Rep. Harry Niska

Maddy summaryHF 20 clarified which data maintained by Minnesota's Attorney General's Office must be treated as "private data" under state law. It specifically designated five categories as private: disciplinary records (excluding public hearings), non-final administrative communications, consumer complaint data (excluding confidential data), inactive investigative files, and detailed home protection hotline information (like mortgage details and income). This change directly affects the Attorney General's Office by requiring them to handle these specific data types with privacy protections. The bill was introduced in 2025 but was not passed by the legislature and was laid on the table.

Maddy summaryHF 8 streamlines Minnesota's environmental permitting process to improve efficiency and transparency. It sets specific timeframes (90 days for simpler permits, 150 days for complex ones), requires the Pollution Control Agency to issue separate construction and operation permits for certain facilities, and mandates that petitioners for environmental assessments must live in affected or neighboring counties. The bill also eliminates preliminary environmental assessment steps for projects requiring full environmental impact statements and requires the agency to publish annual reports tracking permitting progress. These changes directly affect developers, landowners, and the Pollution Control Agency in processing environmental permits.

Maddy summaryHF 3101, the Intellectual Freedom Protection Act, prohibits Minnesota's public colleges and universities from requiring students or faculty to pledge support for or opposition to political ideologies (including diversity, equity, and inclusion statements) as a condition for admission, employment, or promotion. It creates a private right for individuals to sue institutions for violations, allowing courts to order injunctions, damages, and attorney fees, while also granting the attorney general authority to seek court orders and impose $100,000 civil penalties per violation. The bill explicitly does not restrict academic freedom, faculty teaching on sensitive topics, compliance with antidiscrimination laws, or consideration of professional qualifications. It also mandates that institutions publicly post all diversity-related policies and training materials online. The law applies to all public postsecondary institutions in Minnesota, including the University of Minnesota system.

Maddy summaryHF 19 establishes education savings accounts (ESAs) for Minnesota students from low-income households, defined as families earning no more than four times the income threshold for free school meals. The bill allows parents to use state funds to pay for qualifying education expenses - including tuition at eligible nonpublic schools, tutoring, approved curriculum, and school supplies - at participating schools or providers. Participation is capped at 5% of public school enrollment in the first year, increasing by 3% annually, with priority given to kindergarten students and those who attended public school full-time the prior year. The program directly affects eligible students (ages 18 and under) and their families, with funds restricted to approved educational services and materials.

Maddy summaryHF 2936 requires Minnesota's Commissioner of Corrections to seek legislative approval before implementing certain new or amended rules that would cost over $25,000 annually for any jail, lockup, or workhouse to comply with. If the commissioner determines compliance costs exceed this threshold, or if an administrative law judge disapproves that determination, the affected facility can request a temporary exemption until the legislature approves the rule. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes to add this requirement for legislative review prior to implementation of high-cost correctional rules. This directly affects local correctional facilities by delaying rule implementation until legislative approval is obtained.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $900,000 from the state general fund to cover legal fees and expenses if a court orders the government to pay them in the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce v. Choi lawsuit (23-CV-02015). The Campaign Finance Board would pay these fees on behalf of all government defendants if a court grants the request. The funds are a one-time allocation available until June 30, 2026, and only trigger if the court awards fees to the plaintiff. It directly affects the government entities involved in the case by providing funding for court-ordered legal costs.

Maddy summaryHF 2812 requires Minnesota's Commissioner of Corrections to charge fees for incarcerated people's communication services (like phone calls, video, or messaging), but only up to the actual cost of providing those services. It mandates that voice calls remain free for both the incarcerated person and the recipient, prohibits state agencies from profiting from these services (except for pre-2023 contracts), and requires facilities to maintain in-person visitation programs unless an emergency exists. The bill also adds reporting requirements for the Department of Corrections to track fees, spending, and usage of communication services. This directly affects incarcerated individuals, their families, and correctional facilities in Minnesota.

Maddy summaryHF 128 increases criminal penalties for individuals engaging in prostitution with minors in Minnesota. The bill raises maximum sentences and fines based on the minor's age: up to 30 years or $40,000 for victims under 14, 20 years or $40,000 for those aged 14-15, 15 years or $30,000 for those aged 14-15 (for the act itself), and 10 years or $20,000 for victims aged 16-17. It also increases penalties for hiring minors for sexual acts across all age groups. The bill applies to crimes committed on or after its effective date of August 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHF 2636 requires Minnesota's Attorney General to submit an annual report by July 15 each year to legislative committees overseeing judiciary, civil law, or criminal law. The report must detail all legal cases challenging the constitutionality of state statutes, including the challenged statute, defense efforts, case status, staff time, and costs incurred during the prior fiscal year. This bill directly affects the Attorney General's office (which must prepare the report) and the specified legislative committees (which receive the report). The law creates no new policy but mandates transparency about how the office handles constitutional challenges to state laws.

Maddy summaryHF 2637 appropriates $6.8 million from state bonds to fund a new water treatment facility and trunk water main improvements in Ramsey, Minnesota. The funds will specifically remove manganese and iron from Ramsey's water supply. The state will issue bonds up to $6.8 million under existing bond authority to provide this grant to the city. This bill directly affects Ramsey's public water system and its residents by financing infrastructure upgrades to improve water quality.