Rep. Steve Jacob

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 3584 transfers oversight of aquaculture regulations from the Commissioner of Natural Resources to the Commissioner of Agriculture, clarifying the latter’s authority. The bill updates rules for private fish hatcheries, requiring aquaculture operations to follow specific licensing, inspection, and fish health protocols (including annual VHS virus testing for certain facilities). It also modifies requirements for transporting aquatic life between facilities and stocking non-public waters, mandating bill of lading submissions. The bill appropriates funds to support these regulatory changes and administrative functions.

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 requires local fire departments in Minnesota to report fires involving alternative energy systems, such as wind, solar, or geothermal installations, to the state fire marshal. The reports must include details about the fire's cause, damage, and any injuries or deaths, and must be submitted as soon as possible after the incident. The state fire marshal will then compile these reports annually and submit a summary to state legislative committees by February 15 each year. This law directly affects city and town fire chiefs, mayors, and town clerks who manage fire reporting, as well as state officials responsible for fire safety oversight.

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 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 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 2517 restricts MinnesotaCare (the state's Medicaid program) from using public funds to cover abortions, except in three specific cases: when the pregnancy endangers the patient's life, causes substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function, or results from rape or incest. This directly affects MinnesotaCare enrollees who might seek abortion coverage, limiting public funding to those narrow exceptions. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes § 256L.03 to clarify that public funds cannot cover abortions outside these circumstances. The change applies to all MinnesotaCare-covered health services, excluding the listed exceptions.

Maddy summaryHF 29 suspends the scheduled 2030-2031 review of Minnesota's social studies academic standards and repeals requirements for schools to include ethnic studies content in their curriculum. It also cancels funding allocated for ethnic studies programs. The bill modifies existing education statutes by removing mandates for schools to integrate ethnic studies or Indigenous education into social studies standards, effectively eliminating these curriculum components. This directly affects Minnesota public schools and students by removing specific educational content requirements and associated funding. The changes take effect upon final enactment.