Rep. Isaac Schultz

Maddy summaryHF 2751 amends Minnesota Statutes section 297B.03 to add a new exemption from the motor vehicle sales tax. The bill specifically exempts the purchase of motor vehicles used exclusively as mobile medical units by federally qualified health centers for providing medical or dental services. This exemption directly affects federally qualified health centers operating mobile medical units, allowing them to avoid paying the sales tax on these vehicles. The change adds this new category to the existing list of tax-exempt purchases without altering other provisions of the law.

Maddy summaryHF 1976 modifies Minnesota's Paid Leave Law to clarify eligibility for paid leave benefits. It defines "covered employment" to include workers performing at least half their work in Minnesota, while excluding self-employed individuals, independent contractors, and seasonal hospitality workers (defined as employed up to 150 or 180 days in a year for hospitality employers). The bill also allows the state to contract with private companies to process leave applications, determine eligibility, and make payments. These changes provide clearer rules for employers and employees, particularly in the hospitality sector.

Maddy summaryHF 1003 appropriates $500,000 from the workforce development fund to Independent School District 294 in Houston for its Minnesota Virtual Academy career pathways program, in partnership with Operating Engineers Local 49. The program provides up to five semesters of courses leading to eligibility for the Operating Engineers apprenticeship program. It requires targeted outreach to students of color, Indigenous students, low-income students, and other underserved groups, and mandates an annual report to legislative committees detailing participant demographics, program spending, and recommendations for statewide improvements. This bill specifically supports one school district's program, not a statewide initiative.

Maddy summaryHF 566 amends Minnesota law to clarify rules for operating all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) on public roads. It specifies that ATVs may be operated on the right shoulder or extreme right side of county/state highways (for accessing businesses/trails) and in ditches/slopes under certain conditions, while restricting operation in agricultural zones (April 1-August 1) and between sunset and sunrise. The bill also updates local government authority to allow ATVs on roads for access to businesses/residences via ordinance, with specific speed and access requirements for smaller communities. These changes directly affect ATV operators, local municipalities creating ordinances, and agricultural workers using ATVs for farm access.

Maddy summaryHF 2192 eliminates Minnesota's North Star Promise scholarship program and redirects any unspent funds from its special revenue account to the state grant program. The bill repeals the program's funding statute (Minnesota Statutes §136A.1465) and requires transferring unencumbered balances to the state grant program by July 2025, with the account closed by August 2025. This affects future scholarship recipients who would have qualified for North Star Promise, as the program will no longer provide aid starting fall 2025. The state grant program will now receive these redirected funds, though the bill does not create new scholarship eligibility or funding.

Maddy summaryHF 1360 establishes the "Empowering Small Minnesota Communities Program" to provide infrastructure project support to small local governments. It appropriates $2.5 million for fiscal year 2026 and $2.5 million for fiscal year 2027 to the University of Minnesota Board of Regents. The program assists communities with populations under 15,000 (or collaborative groups of such communities) that lack capacity to develop infrastructure projects or apply for grants. It funds project analysis, planning, and development through university partnerships, requiring consideration of sustainability, climate resilience, and coordinated infrastructure investments.

Maddy summaryHF 2415 creates a 12-member legislative commission to study services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including their housing, health, and employment programs. The bill allows certain adult foster care and community residential facilities to bypass a temporary licensing pause during the moratorium period. It also limits changes to day treatment, habilitation, and prevocational rehabilitation programs while appropriating funds for the commission's work. The commission will gather data from government agencies and make recommendations to improve disability services, directly affecting individuals with these disabilities and the providers who support them.

Maddy summaryHF 2392, the "Minnesota Elections Integrity Act," requires voters to present a photo ID to register and vote in Minnesota, creating a new state-issued voter identification card. It establishes provisional ballots for voters without required ID at polling places and mandates that individuals assisting voters at polls or acting as agents for absentee voters must identify themselves. The bill prohibits certain voter registration and absentee voting activities, increases criminal penalties for violations, and appropriates funds for implementation. These changes will affect all Minnesota voters starting June 1, 2026, and amend multiple election statutes to enforce the ID requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) to research autonomous mower technology for use on state-owned properties like rest areas, highway rights-of-way, and other public spaces. It requires MnDOT to study safety, cost-benefit, worker impact, and commercial availability, with a focus on Minnesota-based companies for any equipment purchases. The bill appropriates $150,000 in fiscal year 2026 for this research and mandates a detailed report by February 15, 2027, covering pilot project plans, cost analyses, and safety evaluations. The research directly affects MnDOT operations and could influence future roadside maintenance practices.

Maddy summaryHF 844 modifies Minnesota's broadband workforce reporting, investigative authority for utility infrastructure, and underground telecommunications installation rules. It requires broadband grantees serving over 100,000 customers to report detailed workforce data - including demographic breakdowns (e.g., Minnesota residents, people of color, women), pay rates ($25+ hourly), and benefits - annually. The bill also mandates that underground telecommunications installations near existing utilities must be performed by "safety-qualified installers" (with two present during directional drilling), starting July 2025 in the metro area and statewide by 2028. These provisions directly affect broadband providers, contractors, and telecommunications carriers working on infrastructure projects.