consolidations in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, additions of up to 35 beds in a Rice County psychiatric hospital serving out-of-state patients, and limited bed increases in specific counties (Beltrami, Otter Tail, Carver, Itasca). It directly affects hospitals meeting these narrow criteria, such as those with national referral status or existing approved projects. The key mechanism is listing qualifying projects that bypass the moratorium restrictions, ensuring they can expand or relocate beds without requiring a certificate of need.

Maddy summarySF 3868 prohibits the placement or operation of virtual currency kiosks (physical machines for buying/selling cryptocurrency) within Minnesota. It directly affects businesses that operate such kiosks by banning their activity statewide. The bill creates a new legal provision (Minnesota Statutes § 53B.691) explicitly stating this prohibition and repeals all existing statutes (53B.69-53B.75) that previously defined virtual currency kiosk operations and related terms. This represents a complete ban on physical cryptocurrency kiosks in Minnesota, replacing the prior regulatory framework.

Maddy summarySF 1163 establishes the Office of Animal Protection within the Department of Public Safety to address animal cruelty through a coordinated, statewide approach. The office will prevent cruelty, support investigations and prosecutions, provide training for law enforcement, collect and analyze case data, and educate the public on the link between animal cruelty and human violence. It requires an annual report to the legislature on the office's work and creates an advisory committee with expertise in animal welfare, law enforcement, and victim services. The bill appropriates funding to support these efforts, directly affecting animal protection agencies, law enforcement, and communities across Minnesota.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Minnesota agencies and inspectors to accept specific, recent evidence when checking if subsurface sewage treatment systems are working properly. It mandates that officials use the most reliable data available from the last two years, such as lab-tested groundwater results or measurements of the water table depth, to make compliance decisions. The law also ensures that property owners receive at least 90 days' notice of their rights before being told their system is non-compliant. Directly affecting local governments and system owners, the measure aims to standardize how sewage system inspections are conducted across the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the reconstruction of a specific segment of U.S. Highway 8 in Chisago County, Minnesota, affecting local residents and travelers by potentially widening the road to four lanes and adding bike trails. It allocates $24 million from trunk highway bonds and an additional $15 million from general obligation bonds to fund the project's design, engineering, and construction phases. The legislation also redirects previously planned resurfacing funds for this highway to supplement the reconstruction efforts. Money from these bonds will be released only after state officials confirm that non-state funding sources have been secured to complete the project.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $22.5 million from state bond proceeds to fund the realignment of County Road 19A (Innovation Road) and 100th Street in Washington County, from U.S. Highway 61 to Jamaica Avenue South in Cottage Grove. The funds will cover design and construction of improvements to this road corridor, directly affecting Washington County residents and commuters using this route. The bill authorizes the state to sell up to $22.5 million in bonds to finance the project, following standard bond procedures under Minnesota law. It does not create new policies but provides specific funding for a defined infrastructure project.

Maddy summarySF 5101 establishes a new state program to provide financial reimbursement for specific high-profile sports and events held in Minnesota. The bill creates a dedicated account funded by state revenue to support local organizing committees that successfully attract major competitions, such as the Super Bowl, NCAA championships, and Olympic trials. To qualify for funding, an event must be selected from a predefined list of major tournaments, and the site must be chosen after considering venues outside the state. The legislation also requires the commissioner of revenue to submit reports on the program's activities and expenditures.