Rep. Erica Schwartz

Maddy summaryHF 897 amends Minnesota law to prohibit exposing children and vulnerable adults to fentanyl, methamphetamine, or related substances in specific locations. It makes it illegal for anyone to knowingly cause or permit such exposure in places like homes, public buildings, or overnight accommodations where children or vulnerable adults might be present. The bill adds criminal penalties for violations, including for exposing individuals to fentanyl (newly specified in the amendment) or methamphetamine-related materials. This directly affects caregivers, property owners, and anyone in environments where children or vulnerable adults could be present.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires legislators serving on public safety policy or finance committees to complete at least 12 hours of ride-alongs with law enforcement or fire departments every two years. It directly affects members of these specific legislative committees in both the House and Senate. The bill also mandates that both chambers adopt rules to implement this requirement. The provisions aim to provide committee members with direct exposure to public safety operations through structured on-the-job observation.

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.

Maddy summaryHF 2168 increases penalties for motor vehicle theft under Minnesota Statutes § 609.52. The bill amends the statute to explicitly include "motor vehicle" as a circumstance triggering a higher penalty tier (up to 10 years in prison or $20,000 fine), previously not specifically listed under this level. This directly affects individuals convicted of stealing vehicles, moving such offenses to a more severe sentencing category. The change applies to crimes committed on or after August 1, 2025, and modifies the existing penalty structure without changing other theft categories.

Maddy summaryHF 2170 defines "cell-cultured meat" and "cell-cultured poultry" as products grown from animal cells in a controlled environment, rather than from slaughtered animals. The bill requires food labels to clearly state when a product contains cell-cultured meat or poultry, and mandates restaurants to prominently indicate such items on menus. It amends Minnesota food labeling laws (sections 31.12 and 31.633) and updates definitions in food product statutes (section 31A.02) to include these products under "meat food product" and "poultry food product." This directly affects food manufacturers, retailers, and restaurants selling or serving cell-cultured meat or poultry products in Minnesota.

Maddy summaryHF 25 establishes a state grant program administered by Minnesota's Department of Health to fund nonprofit women's pregnancy centers and maternity homes. The program provides financial support for services like housing, medical care, parenting education, and mental health resources to help pregnant women and new mothers - particularly those facing homelessness or crisis - carry pregnancies to term and care for their children. Eligible organizations must be nonprofits offering free or low-cost services without promoting abortion, providing abortion care, or referring women to abortion providers. Grant funds cannot be used for abortion-related activities, and strict privacy rules require written consent before sharing personal information about clients. The bill appropriates state funds for this program while reducing other health-related appropriations.

Maddy summaryHF 169 replaces Minnesota's previous tiered tax on gambling with a flat 8.5% tax on all lawful gambling receipts (minus prizes paid). This bill directly affects gambling organizations operating in Minnesota, including casinos, racetracks, and bingo halls. The key change eliminates the old "combined net receipts tax" system - which taxed profits at progressive rates based on revenue levels - and substitutes a simpler flat-rate calculation. The new tax takes effect July 1, 2025, and applies to all gambling except paper pull-tabs, tipboards, electronic bingo, and specific exempt games.

Maddy summaryHF 472 authorizes the city of Mankato to issue a special on-sale liquor license to Minnesota State University, Mankato (MSU) for sales at the Taylor Center campus venue. The license permits alcohol sales during events held at the Taylor Center, including sales on all days of the week within standard hours and restrictions under Minnesota law. It allows the license to cover non-contiguous campus spaces as long as they are within the university's campus boundaries and described in the license application. This bill directly affects MSU Mankato (as the licensee) and the Mankato City Council (as the issuing authority), while requiring compliance with all other applicable liquor laws.

Maddy summaryHF 2197 modifies Minnesota's individual income tax credits to better support families. It eliminates the "marriage penalty" by raising the income threshold at which the child credit phases out from $35,000 (married filing jointly) to $75,000, and from $29,500 to $37,500 for other filers. The bill also restricts the Working Family Credit to taxpayers with qualifying children and adjusts credit amounts based on earned income. These changes apply to tax years beginning after December 31, 2024, with inflation adjustments starting in 2025. The bill directly affects Minnesota taxpayers with children who qualify for these credits.