Sen. Jeff Howe

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts veterans with a 100% service-connected disability from paying watercraft registration fees in Minnesota. It directly affects qualifying veterans who provide proof of their disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The law amends state statute to waive all fees related to watercraft registration, transfers, duplicates, and surcharges for these veterans. The policy change is effective immediately upon enactment, removing financial barriers for this specific group.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates funds from the general fund for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to the Board of Water and Soil Resources to create a cost-sharing program. It directly provides grants to Minnesota landowners for restoring or creating sustainable wetlands eligible for wetland banking under Minnesota Statutes sections 103G.222 and 103G.2251. Eligible activities include site assessments, engineering design/construction (including removing drainage systems), establishing vegetation, and costs for long-term easements. The program aims to support wetland restoration through direct financial assistance to landowners.

Maddy summaryMinnesota Senate File 2929, the Consumers in Crisis Protection Act, regulates companies that fund lawsuits for individuals (consumers) in exchange for a share of any settlement or award. It directly affects consumers in civil cases and "consumer litigation funding companies" that provide these nonrecourse loans. Key provisions ban excessive fees (defined as any charges above the funded amount), require full disclosure of all costs, and impose civil penalties for violations. The bill excludes standard attorney contingency fees, nonprofit legal aid, and health insurance from its rules.

Maddy summarySF 2207 removes the requirement for a permit to operate certain special vehicles on designated roadways in Minnesota. Local governments (counties, cities, towns) can now authorize motorized golf carts, ATVs, utility task vehicles, and mini trucks on specific roads through ordinance, without requiring a separate permit for each vehicle. However, local ordinances must still designate approved roadways, require insurance, and set conditions like operating hours (sunrise to sunset), slow-moving vehicle emblems for golf carts, and specific equipment standards for mini trucks. This directly affects vehicle owners and local governments managing road access for these non-traditional vehicles.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $12 million annually for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to fund local emergency management activities. It directs $12 million per year to be distributed equally among Minnesota's 87 counties, 11 federally recognized Tribes, and four cities of the first class for planning, training, equipment, infrastructure, and addressing emerging threats. Recipients must submit annual reports by March 15 detailing fund usage by activity type and maintain records for state audits. The funding cannot replace existing federal emergency management support.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates the commissioner of commerce as the sole overseer of two existing programs: the Commerce Fraud Bureau (focused on insurance and financial crimes) and the automobile theft prevention program. It requires the Commerce Fraud Bureau to dedicate at least 70% of its efforts to investigating insurance fraud as defined in state law. The commissioner will now have full authority over both programs' operations, personnel, and oversight, replacing prior arrangements. These changes clarify the commissioner's direct responsibility for these initiatives under Minnesota Statutes.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes specific targets for Minnesota's pavement maintenance progress, directly affecting the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). It requires MnDOT to calculate and report an "asset sustainability ratio" (ASR) each year, measuring pavement maintenance as total mile years added divided by total system mileage. MnDOT must meet minimum ASR targets: at least 0.65 by 2027, 0.75 by 2029, and 0.85 by 2031 onward. These results must be included in MnDOT's annual transportation system performance report.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes the $500 cap on both reasonable attorney fees and punitive damages for discrimination lawsuits filed in public accommodations (like restaurants or hotels) under Minnesota Statutes § 604.12, subdivision 3. It directly affects plaintiffs who sue businesses for discrimination, allowing courts to award higher fees and damages without the current $500 limit. The key change amends the statute to eliminate these specific monetary caps, replacing the current language that restricted fees and punitive damages to $500 each. This is a substantive policy change affecting civil litigation costs and potential damages in discrimination cases.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands Minnesota's public safety officer death benefit program by broadening the definition of "killed in the line of duty" to include deaths from heart attacks, strokes, or vascular ruptures caused by on-duty stress (e.g., during emergency response or training), PTSD-related suicide within 45 days of a traumatic event, and complications from specific infectious diseases (like COVID-19 or tuberculosis) contracted during duty. It also clarifies that more public safety roles qualify for benefits, including volunteer firefighters, good Samaritans assisting officers, and certain medical responders. The changes apply retroactively from February 1, 2020, allowing families to file claims for past deaths that now meet the expanded criteria, with a filing deadline of July 1, 2027, for retroactive cases. This directly affects the families of qualifying public safety officers who died under these new circumstances.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SF 2714) provides free angling, deer, and small game hunting licenses to Minnesota residents aged 70 or older. It requires license issuers to provide three specific licenses without charge: a permanent fishing license, an annual deer hunting license (for firearms or archery), and an annual small game license. Proof of age is verified using a driver's license or Minnesota ID at any license agent location. The bill directly affects eligible seniors by removing fees for these recreational hunting and fishing permits.