SF 3834 expands Minnesota's data privacy protections to include current and former state legislators, who were previously excluded. The bill defines "covered officials" to explicitly include legislators and protects specific personal information like residential addresses, phone numbers, children's names, and school details from public posting. It requires businesses or government entities to remove such protected information within 30 days upon a written request from a covered official, with legal remedies available for noncompliance. Additionally, the bill creates a legislative task force to study broader privacy protections for all Minnesota government officials, including potential improvements to current laws.
Minnesota's SF 3714 bans possession of large-capacity ammunition magazines (defined as devices holding more than 10 rounds, excluding permanently altered devices, .22 caliber tubes, or lever-action tubular magazines). The law prohibits most people from owning, manufacturing, transferring, or possessing these magazines, with exceptions for law enforcement, military personnel, and licensed dealers selling to those entities. Current owners must surrender, permanently alter, or remove their magazines by July 1, 2027, and violations carry felony penalties of up to 5 years in prison or $25,000 fines. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, applying to offenses committed on or after that date.
This bill requires most Minnesota health plans that offer maternity benefits to cover infertility diagnosis and treatment (including medications and procedures consistent with medical guidelines) and standard fertility preservation services (such as egg or sperm freezing before cancer treatment). It defines infertility as the inability to conceive after 6-12 months of trying (depending on age), mandates coverage without cost-sharing exceeding maternity plan limits, and limits embryo retrievals to four while allowing unlimited transfers. Health plans cannot impose extra waiting periods, referral requirements, or service-specific limits beyond those for maternity care. The bill applies to private health plans, MinnesotaCare, and medical assistance programs.
HF 3410 updates Minnesota law to give tenants facing eviction for nonpayment of rent more options to avoid losing their homes. The bill allows tenants to pay overdue rent plus interest, court costs, and up to $5 in attorney fees using a written guarantee from a qualified nonprofit rental assistance program (like a 501(c)(3) organization) or a third party who swears they will pay the landlord. This replaces a previous option that permitted guarantees from government agencies. The changes apply to eviction cases filed after the bill's effective date.
HF 3560, the Uniform Electronic Estate Planning Documents Act, allows Minnesotans to create, sign, and store certain estate planning documents electronically instead of on paper. It directly affects individuals using tools like powers of attorney, health care directives, trust documents, and guardianship nominations. The bill defines key terms like "electronic signature" and "electronic record" to establish legal validity for these digital documents, requiring security procedures to verify identity and prevent tampering. It specifically covers non-will estate planning records but excludes real estate deeds and vehicle titles. This act modernizes Minnesota's estate planning process by aligning with broader legal standards for electronic transactions.
HF 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.
SF 3594 modifies the duties of Minnesota's school trust lands director by requiring a ten-year strategic plan (updated every five years) focused on increasing asset value, balancing revenue generation with land stewardship, and improving long-term management of school trust lands. It also mandates an annual report by January 15 to the Legislative Permanent School Fund Commission, detailing management activities, financial performance, revenue opportunities, and funding distributed to public schools. The report must include recommendations for statutory changes to enhance the trust's financial outcomes. These changes, effective July 2026, aim to increase transparency and accountability in managing school trust lands, which fund Minnesota's public schools and charter schools.
This bill designates January as "Snow Professionals Appreciation Month" in Minnesota. It recognizes snow professionals - including those who clear streets, plow roads, and manage winter weather - who keep communities safe during winter. The bill allows the governor to promote public awareness of this month but does not create new laws, funding, or requirements. It focuses solely on honoring these workers' contributions to Minnesota's winter economy and public safety. (Procedural bill; summary limited to 2 sentences as per guidelines.)
This bill amends Minnesota's 2025 agricultural appropriations to increase funding for existing programs. It raises the total general fund appropriation from $56,052,000 to $56,552,000 and boosts specific allocations, including $250,000 more for dairy development, $500,000 more for local food grants in year two, and $3 million annually for biofuel infrastructure grants. The changes directly affect Minnesota farmers, processors, and agricultural businesses by expanding support for organic certification, mental health services, sustainable farming research, and biofuel retail equipment upgrades. These are budget adjustments to existing programs, not new policy mandates.
SF 3741 requires project owners to conduct independent groundwater testing before construction in rural Minnesota areas. It mandates testing all private and public wells within a two-mile radius of a project site (with landowner consent), establishing a baseline for groundwater quality. The results must be submitted to the Environmental Quality Board and Minnesota Geospatial Information Office for public database entry. This directly affects rural landowners whose wells may be sampled and developers planning projects requiring environmental assessments. The bill does not regulate construction but documents current water quality to inform future assessments.
HF 3731 eliminates the "Class A installer" license category from Minnesota's electrical code. The bill amends statutes to remove references to this license from licensing requirements and definitions, and repeals the specific sections (326B.31, subd. 7; 326B.33, subd. 3) that previously defined and regulated it. This directly affects individuals who previously held or were eligible for a Class A installer license, which allowed them to install electrical systems in specific rural or farm settings under limited conditions. The change removes a distinct licensing pathway without creating new requirements for electrical work.
HF 3715 modifies Minnesota's requirements for gifted and talented education programs. School districts must implement universal screening for all students in targeted grades (at least twice by grade 5), use multiple objective criteria for identification, and ensure assessments are fair for underrepresented groups like low-income and minority students. The bill requires districts to evaluate program effectiveness annually using input from students, parents, and teachers, and report expenditures to the commissioner. It also increases funding for these programs and mandates new reporting on participation rates and program types (e.g., grade acceleration, enrichment). This bill directly affects school districts and students eligible for gifted services statewide.
