Rep. Bobbie Harder

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits individuals convicted of a crime of violence from receiving Minnesota's major public assistance programs, including MFIP, medical assistance, food support, and MinnesotaCare. It achieves this by adding new disqualification clauses to existing state statutes that specifically target those with violent crime convictions, while maintaining eligibility rules for other offenses. The law applies to convictions under Minnesota law or equivalent statutes from other states or the federal government, and it removes a previous provision that allowed certain drug-related benefits to continue under specific conditions.

Maddy summaryHF 3562 modifies Minnesota's motor vehicle registration tax for passenger cars and hearses. It reduces the tax rate from 1.54-1.575% to 1.25-1.285% of a vehicle's manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP), depending on whether the vehicle was first registered in Minnesota before or on/after November 16, 2020. The tax amount decreases each year based on the vehicle's age (e.g., 100% of MSRP in year one, dropping to 10% in year ten), then becomes a flat $20 annually after the 10th year. This bill directly affects Minnesota vehicle owners paying registration fees for passenger cars and hearses, effective for registrations starting January 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Minnesota's paid family and medical leave insurance program to explicitly include foreign-licensed physicians as eligible health care providers. It also establishes stricter rules for certifying these providers by requiring the state to suspend certification processing when there are credible allegations of fraud, such as verified complaints or audit findings. Additionally, the legislation disqualifies foreign-licensed physicians from certification if they have been convicted of specific fraud-related offenses listed in Minnesota statutes or equivalent laws in other jurisdictions. These changes aim to strengthen fraud prevention measures while expanding the pool of eligible providers for the state's insurance program.

Maddy summaryHF 952 modifies Minnesota's sales and use tax law to expand exemptions for land clearing services and equipment. It adds land clearing equipment (like machinery for removing trees, bushes, and stumps) to the list of exempt items used in taxable services, and creates a new exemption for land clearing contracts sold to contractors or subcontractors. The bill specifically excludes equipment with a useful life over 12 months and does not apply to standard landscaping, gardening, or lawn care services. These changes take effect for sales after June 30, 2025.

Maddy summaryHF 7 modifies multiple public safety laws in Minnesota. It requires law enforcement agencies to make bail/bond information public and mandates county attorneys to publicly report reasons for dismissing charges. The bill establishes mandatory minimum sentences for certain sex trafficking offenses and requires individuals subject to stays in sexual conduct cases to register as predatory offenders. It also increases penalties for assaulting police officers, obstructing highway/airport traffic, and expands law enforcement's use of tracking devices on fleeing vehicles. These changes apply directly to law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and individuals involved in criminal cases.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's "Read Act" to require literacy instruction based on "science of reading" research, emphasizing evidence-based methods like phonics and decoding while explicitly excluding the three-cueing system. It establishes a new Office of Achievement and Innovation within the Department of Education to support literacy implementation and creates a statewide school performance reporting system. The bill also allows school boards to opt out of complying with certain recently enacted state education laws or rules and authorizes fund transfers for education programs through fiscal year 2029. These changes directly affect all Minnesota public school districts, educators, and students by reshaping literacy instruction requirements and school accountability systems.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $450,000 from the environment and natural resources trust fund in fiscal year 2027 to support Minnesota farmers, aggregators, and processors involved in the oat industry. The funds will be distributed as grants to help these recipients invest in infrastructure or equipment for cultivating, harvesting, processing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, or distributing oats. The legislation aims to improve soil health and water quality by reducing erosion and nitrate leaching through these investments. The appropriation is exempt from certain income repayment requirements under Minnesota law.

Maddy summaryHF 3758 prohibits state and local registrars from issuing replacement birth records that change the sex designation for minors under 18 years old, unless the original record contained an error. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes 144.218 and 144.2181 to require that sex changes on birth records for minors can only occur to correct an error in the original recording. This directly affects minors under 18 and their families seeking to update birth records, as registrars must deny requests to change the sex marker except in documented error cases. The law focuses on maintaining the sex designation from the original birth record for minors, with no exceptions for gender identity changes.

Maddy summaryHF 3759 prohibits most changes to the sex designation on birth records in Minnesota, requiring that replacement records match the sex originally recorded. It specifically prevents registrars from issuing new birth records showing a different sex unless the original record contained an error that needs correction. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes to clarify that sex changes are only permitted when the original entry was incorrect, not to align with a person's gender identity. This affects individuals seeking to update their birth records and state/local registrars responsible for processing such requests.

Maddy summaryHF 2809 establishes a new crime for protesting directly in front of or about a person's home (excluding homes used as businesses). It makes this a misdemeanor, escalating to a gross misdemeanor if the person has a prior conviction under this law or ignores court orders like protection orders. The bill specifically allows peaceful protests about community meetings or assemblies held at locations commonly used for public discussion. This law applies to residential properties only and takes effect August 1, 2025.