Rep. Marion Rarick

Maddy summaryThis bill extends the time limit for prosecuting certain theft and fraud crimes in Minnesota, particularly those involving public funds and medical assistance fraud. It directly affects prosecutors, law enforcement agencies, and individuals accused of these offenses by allowing more time to file charges. The key change increases the statute of limitations for theft of public money to ten years and adjusts timeframes for other financial crimes based on the amount stolen or number of victims. The bill also adds provisions that pause the clock if a defendant participates in pretrial diversion programs or if DNA evidence is being analyzed. These changes take effect on August 1, 2026, and apply to crimes committed on or after that date.

Maddy summaryHF 3802 amends Minnesota's energy certificate of need exemptions, removing the requirement for certain energy projects to seek state approval. The bill specifically exempts projects like wind/solar facilities (including repowering projects that don't exceed capacity limits), transmission line upgrades (e.g., converting to natural gas or increasing efficiency by ≤10%), and energy storage systems from the standard review process. It also clarifies exemptions for small transmission lines (≤1 mile) and upgrades using existing rights-of-way. These changes directly affect energy developers and utilities building or modifying infrastructure, streamlining approval for projects that align with existing state energy policies. The bill focuses on updating technical definitions and scope rather than creating new regulatory requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a House resolution that formally impeaches Minnesota Governor Timothy J. Walz for alleged corrupt conduct in office. It directly affects the Governor by charging him with four specific articles of misconduct, including concealing fraud in state programs, obstructing oversight investigations, prioritizing political narratives over transparency, and failing to enforce laws protecting public funds. If adopted by the House, the resolution would immediately suspend the Governor's duties while the Senate conducts a trial to determine whether he should be removed from office. The bill also requires the Speaker of the House to serve formal notice of the charges to the Governor and directs the Chief Clerk to send copies of the resolution to relevant state officials.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new tax in Minnesota that targets individuals and organizations convicted of fraud or those identified by the state revenue commissioner as having obtained money through deceitful means. The tax requires anyone who has successfully defrauded state programs to pay back 100 percent of the stolen amount, regardless of any existing fines or restitution already ordered by courts. The state revenue commissioner is tasked with investigating suspected fraud, setting up a system to collect these payments, and ensuring the recovered funds are used specifically for income and property tax relief. The law applies retroactively to fraud cases determined after December 31, 2019, and also covers people who were paid to help commit the fraud.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Minnesota law to allow counties to adopt local ordinances permitting residents to keep up to 24 chickens on their property. The change adds a new provision to existing feedlot zoning regulations, giving local governments authority to approve small-scale backyard chicken keeping through their own ordinances. The bill does not require counties to allow chickens but enables those that choose to do so by updating state statutes. This policy change affects rural and suburban residents who may wish to raise chickens for personal use or small-scale production.

Maddy summaryHF 2002 abolishes a prohibition that prevented the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission from issuing a certificate of need for new nuclear power plants. This change would allow the commission to approve applications for new nuclear plant construction, which was previously blocked by law. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 216B.243, subdivision 3b, by removing the language stating the commission "may not issue a certificate of need" for new nuclear facilities. The policy change directly affects nuclear energy developers seeking to build new plants in Minnesota and the commission's approval process.

Maddy summaryHF 1434 requires commercial websites sharing material harmful to minors (defined as content with sexual depictions lacking artistic value for minors) to verify users are 18+ if 25% or more of the site’s pages contain such material. It mandates age verification using approved methods like commercial databases, prohibits retaining user identifying information, and creates a private right of action for parents to sue violators. The Minnesota Attorney General can enforce the law through civil actions, and commercial entities face $25,000 penalties per violation. This bill directly affects websites meeting the 25% harmful content threshold and targets operators of commercial platforms accessible to Minnesota residents.

Maddy summaryHF 2113 exempts small Minnesota employers with 50 or fewer employees from the state's paid leave requirement. This bill amends Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 268B.01, to explicitly exclude such employers from the paid leave mandate. Small businesses that currently meet the 50-employee threshold will no longer be required to provide paid leave under this law. Employers with 50 or fewer employees may still choose to opt into the paid leave program if they wish. The bill directly affects small business owners and their employees in Minnesota.

Maddy summaryHF 3507 cancels unused funds from the Blue Line light rail extension project and redirects them to fund a bus rapid transit line in the same corridor. The bill reallocates unspent money from a 2023-2024 transit appropriation to the Metropolitan Council for developing an arterial bus rapid transit line, with funds available until June 2029. This one-time reallocation affects the Metropolitan Council (which manages regional transit) and residents in the corridor where the canceled rail project was planned. The policy change shifts existing transit funding from rail to bus improvements without creating new taxes or spending.

Maddy summaryHF 3378 requires Minnesota's Commissioner of Human Services to immediately release unredacted initial reports produced by Optum, Inc. under contract with the Department of Human Services. These reports, defined as those announced in a February 6, 2026 department news release, must be made public without edits or redactions - except for limited redactions requested by Optum to protect proprietary information. The bill directly affects the Department of Human Services' reporting obligations and ensures public access to these documents. It takes effect 14 days after final enactment.