Rep. Scott Van Binsbergen

Maddy summaryHF 21 would require a three-fifths supermajority vote in both the Minnesota House and Senate to extend a peacetime emergency declaration beyond 14 days. Currently, such extensions beyond 14 days could be approved by the Executive Council, but this bill would shift that authority to the legislature. The bill directly affects governors seeking to prolong emergency powers and the legislative process for reviewing those requests. It does not change the initial 14-day emergency declaration period or the governor's authority to declare emergencies under existing criteria. Note: This bill was introduced but not passed during the 2025 legislative session.

Maddy summaryHF 1301 authorizes hunters with a Federal Aviation Administration remote pilot certificate to use small drones to locate and recover deceased big game (like deer or elk) after hunting, effective January 1, 2027. It amends Minnesota Statutes § 97B.115 to permit this drone use while maintaining the existing ban on remote-controlled hunting. The bill requires the Commissioner of Natural Resources to submit a report by January 1, 2026, with recommendations on licensing, insurance, equipment rules, property rights protections, and potential fees for implementing the drone program. This directly affects hunters, wildlife managers, and landowners in Minnesota. The bill focuses on practical logistics for drone-assisted game recovery, not on changing hunting regulations.

Maddy summaryHF 1 establishes a centralized Office of Inspector General (OIG) for Minnesota state government, replacing existing agency-specific inspector general offices. The OIG will oversee state spending, require agencies to halt payments when fraud is suspected, and mandate a fraud reporting hotline for employees and contractors. It directly affects all state agencies and recipients of state funds (such as contractors and organizations administering state programs) by requiring them to report suspected fraud and prohibiting retaliation against whistleblowers. The bill also specifies the OIG must coordinate with the legislative auditor and amends statutes related to fraud detection, waste prevention, and oversight.

Maddy summaryHF 3345 eliminates Minnesota's Clean Car rules and prohibits state agencies from adopting rules that restrict consumer choice of fuel types for specific motorized equipment. The bill directly affects consumers, retailers, and manufacturers by banning requirements for retailers to stock certain fuel types (like electric or gas) and preventing rules that limit which fuel sources consumers can purchase for items such as generators, lawn mowers, snowmobiles, and passenger vehicles. Key provisions include repealing specific Clean Car rulemaking authority (Minnesota Rules parts 7023.0150-7023.0300) and explicitly prohibiting agency rules that mandate fuel-source-based inventory or restrict fuel choices. This bill modifies regulatory authority to prioritize consumer choice over fuel-source mandates for the listed equipment categories.

Maddy summaryHF 2147 exempts hot tubs or whirlpools on houseboats and single-unit rental properties from most public pool safety requirements in Minnesota. It requires property owners to ensure water temperature stays below 106°F, test chlorine/bromine, pH, and alkalinity before each rental, and provide renters with a specific notice about the exemption. The bill mandates a posted warning: "NOTICE: This spa is exempt from certain state and local sanitary requirements... USE AT YOUR OWN RISK." It directly affects rental property owners, resorts, and renters of these properties, while prohibiting local governments from adding extra requirements for qualifying hot water pools.

Maddy summaryHF 8 streamlines Minnesota's environmental permitting process to improve efficiency and transparency. It sets specific timeframes (90 days for simpler permits, 150 days for complex ones), requires the Pollution Control Agency to issue separate construction and operation permits for certain facilities, and mandates that petitioners for environmental assessments must live in affected or neighboring counties. The bill also eliminates preliminary environmental assessment steps for projects requiring full environmental impact statements and requires the agency to publish annual reports tracking permitting progress. These changes directly affect developers, landowners, and the Pollution Control Agency in processing environmental permits.

Maddy summaryHF 3033 appropriates $3 million from the general fund for fiscal year 2026 to fund a new wastewater industrial pretreatment facility in Litchfield, Minnesota, specifically for the First District Association dairy cooperative. The bill cancels $3 million in existing funding for the targeted population workforce grants program (from fiscal year 2025) to offset this new appropriation. The funds will cover design, construction, and equipment for the facility, which treats industrial wastewater before it enters municipal systems. This bill directly affects Litchfield's dairy operations and the state's workforce grants program by redirecting funds. The appropriation is effective upon final enactment.

Maddy summaryHF 2794 exempts dietary supplements from Minnesota's sales and use tax, which previously applied to them as taxable food items. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes 297A.61 to specifically add dietary supplements to the list of items excluded from taxation under the "taxable food" definition. This change directly affects dietary supplement manufacturers, retailers, and consumers who purchase these products. The key mechanism is a targeted tax code amendment that removes dietary supplements from the taxable food category, aligning Minnesota's policy with similar exemptions for other health-related products.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota law to clarify and limit optometrists' authority to prescribe or administer certain drugs. It specifically sets new time limits: oral antivirals may not be prescribed for more than 10 days, oral steroids for more than 14 days (requiring physician consultation), and oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitors for more than seven days. These changes apply directly to licensed optometrists in Minnesota who prescribe medications for eye conditions under the Board of Optometry's rules. The bill maintains existing restrictions on intravenous injections, invasive surgery, and Schedule II/III oral drugs.

Maddy summaryHF 1330 updates Minnesota's gasoline specifications to align with current ASTM standards (D4814-24a for gasoline, D4806-21a for ethanol). It requires gasoline blended with ethanol to meet these updated specs and prohibits blending with certain nonethanol oxygenates like MTBE after specific dates (July 1, 2000 for over 0.33% total, July 1, 2005 for any amount). The bill directly affects gasoline producers, refiners, and retailers who blend fuel in Minnesota by setting clearer technical requirements and restricting specific additives. These changes ensure fuel meets modern standards while maintaining ethanol's role as the primary biofuel in Minnesota gasoline.