Rep. Bobbie Harder

Maddy summaryHF 2524 allows Sibley County to sell a specific 0.35-acre parcel of tax-forfeited land bordering High Island Lake through private sale instead of public auction. The land, described in detail as part of Government Lot 3 in Section 27, is located along High Island Lake's shoreline. The county must determine that returning this land to private ownership best serves its land management interests, and the sale requires attorney general approval of the conveyance form. This bill modifies existing state land sale rules to facilitate this single transaction.

Maddy summaryHF 1524 establishes a grant program for agricultural retailers in Minnesota to promote nutrient management practices following the "4R" principles (right source, rate, time, and place). The program provides $5,000 to retailers upon certification into the 4R nutrient stewardship program and up to 50 cents per acre for implementing approved practices like soil testing, cover crops, or precision agriculture, plus up to 25 cents per acre for nutrient planning by certified advisers. The bill appropriates funds for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to support these grants, administered by the commissioner of agriculture. Approved practices must reduce nutrient runoff and align with location-specific farming needs as defined in the bill.

Maddy summaryHF 2155 repeals two existing Minnesota statutes: Section 35.68 (which required local health boards to issue rabies proclamations with muzzle rules and publication requirements) and Section 35.830 (which mandated written bills of sale for branded livestock sales). The bill removes these specific regulatory requirements, meaning local health boards no longer need to issue rabies proclamations, and livestock sellers no longer need to provide written bills of sale with detailed brand documentation. This directly affects local health boards, livestock sellers, and haulers who previously had to comply with these provisions. The repeal simplifies administrative processes by eliminating these outdated record-keeping and notification rules.

Maddy summaryHF 2175 requires medical assistance vendors in Minnesota to undergo background checks for controlling individuals and managers. It mandates the Department of Human Services and the Department of Children, Youth, and Families to establish automated fraud detection systems to review all vendor payments for suspicious activity. The bill also requires these departments to report annually on the fraud detection system's effectiveness to legislative committees. This directly affects vendors receiving state medical assistance payments and the two state departments managing those programs.

Maddy summaryHF 2420 establishes the Commission on Government Efficiency and Ethics to investigate allegations of fraud in state-funded programs and undisclosed legislative conflicts of interest. The commission will maintain an anonymous hotline and website for reporting, offer up to $5,000 rewards for reports leading to convictions or expulsions, and conduct investigations or forensic audits of state agencies. It requires public officials and entities handling public funds to cooperate with investigations and must report credible fraud evidence to law enforcement or legislative committees. The commission also submits annual reports with recommendations to prevent fraud and conflicts of interest. This bill directly affects state program administrators, legislators, and any individuals reporting misconduct.

Maddy summaryThis bill recognizes Minnesota's historic state flag (described as a blue flag with a central emblem featuring 19 stars, the word "MINNESOTA," and scenes from the Great Seal) and grants all Minnesotans the right to display it. It requires the lieutenant governor to set standards for its display on state property, mandating it be shown during specified holidays and on Capitol grounds during legislative sessions. The bill also allows the historic flag to be displayed on other public property for ceremonial purposes, while requiring it to be placed beneath the official state flag when both are displayed together. It directly affects all Minnesotans who display the flag and government entities managing public property.

Maddy summaryHF 1040 requires manufacturers and importers of wind and solar energy equipment (like solar panels and wind turbine components) to fund recycling programs for their discarded products. It bans landfill disposal of wind and solar infrastructure, imposes a fee on retail sales to cover recycling costs, and mandates producers to submit detailed recycling plans by March 2026. The law directly affects companies selling wind and solar technology in Minnesota, shifting responsibility for end-of-life management from taxpayers to producers. Key provisions include creating a statewide recycling system, requiring annual reports to the state, and defining terms like "discarded infrastructure" and "producer" to clarify obligations. This focuses on concrete policy changes for waste management, not future environmental outcomes.

Maddy summaryHF 4 proposes a constitutional amendment requiring Minnesota to return budget surplus funds to taxpayers. If approved, it would create a "Minnesota tax relief account" funded by revenue exceeding 105% of projected spending, using those funds to refund or reduce property and income taxes. Taxpayers would receive direct refunds or tax reductions, but only up to the amount they owe in taxes, with the account funded annually from the state's general fund surplus. The amendment must be voted on by voters in the 2026 general election.

Maddy summaryHF 167 modifies Minnesota's individual income tax system by removing limits on subtracting Social Security benefits, allowing taxpayers to subtract all their Social Security income without phaseout thresholds or maximums. It also updates income tax brackets, raising the first tax bracket threshold to $47,620 for married couples filing jointly and $47,620 for single filers (from $38,770 and $26,520, respectively). The bill additionally modifies property tax refund rules, though specific changes aren't detailed in the provided text. These changes apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024.

Maddy summaryHF 23 amends Minnesota Statutes section 181.932 to strengthen whistleblower protections for public employees. It expands the list of protected disclosures to include reporting gross mismanagement or waste of public funds (subsection 7), clarifies protections for health care quality concerns (subsection 4), and adds specific scenarios like reporting truthful scientific studies (subsection 5) or classified service communications about state services (subsection 6). These changes directly affect state and local government employees who report violations of law, safety risks, or financial misconduct. The bill modifies existing anti-retaliation language to explicitly cover these new disclosure types while maintaining that protected disclosures cannot override other legal data protections.