Rep. Mike Freiberg

Maddy summaryHF 3617 bans the possession of semiautomatic military-style assault weapons in Minnesota, including specific firearms like AR-15 rifles and AK-47s, as well as weapons with features such as folding stocks, pistol grips, or detachable magazines. The bill defines these weapons broadly to cover both listed models and similar firearms with minor modifications, such as redesigned versions or enhanced features. Possessing a banned weapon would be a criminal offense under amended statutes, with penalties established for violations. This law directly affects individuals who own or possess these firearms, making such possession illegal under state law.

Maddy summaryHF 3618 bans the possession of specific semiautomatic military-style assault weapons (like AR-15s, AK-47s, and Uzis) and ammunition magazines holding more than 10 rounds in Minnesota. It defines these weapons broadly to include models listed in the bill, as well as firearms with features like folding stocks, pistol grips, or threaded barrels. The bill creates criminal penalties for possessing these banned weapons or magazines, directly affecting individuals who own them. The law would amend Minnesota statutes to enforce this ban and penalties, applying to anyone in the state who possesses such firearms or magazines.

Maddy summaryHF 3353 expands personal information protections currently available to Minnesota judges and court staff to also cover state legislators. It defines "covered official" to include current and former lawmakers, protecting their residential addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and children's school names from public posting. The bill requires entities to remove such protected information within 30 days of a valid request, with legal action available for non-compliance. It also creates a 12-member legislative task force (including members from the Legislative Commission on Data Practices and appointed officials) to study and report on privacy protections for all government officials by 2027. The bill appropriates funds for these efforts.

Maddy summaryHF 3483 modifies Minnesota's trespass law to require law enforcement to obtain a warrant signed by a judicial officer before entering property for civil immigration enforcement. It also prohibits local law enforcement from detaining individuals solely based on federal civil immigration detainers. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes § 609.605 to add a specific provision (subdivision 1, clause (6)) requiring a warrant with probable cause for immigration-related trespass entries. This directly affects local police and sheriff's departments by restricting their ability to act on federal immigration requests without judicial oversight. The law applies to all trespass offenses involving immigration enforcement activities on private property.

Maddy summaryHF 974, the Equal Access to Broadband Act, updates Minnesota's broadband laws by defining key terms like "broadband" (meeting FCC standards for high-speed internet), "underserved areas" (lacking 100/20 Mbps wired service), and "broadband infrastructure." The bill requires broadband providers to coordinate with local governments when placing infrastructure in public rights-of-way, including notifying them before installation to minimize future disruptions. It preserves local governments' authority to require franchises from broadband providers, while excluding electric cooperatives and satellite-only providers from these requirements.

Maddy summaryHF 704 requires mortgage lenders and servicers in Minnesota to provide a "satisfaction of mortgage" document to borrowers within 45 days after full loan payment or receipt of a payoff statement. The bill adds rules for when lenders must send corrected payoff statements if an initial amount was too low, protecting borrowers who relied on the incorrect figure. It also specifies that lenders who fail to provide the satisfaction document within 45 days after payment are liable for actual damages suffered by borrowers. This directly affects homeowners who pay off mortgages and the lenders handling those transactions.

Maddy summaryHF 1944 amends Minnesota law to require all state agencies, counties, cities, and towns to use federal standard time (not daylight saving time) year-round starting in 2025. It changes how time is referenced in state law to align with federal standards, meaning state government operations and references to time must follow federal rules. The bill automatically expires if federal law ever permits states to adopt year-round "advanced standard time." It directly affects all Minnesota local and state government entities that reference time in their operations or laws.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases funding for Minnesota's Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program, raising the annual appropriation from $10.27 million to $45.27 million. The additional funds will be used to reduce homelessness risks and improve program effectiveness, with a portion designated for the housing development fund. The legislation also grants agencies flexibility in awarding grants to existing grantees and allows new grantees in certain areas to work with advisory committees or local care systems without meeting specific statutory requirements. These changes take effect immediately and establish a future funding base of $10.72 million starting in fiscal year 2028.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new legal right in Minnesota allowing individuals to sue if their name, likeness, or voice is used for commercial purposes without their permission. It defines likeness as any recognizable image of a person and voice as any sound that identifies a specific individual, covering both recorded and computer-generated versions. The law permits people to sell or license these rights and allows lawsuits to continue for up to 70 years after death if the person's identity was used commercially during that time. Courts can award damages for financial losses, profits made from the unauthorized use, and attorney fees, with triple damages available if the misuse was intentional. The bill includes exceptions for news reporting, criticism, satire, and other First Amendment-protected uses, ensuring free speech rights remain intact.

Maddy summaryHF 3180 creates a special emergency fund within Minnesota's state treasury to support essential public health services if federal funding is unexpectedly reduced or eliminated. The fund, which receives a one-time transfer from the general fund, allows the Minnesota Department of Health (referred to as "commissioner of health") to continue critical services like disease outbreak response and waterborne disease prevention when federal support drops unexpectedly. Before using funds, the commissioner must notify legislative health committees and seek advisory review, and must submit an annual report detailing all expenditures and their justification. This bill directly affects the state health department's ability to maintain public health operations during federal funding disruptions.