Rep. Mike Howard

Maddy summaryHF 1836 (Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 13.04, subdivision 4) gives individuals the right to contest inaccurate or incomplete personal data held by Minnesota state agencies. It requires agencies to respond within 30 days - correcting data or explaining why it’s accurate - and allows individuals to appeal to a commissioner if they disagree. If data is successfully challenged, agencies must correct, complete, or destroy it, regardless of standard retention rules. The bill directly affects Minnesotans whose personal information is stored in state government databases, establishing a clear process for data accuracy disputes.

Maddy summaryHF 2747 appropriates $3 million for fiscal year 2026 and $3 million for fiscal year 2027 from the general fund to Minnesota Independence College and Community. The funds are designated for need-based student scholarships, tuition reduction, institutional support, and expanding educational programming. Eligibility for these scholarships and tuition reductions is limited to Minnesota residents, as defined by state statute. The bill directly affects low-income Minnesota students attending this institution by providing financial support for their education.

Maddy summaryHF 2549 authorizes the issuance of $44.66 million in housing infrastructure bonds specifically for the St. Paul Port Authority’s The Heights housing development project. The funds must be used for affordable housing meeting income limits set in Minnesota law (section 462A.33, subdivision 5). The bill adds a new provision to Minnesota Statutes allowing this bond authorization and requires annual transfers from the general fund to support debt service on these bonds. This bill directly affects the St. Paul Port Authority and residents of The Heights development, which is intended to provide housing for low-to-moderate-income households.

Maddy summaryHF 2452 prohibits businesses from using artificial intelligence to automatically adjust product prices in real time based on factors like market demand, competitor pricing, inventory levels, or customer behavior. This directly affects retailers and online sellers that currently use AI-driven dynamic pricing systems. The bill defines "artificial intelligence" broadly and makes it illegal for any person to use such systems to set or change prices dynamically. Enforcement would be handled by the Minnesota Attorney General under existing consumer protection laws.

Maddy summaryHF 2591 establishes a new fifth tax bracket for Minnesota individual income tax, targeting high earners to replace revenue lost from federal Medicaid funding changes. The bill amends tax law to create a top income bracket (applying to income over $1.667 million for married couples filing jointly) with a rate set by the commissioner of revenue. This rate must be calculated to generate revenue equal to the amount of federal Medicaid funds Minnesota lost, as certified by the commissioner of management and budget. The new tax rate applies to taxable years 2026 and 2027, affecting only taxpayers in the highest income bracket.

Maddy summaryHF 1854 prohibits landlords from refusing to renew leases for tenants in residential rental units when the landlord received government funds (federal, state, or local) to renovate the unit to accommodate the tenant's health, safety, or disability. The bill requires landlords to allow tenants to continue residing in the unit after such renovations, making any lease nonrenewal in violation void. Landlords who violate this section are liable for tenant costs, including attorney fees, incurred due to the violation. This law directly affects tenants in units with renovation funding and applies to Minnesota Statutes, chapter 504B.

Maddy summaryHF 2068 allocates $89 million for each of fiscal years 2026 and 2027 from the state general fund to provide grants under Minnesota Statutes section 256K.45, subdivision 1. The bill directly provides funding to organizations serving homeless youth in Minnesota, supporting existing programs rather than creating new policies. This appropriation enables the commissioner of human services to distribute funds for services like shelter, counseling, and transitional housing. The bill focuses solely on funding, with no new eligibility rules or program requirements specified.

Maddy summaryHF 2286 allocates $1 million for fiscal year 2026 and $1 million for fiscal year 2027 from the state general fund to Minnesota Independence College and Community (MICC). The funds will support workforce development services for adults with autism and learning differences, including employment preparation, job placement, job retention, and service coordination. This bill directly affects adults with autism and learning differences in Minnesota by providing targeted employment support. The appropriation is a concrete policy change that allocates state funds to MICC for these specific services.

Maddy summaryHF 2468 appropriates $500,000 for fiscal year 2026 and $500,000 for fiscal year 2027 from the general fund to support mental health initiatives in Minnesota's construction industry. The funds, available until June 30, 2027, are designated for outreach, education, stigma reduction programs, and worksite strategies to prevent suicide. They can be used for grants to industry groups and developing resources targeting construction workers. This bill directly affects construction industry workers by funding concrete mental health support services through state-administered programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's requirement for insulin manufacturers to pay an annual $100,000 registration fee. It directly affects insulin manufacturers selling in Minnesota by changing the exemption criteria for this fee. Manufacturers can now qualify for exemption if their sales revenue from insulin in Minnesota was less than 5% of all insulin sales in the state during the previous year. The change simplifies the process for smaller manufacturers to avoid the fee based on their market share.