Rep. Elliott Engen

Maddy summaryHF 3271 prohibits the sale, distribution, or offering of foods containing FD&C Yellow No. 5 or 6 to Minnesota public and private schools (as defined in state law), effective January 1, 2027. The bill directly affects schools by banning these specific artificial colors in foods sold to them, while exempting home schools. Key provisions make it unlawful for vendors to knowingly sell such products to schools, with no exemption for home schools. This is a direct consumer protection measure targeting food additives in school settings.

Maddy summaryHF 3253 amends Minnesota's Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) by adding a definition for "central bank digital currency" (CBDC) and revising the definition of "money" to explicitly include digital forms issued by a central bank. This technical update ensures the UCC framework accommodates CBDC as a valid form of "money" for commercial transactions, such as payments and contracts. The bill directly affects how financial institutions, businesses, and legal entities interact with digital currency under Minnesota's commercial law, without creating new policies or affecting specific groups beyond standard UCC application.

Maddy summaryHF 3255 prohibits Minnesota employers from deducting and withholding wage taxes, and bars the collection of sales or excise taxes (like those on goods or services), during a government shutdown period. Specifically, it prevents these tax collections on wages paid or transactions occurring during the period starting July 1 of an odd-numbered year when funding bills for state government operations (executive, legislative, or judicial branches) haven't been approved for the upcoming biennium, plus 10 days for wage taxes or 3 days for consumption taxes. This directly affects employers who normally withhold income tax and businesses that collect sales tax during these funding gaps. The law amends Minnesota Statutes to add these temporary tax exemptions, effective upon final enactment.

Maddy summaryHF 3254 prohibits the sale of food products containing seven specific artificial dyes - Red 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, and Green 3 - in Minnesota. It directly affects food sellers, including restaurants, grocery stores, and manufacturers, who would no longer be allowed to sell items containing these dyes after the effective date. The bill takes effect on January 1, 2026, banning the sale, offering for sale, or distribution of such products. This is a direct regulatory change targeting food labeling and ingredients, not a procedural or commemorative measure.

Maddy summaryHF 51 authorizes Minnesota school districts to use state education funds for roof repairs and replacements costing $100,000 or more per site as part of the long-term facilities maintenance program. School districts must develop a ten-year facility plan that includes a roof maintenance schedule, health and safety measures (like indoor air quality management), and provisions for gender-neutral restrooms at each school. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes to explicitly include roof projects in eligible uses of the funding, effective for fiscal year 2027 and later. This legislation expands the types of maintenance projects that can be funded under the existing education finance program without changing the overall funding formula.

Maddy summaryHF 3205 appropriates $235,000 from Minnesota's arts and cultural heritage fund for the 2026 fiscal year to reinstall the Christopher Columbus statue on the State Capitol Mall. The funds are directed to the commissioner of administration, who must work with the Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board to complete the reinstallation. This bill is procedural, allocating existing funds for a specific physical display without creating new laws or affecting citizens.

Maddy summaryHF 3209 increases criminal penalties for "swatting" in Minnesota, which involves making false emergency calls to trigger police responses to someone's home. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes § 609.78 to impose harsher punishments: up to life imprisonment if someone dies, up to 15 years for great bodily harm, or up to 3 years for substantial bodily harm. It also adds specific penalties for swatting targeting officials (elected leaders, judges, prosecutors, correctional staff, or police officers), with sentences up to 10 years or $20,000 fines. The changes apply to offenses committed on or after August 1, 2025. This directly affects individuals who make false emergency calls, particularly those causing injury or targeting public officials.

Maddy summaryHF 3160 would allow Minnesotans under 18 to vote in primary elections if they meet all other voting requirements (U.S. citizenship, 20 days residency in Minnesota) and will turn 18 by the time the general election occurs. It specifically permits voting only for candidates seeking nomination in the primary, not for ballot questions or propositions. This amendment to Minnesota Statutes section 201.014 creates a limited exception to the standard 18-year age requirement for primary elections. The bill directly affects eligible minors who will reach voting age before the general election.

Maddy summaryHF 3208 proposes a constitutional amendment to limit terms for Minnesota legislators and certain executive officers. It would restrict House members to four terms (each two years), senators to three terms (each four years), and governors, lieutenant governors, and statewide executive officers (secretary of state, attorney general, state auditor) to two terms each. If approved by voters in the 2026 general election, these limits would apply to future elections but not affect current officeholders or terms ending before 2027. The amendment would change the state constitution’s term limit provisions for these offices.

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.