Rep. Krista Knudsen

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits individuals convicted of a crime of violence from receiving Minnesota's major public assistance programs, including MFIP, medical assistance, food support, and MinnesotaCare. It achieves this by adding new disqualification clauses to existing state statutes that specifically target those with violent crime convictions, while maintaining eligibility rules for other offenses. The law applies to convictions under Minnesota law or equivalent statutes from other states or the federal government, and it removes a previous provision that allowed certain drug-related benefits to continue under specific conditions.

Maddy summaryHF 3562 modifies Minnesota's motor vehicle registration tax for passenger cars and hearses. It reduces the tax rate from 1.54-1.575% to 1.25-1.285% of a vehicle's manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP), depending on whether the vehicle was first registered in Minnesota before or on/after November 16, 2020. The tax amount decreases each year based on the vehicle's age (e.g., 100% of MSRP in year one, dropping to 10% in year ten), then becomes a flat $20 annually after the 10th year. This bill directly affects Minnesota vehicle owners paying registration fees for passenger cars and hearses, effective for registrations starting January 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the state of Minnesota to provide $1.85 million in funding for infrastructure improvements to North River Drive in the city of Frazee. The money will be used to design, engineer, and construct the road along with related water and sewer systems, connecting County State-Aid Highway 29 to Trunk Highway 87 and Wannigan Regional Park. To finance this project, the state will issue bonds up to $1.85 million, which will be repaid through future tax revenues. The legislation directly affects the city of Frazee and the state's transportation and budget departments.

Maddy summaryHF 3605 exempts Minnesota municipalities from applying certain environmental review requirements (Chapter 116D) when adopting or amending their long-range land use plans (comprehensive plans). This means cities and towns can update these plans without needing environmental reviews under Chapter 116D, though individual development projects still require such reviews. The bill also clarifies that comprehensive plans themselves do not count as pollution-causing conduct under environmental laws. It applies to all municipal comprehensive plans adopted after the law takes effect.

Maddy summaryHF 3669 reduces Minnesota's watercraft licensing fees for most boat owners and operators. It cuts standard watercraft fees from $59 to $27, rental boat fees from $14 to $9, personal watercraft fees from $85 to $37.50, and dealer license fees from $142 to $67.50, among other reductions. The bill affects recreational boaters, rental businesses, nonprofit safety programs, and boat dealers by lowering their annual licensing costs. These changes take effect July 1, 2026, and repeal an outdated definition of "other commercial operation" in the statutes.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HF 3754) is procedural, amending Minnesota Statutes to align the state's tax code with a specific federal tax exclusion. It adds a reference to section 70204 of federal law (Public Law 119-21), which excludes employer contributions to "Trump accounts" from gross income for federal tax purposes. The change ensures Minnesota's tax code matches this federal provision, directly affecting employers making contributions to such accounts. The amendment is effective retroactively to when the federal change took effect.

Maddy summaryHF 7 modifies multiple public safety laws in Minnesota. It requires law enforcement agencies to make bail/bond information public and mandates county attorneys to publicly report reasons for dismissing charges. The bill establishes mandatory minimum sentences for certain sex trafficking offenses and requires individuals subject to stays in sexual conduct cases to register as predatory offenders. It also increases penalties for assaulting police officers, obstructing highway/airport traffic, and expands law enforcement's use of tracking devices on fleeing vehicles. These changes apply directly to law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and individuals involved in criminal cases.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's "Read Act" to require literacy instruction based on "science of reading" research, emphasizing evidence-based methods like phonics and decoding while explicitly excluding the three-cueing system. It establishes a new Office of Achievement and Innovation within the Department of Education to support literacy implementation and creates a statewide school performance reporting system. The bill also allows school boards to opt out of complying with certain recently enacted state education laws or rules and authorizes fund transfers for education programs through fiscal year 2029. These changes directly affect all Minnesota public school districts, educators, and students by reshaping literacy instruction requirements and school accountability systems.

Maddy summaryHF 3531 exempts specific fuel-related products from Minnesota's retail delivery fee. It adds definitions for "diesel exhaust fluid" (a urea-based fluid for reducing emissions) and "fuel lubricants" (like motor oil not meant for combustion), clarifying these are not subject to the fee under existing fuel tax laws. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 296A.01, and 2025 Supplement, section 168E.01, to exclude these products from the fee structure. This change applies to retail deliveries made after July 31, 2026. The bill directly affects businesses selling these products, removing a fee they previously paid on such transactions.

Maddy summaryHF 3758 prohibits state and local registrars from issuing replacement birth records that change the sex designation for minors under 18 years old, unless the original record contained an error. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes 144.218 and 144.2181 to require that sex changes on birth records for minors can only occur to correct an error in the original recording. This directly affects minors under 18 and their families seeking to update birth records, as registrars must deny requests to change the sex marker except in documented error cases. The law focuses on maintaining the sex designation from the original birth record for minors, with no exceptions for gender identity changes.