Rep. Paul Novotny

Maddy summaryHF 1590 establishes mandatory minimum prison sentences for individuals who maliciously punish children, specifically targeting cases involving severe physical injury. It affects parents, legal guardians, or caretakers who cause substantial or great bodily harm to children, with penalties increasing based on the child's age (under 4) and the injury's severity. For example, causing head/neck injuries to a child under 4 mandates at least one year in prison, while causing great bodily harm requires a minimum two-year sentence. The bill amends Minnesota Statute 609.377 and takes effect August 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHF 435 requires the Minnesota Commissioner of Corrections to house only biological female inmates at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Shakopee. It amends statute 243.90 to establish the facility exclusively for biological females committed by courts. Existing inmates who are not biological females must be transferred to another facility within seven days of the bill's enactment. This requirement expires on January 1, 2026. The bill directly affects inmates housed at Shakopee and the commissioner's facility assignment decisions.

Maddy summaryHF 1353 clarifies the responsibilities of Minnesota's Department of Corrections regarding licensed local correctional facilities. The bill requires the commissioner to inspect all licensed facilities at least once every two years, mandates public posting of inspection reports within 30 days, and specifies that facility administrators must provide requested data for critical incident reviews. It also changes inspection unit reporting to occur outside the correctional institutions division and repeals outdated or redundant provisions in existing law. This directly affects licensed local correctional facilities, their administrators, and the Department of Corrections' oversight process.

Maddy summaryHF 1374 amends Minnesota's eligibility rules for the Challenge Incarceration Program, which allows certain incarcerated individuals to serve part of their sentence in a community-based setting. The bill adds specific categories of people who can no longer participate, including those convicted of violent crimes involving death or injury (like murder or assault), recent sex offenses, or crimes requiring sex offender registration. It also bars individuals with active warrants, less than 180 days left on their sentence, recent disciplinary issues in prison, or suspended disciplinary sanctions. The changes directly affect incarcerated Minnesotans seeking to transition to community supervision through this program.

Maddy summaryHF 1325 modifies Minnesota's earned sick and safe time law to provide employers with a grace period and adjust pay requirements. It adds a penalty waiver (Section 1), preventing monetary penalties for initial violations until after January 1, 2026. The bill also adjusts pay rates: small employers (25 or fewer full-time equivalent employees) must pay half the hourly rate, and new employers in their first 12 months may optionally provide paid leave (Section 2). Employees accrue one hour of leave for every 30-40 hours worked, up to a maximum of 48 hours annually (Section 5), while expanding the definition of "family member" to include more relatives and up to one annually designated individual (Section 4). This primarily affects Minnesota employers and their workers covered under the law.

Maddy summaryHF 480 requires Minnesota county attorneys to document specific details (including dismissal reasons, victim input, and offense dates) when dismissing felony charges. It mandates that county attorneys forward this anonymized data to the Sentencing Guidelines Commission and post it on public websites. The Commission must then include a summary and analysis of these dismissal reports in its annual legislative report. The law applies to felony dismissals occurring on or after August 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHF 768 prohibits Minnesota's Department of Human Rights from maintaining any database or collection of incidents involving protected speech. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes 363A.06 to explicitly state the department cannot collect or store data about protected speech - defined as speech protected under the U.S. or Minnesota Constitutions (including free speech, press, assembly, and association). This restriction applies directly to the Department of Human Rights' operations, preventing it from creating or using such databases for any purpose. The bill does not affect other data collection or reporting duties, such as the department's required biennial report on civil rights trends.

Maddy summaryHF 767 increases penalties for arson committed against political organizations or motivated by political reasons. It amends Minnesota Statutes 609.561, 609.563, 609.5631, and 609.5632 to add specific circumstances that elevate penalties. For example, arson targeting a building housing a political organization (under §609.561) carries a maximum 25-year prison sentence, while lesser offenses with political motivation face enhanced fines and jail terms. The law applies to crimes committed on or after August 1, 2025, and directly affects individuals who commit arson against political organizations or for political statements.

Maddy summaryHF 829 modifies rules for cottage food sellers in Minnesota, affecting small-scale producers who make homemade foods like baked goods or jams. The bill changes delivery requirements, now allowing cottage food products to be delivered via mail or commercial carriers instead of requiring the producer to deliver personally. It also adds a new requirement that websites selling these foods must display the statement: "These products are homemade and not subject to state inspection." These changes apply to products sold under Minnesota's cottage food exemption rules.

Maddy summaryHF 790 allocates $7.2 million for fiscal year 2025, and $2.9 million each for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 from the general fund to cover staff and equipment costs for additional Minnesota State Patrol troopers. The funds specifically support new trooper staffing and necessary equipment, but cannot be used for permanent capitol security troopers or nonsworn officers. This bill directly affects the State Patrol by providing dedicated funding to expand operational capacity. The appropriation is effective upon final enactment, with no additional policy changes beyond the specified funding.