Rep. Elliott Engen

Maddy summaryThis bill classifies domestic assault by strangulation as a violent crime under Minnesota law. It achieves this by adding a specific reference to strangulation statutes within the state's definition of violent crimes, which determines how certain offenses are categorized and potentially punished. The changes apply to cases involving crimes committed on or after August 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill strengthens penalties for violating domestic violence protection orders in Minnesota by categorizing repeat offenses and those involving weapons as more serious crimes. Under the new rules, a first violation is a misdemeanor with a minimum three-day jail sentence, while a second violation within ten years becomes a gross misdemeanor with a minimum ten-day sentence. A third violation within that same period or any violation involving a weapon or a prior felony conviction is classified as a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. The legislation also clarifies arrest procedures, requiring officers to hold violators for at least 36 hours and granting immunity from civil lawsuits to officers acting in good faith.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies how Minnesota school districts must notify voters about operating referendums and changes the rules for renewing these levies without a new vote. It requires that ballot notices for renewing existing levies at the same per-pupil rate must now state that the referendum may be renewed once by the school board, while also updating the standard notice language to reflect this possibility. Under new provisions, a school board can renew an expiring referendum without seeking voter approval only if the original ballot included a specific renewal statement and the new per-pupil amount matches the expiring rate or follows the original inflation adjustment. These changes to the notification process and renewal authority will take effect for referenda conducted on or after July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Minnesota state agencies to include a standardized one-page summary on the first page of every request for proposals (RFP) issued after October 1, 2026. The summary page must contain essential information such as project descriptions, eligible applicants, budget details, award expectations, funding sources, administrative cost rules, payment terms, reporting requirements, and evaluation criteria. A state commissioner will create a uniform template for these summaries that agencies must use without substantive changes, except for specific agency-related procurement needs. The requirement aims to help vendors quickly assess whether they can meet RFP requirements without needing to read the entire document first.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a state tax credit for Minnesota taxpayers who donate money to women's pregnancy centers, which are defined as organizations that support pregnant women in carrying their pregnancies to term. The credit allows individuals and businesses to reduce their state income, corporate franchise, and insurance premiums taxes by up to $50,000 for each qualifying contribution, with any unused amount carried forward to the next tax year. To prevent double benefits, the law prohibits claiming this credit if the donor has already taken a specific state deduction for the same gift. The state's tax commissioner must maintain an official list of eligible centers, and the new provisions will take effect for tax years starting after December 31, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates new criminal penalties for anyone who attempts to bribe or corruptly influence a juror in Minnesota. It directly affects individuals who offer bribes to jurors, jurors who accept them, and anyone using threats or deception to sway a juror's decision. Under the new law, offering or accepting a bribe is a felony punishable by up to ten years in prison or a fine of $20,000, while corruptly influencing a legislator or juror through menace or deception carries a penalty of up to five years in prison or a $10,000 fine. These provisions will become effective on August 1, 2026, and apply to crimes committed on or after that date.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands the subpoena authority of Minnesota's attorney general and county attorneys to access records from a wider range of businesses and financial institutions during fraud and identity theft investigations. It allows these officials to request information from utility companies, hotels, pawn shops, transportation services, storage facilities, and various types of financial and employment records, including bank accounts, insurance claims, and wage data. The law requires that subpoenas be issued only for records relevant to ongoing legitimate law enforcement investigations and mandates probable cause for administrative subpoenas in wage theft, welfare fraud, and identity theft cases. Additionally, the bill modifies legal definitions related to identity theft and alters statutes of limitation for certain fraud-related offenses to support prosecution efforts.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends the time limit for prosecuting certain theft and fraud crimes in Minnesota, particularly those involving public funds and medical assistance fraud. It directly affects prosecutors, law enforcement agencies, and individuals accused of these offenses by allowing more time to file charges. The key change increases the statute of limitations for theft of public money to ten years and adjusts timeframes for other financial crimes based on the amount stolen or number of victims. The bill also adds provisions that pause the clock if a defendant participates in pretrial diversion programs or if DNA evidence is being analyzed. These changes take effect on August 1, 2026, and apply to crimes committed on or after that date.

Maddy summaryHF 3496 requires inmates to pay all court-ordered restitution before becoming eligible for "supervision abatement status," which allows them to transition off active supervision. This change directly affects individuals on supervised release or conditional release terms who have earned compliance credits through good behavior. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes section 244.46 to add that restitution payment is a mandatory prerequisite for eligibility, overriding previous rules that allowed placement based solely on earned credits and time served. It does not alter existing safety risk assessments but adds payment as a strict eligibility condition. The bill is currently in the introduction stage, having been referred to the Public Safety Finance and Policy committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the SAVE Minnesota Act, which requires voters to present a specific photo identification card to register to vote and to cast their ballots. To obtain this new voter identification card, applicants must provide proof of their U.S. citizenship and may receive certain vital records, such as birth certificates, without a fee. The legislation also creates a new voter identification card program, modifies existing driver's license requirements, and sets up a process for handling provisional ballots. Additionally, the bill includes funding provisions to support the administration of these new election procedures and establishes a children's trust fund.