Rep. Elliott Engen

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $25,000 from the arts and cultural heritage fund for fiscal year 2027 to design and construct a statue of Charlie Kirk at the University of Minnesota's Twin Cities campus. The statue is intended to commemorate Kirk, who was assassinated in Utah on September 10, 2025. The funds are directed to the University of Minnesota Board of Regents for this specific purpose.

Maddy summaryHF 3537 repeals Minnesota's estate tax, ending the state tax on inherited property. This directly affects individuals who inherit assets from deceased relatives, particularly those with estates exceeding the exemption threshold. The bill removes references to the estate tax from multiple tax statutes (including sections on income tax, tribal tax agreements, and return requirements) and sets an effective date of January 1, 2026, for estates of decedents dying after December 31, 2025. The changes ensure other tax laws no longer reference the repealed estate tax.

Maddy summaryHF 3590 expands the Minnesota State Auditor's authority to investigate fraud within state government and creates new public reporting mechanisms. The bill requires the auditor to establish a dedicated fraud complaint line and an electronic tip form for citizens to report suspected fraud directly to the auditor. This affects all Minnesotans who may report fraud and state agencies subject to the auditor's oversight. The key change adds specific duties to the auditor's existing role, focusing on proactive fraud detection and public access to reporting tools. The bill does not change the auditor's core financial oversight responsibilities.

Maddy summaryHF 1567 extends Minnesota's existing personal information protections for judicial officials to peace officers (including police officers). The bill defines protected information as residential addresses, family details, non-work contact information, and children's names/schools attended. It requires peace officers to submit written notification to request protection, which expires after five years unless renewed. The law prohibits government entities and others from publicly sharing this protected information online or through other means, with limited exceptions for news reporting. This directly affects Minnesota peace officers by safeguarding their personal details from public disclosure.

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 3536 provides two tax benefits for public safety officers in Minnesota. It exempts homestead property (class 1a) from property tax if owned and used as a home by an officer employed or volunteering in the same city where the property is located. It also excludes income earned by public safety officers who live in the city where they work from taxable income. These changes take effect for property taxes in 2027 and for income tax filings after December 2025.

Maddy summaryHF 3533 prohibits public school teachers from discussing gender identity in classrooms for students in kindergarten through grade 8, effective for the 2026-2027 school year. The bill requires schools to notify parents about changes in a student's health, well-being, or school environment, and mandates written parental permission before administering well-being questionnaires to K-8 students. It also requires schools to obtain parental consent for health services and ensures parents can access their child's health records. These provisions directly affect K-8 public school students, teachers, and school administrators in Minnesota.

Maddy summaryHF 3380 requires longer prison sentences for violent offenders who used firearms in their current crime and at least two prior violent crimes. It mandates that judges impose the maximum possible sentence for these offenders (instead of standard sentencing guidelines) and eliminates parole eligibility for them. The bill also requires that sentences for these offenders be served consecutively to any prior prison terms. This affects repeat violent offenders with firearm involvement, directly changing their sentencing outcomes under Minnesota Statutes § 609.1095.

Maddy summaryHF 1435 modifies Minnesota's education innovation framework by updating requirements for school districts offering experiential learning programs and P-TECH schools. It requires districts to publicly adopt and regularly review plans for innovation programs (like work-based learning or project-based schools), including student outcome assessments. The bill also revises the P-TECH school approval process to mandate specific application details, such as written agreements with colleges/businesses, economic development alignment, and budget plans. These changes affect Minnesota school districts seeking to implement innovation programs or P-TECH schools, focusing on transparency and program structure. The bill recodifies related education innovation statutes without altering core program eligibility.

Maddy summaryHF 1157 clarifies that direct primary care service agreements - where patients pay a flat fee directly to a primary care provider instead of using insurance - are not considered health insurance. This means primary care providers operating under such agreements (like doctors charging monthly fees for services) do not need insurance licenses or comply with insurance regulations. The bill directly affects primary care providers who use this model and their patients who choose direct payment over insurance. It removes these arrangements from Minnesota's insurance oversight, defining terms like "direct fee" and "direct patient" to ensure clarity. The law amends Minnesota Statutes to explicitly exclude these agreements from insurance rules.