Rep. Elliott Engen

Maddy summaryHF 165 creates a sales tax refund program for qualifying Minnesota residents. It allows individuals with a serious illness expected to last 12+ months (confirmed by Social Security or a state medical review team) who also receive disability financial assistance to claim a refund equal to their previous year's sales tax paid. Applicants must submit an annual form verifying their tax payments and qualifying status to the commissioner. The program requires annual state funding and takes effect January 1, 2026. This bill directly affects Minnesotans receiving disability benefits who paid sales tax on essential goods.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows motorcycle riders in Minnesota to install white ground lights underneath their bikes to improve visibility at night. The law permits these lights only if they are hidden from other drivers and project a steady beam no wider than six feet directly onto the road surface. By adding this new provision to existing traffic statutes, the legislation creates a specific exception to rules that typically restrict motorcycle lighting equipment.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's laws regarding fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle by creating new felony charges and increasing penalties. It establishes a new crime for drivers who flee an officer while operating the vehicle in a culpably negligent manner that creates an unreasonable risk of death or serious injury, carrying a potential sentence of up to four years in prison. Additionally, the bill creates another felony for drivers who flee an officer while failing to obey specific traffic signs, signals, or markings, which could result in up to five years in prison. The legislation also expands the ability of law enforcement to use mobile tracking devices on fleeing vehicles and mandates stricter driver's license revocation periods for those convicted of these offenses.

Maddy summaryThis bill restricts social media use for minors in Minnesota by prohibiting those under 14 from creating accounts and requiring parental consent for users aged 14 and 15. It defines specific platforms as "social media" based on features like infinite scrolling and algorithms that analyze user data, while excluding simple email or direct messaging services. The law mandates that platforms terminate accounts for minors without proper consent and permanently delete their personal information after a dispute period. Additionally, the legislation requires anonymous age verification for websites deemed harmful to minors.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a tax credit for small businesses in Minnesota that pay family leave benefits to their employees. It allows qualified employers, defined as those with 50 or fewer employees, to claim a credit against their state income and corporate franchise taxes for money spent directly on paid family leave or paid to an insurance provider for such benefits. The credit is capped at $3,000 per employee and applies to leave taken for serious health conditions, bonding with a new child, or addressing military-related exigencies. The legislation also specifies how the credit is calculated for nonresidents and how it is distributed among partners or shareholders in business entities.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a legal framework for direct primary care service agreements in Minnesota, which are membership-style plans where patients pay a flat fee directly to a primary care provider for routine services. The legislation clarifies that these agreements are not considered insurance, meaning they do not require state licensure or certificates of authority and are exempt from standard insurance regulations. By explicitly excluding these agreements from the definition of a "health plan," the law allows providers to market and sell these services without navigating the complex requirements typically imposed on traditional health insurance products.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the Bail Abatement Nonprofit Exclusion (BANE) Act to prohibit nonprofit organizations from using their funds to pay bail on behalf of individuals arrested. Under the new law, nonprofits are barred from organizing or registering specifically to make payments to courts to satisfy bail conditions. The measure directly affects charitable groups and other nonprofit entities by restricting their ability to engage in bail-related financial activities.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Intellectual Freedom Protection Act, applies to public colleges and universities in Minnesota by prohibiting them from requiring students or faculty to pledge allegiance to or support specific political ideologies, including those related to diversity, equity, inclusion, or patriotism. The law ensures that admissions, hiring, and promotion decisions cannot be based on the viewpoints expressed in any such pledges, while explicitly preserving the ability of institutions to enforce existing laws against discrimination and maintain academic freedom. To increase transparency, the bill mandates that these institutions publicly post all training materials and policies regarding nondiscrimination and bias on their websites. Finally, it creates a private right of action allowing individuals to sue for violations and grants the state attorney general the authority to file lawsuits and impose civil penalties of up to $100,000 per violation.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies the rules governing the Hennepin Healthcare System to give the Hennepin County Board stronger oversight powers over the hospital's corporate board. Under the new provisions, the county board can dissolve the corporation, reorganize it, or remove the entire corporate board if it finds evidence of malfeasance, which includes actions like fraud, corruption, or serious ethical violations. Before taking such drastic steps, the county board must conduct a formal investigation that includes notifying the hospital and the state health commissioner, allowing the hospital to respond, and assessing how the action would impact patient care and financial obligations. Additionally, the bill clarifies that while the Hennepin County attorney serves as the system's legal counsel, the healthcare system retains the option to hire its own separate legal and government relations staff without needing county approval.

Maddy summaryThis bill classifies police body-worn camera footage of state legislators and certain executive branch officials as public records, requiring law enforcement agencies to make this footage available to the general public. It also mandates that when a person dies as a result of police use of force, their family members must be granted access to relevant video footage within five days, unless an active investigation prevents immediate release. Additionally, the law allows courts to order the release of private or nonpublic footage if the public interest in disclosure outweighs potential harm, while permitting redactions only for content that is clearly offensive to common sensibilities.