SF 2149 Minnesota Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Labor and industry technical provisions modifications; earned sick and safe time provisions modifications

SF 2149 modifies Minnesota's labor laws regarding wages for workers with disabilities and online continuing education standards. It prohibits employers from paying disabled workers less than the minimum wage after August 1, 2026 (for new hires) and August 1, 2028 (for all employees), eliminating the use of federal "section 14(c)" certificates that previously allowed subminimum wages. The bill also establishes detailed technical requirements for internet-based continuing education courses, including encryption, identity verification, interactivity standards, and specific content features. These changes directly affect employers (particularly those using special certificates) and training providers for professions like manufactured home installers and elevator constructors. The bill does not address earned sick and safe time provisions, as referenced in its title.

Issues: ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics: Minimum Wage

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Mar 3, 2025 Last action Apr 10, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduction → 1st Engrossment · 7 edits · Mar 20, 2025

MODERATE

This bill shifts its focus from protecting workers with disabilities from subminimum wages to strengthening earned sick and safe time laws for all employees. It removes provisions allowing employers to hire disabled workers at wages below the standard minimum wage and repeals related administrative rules. Concurrently, it updates sick leave accrual rates, clarifies documentation requirements for various leave reasons, and expands protections against forcing employees to find replacement workers during leave.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed from primarily regulating wages for workers with disabilities to broadly regulating earned sick and safe time for all employees, while removing specific exemptions for disabled workers.

ELIGIBILITY

Eliminated the legal framework allowing employers to hire employees with disabilities at wages lower than the standard minimum wage, regardless of federal special certificates.

REQUIREMENT

Repealed state rules that governed the issuance of permits for subminimum wage employment of workers with disabilities.

Changed the definition of 'employer' to include individuals with ten or more employees, expanding the number of workers covered by the sick leave law.

Updated sick leave accrual rules to allow carryover of up to 80 hours or payment of accrued time, replacing previous, less flexible options.

Reduced the documentation requirement for sick leave from three consecutive days to two consecutive days.

Prohibited employers from requiring employees to find or hire a replacement worker as a condition of using earned sick and safe time.

TIMELINE

Removed future effective dates (August 2026 and 2028) that were tied to the subminimum wage provisions for disabled workers.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 10, 2025

Committee

Pursuant to Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 4, referred to Rules and Administration

upper

Apr 10, 2025

Upper · Passed

Comm report: To pass as amended

upper

Mar 20, 2025

Committee

Comm report: Amended, No recommendation, re-referred to Labor

upper

Mar 13, 2025

Committee

Comm report: No recommendation, re-referred to Human Services

upper

Mar 3, 2025

Committee

Referred to Labor

upper

Mar 3, 2025

Introduced

Introduction and first reading

upper

1 primary · 2 co-sponsors