This bill prohibits landlords in Minnesota from including clauses in residential leases that prevent tenants from joining class action lawsuits. It makes such restrictions automatically invalid and unenforceable, regardless of whether they are written or oral agreements. If a landlord violates this rule, tenants can sue for three times their actual damages, at least $1,000, plus reasonable legal fees. The law applies to all residential leases and cannot be changed or waived by either the landlord or tenant.
This bill modifies Minnesota's natural resources reporting requirements to improve efficiency by changing how the Department of Natural Resources tracks and reports on state lands and operations. It requires the commissioner to maintain an updated inventory of department-administered lands every two years, including detailed information about land parcels, rights, and descriptions of recreational areas acquired since the last report. The bill also shifts the reporting schedule for state nursery planting stock from annual to biennial submissions while maintaining public access to these reports through the Legislative Reference Library. Additionally, the commissioner must continue to report annually on specific conservation activities for state parks, trails, and other recreational lands. These changes affect the Department of Natural Resources, the Minnesota Legislature, and the public who rely on these reports for information about state natural resources.
This bill modifies safety requirements for shelters left on ice overnight in Minnesota, directly affecting anglers and ice fishing enthusiasts who use fish houses, dark houses, or similar structures. The key provision mandates that any shelter left on the ice overnight must be marked with reflective material on each side, covering a total area of at least 144 square inches per side. This change aims to improve visibility and safety for others on the ice by ensuring these structures are more easily seen during low-light conditions. The amendment updates Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 97C.355, subdivision 7a, to reflect this new standard.
This House resolution initiates the formal impeachment process against Keith Ellison, Minnesota's Attorney General, alleging corrupt conduct and crimes while in office. The bill directs the House to adopt six articles of impeachment that accuse Ellison of abusing his office to defend unlawful protest activity, undermining religious liberty protections, failing to enforce laws impartially, engaging in conflicts of interest, and soliciting political support in exchange for favorable treatment. If adopted, the resolution immediately bars Ellison from exercising his duties as Attorney General until the Senate conducts a trial and votes on his acquittal or conviction. The House Speaker must serve notice of the charges to Ellison, and the enrolled resolution must be transmitted to the Governor, Secretary of State, and Senate leadership to begin the constitutional impeachment proceedings.
This bill modifies Minnesota's African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act to strengthen protections for children of color in the child welfare system. It requires social services agencies to make "active efforts" rather than just "reasonable efforts" to keep African American and disproportionately represented children in their homes, reunify them with families, and involve families in all service decisions. The law mandates that agencies consider cultural and social values when providing services, ensures community members from communities of color serve as court advocates, and requires ombudspersons to monitor compliance with these new standards. Additionally, the bill expands placement options to include relatives and community members before removing children from their homes.
This bill requires employers in Minnesota who provide monetary parking benefits to employees to also offer an equivalent monetary benefit for using alternative transportation modes instead of driving personal vehicles. The law mandates that these transit options must be available as a direct alternative to the parking allowance, ensuring equal financial value for different commuting choices. Minnesota's commissioner of labor and industry is designated to enforce this new requirement, which applies to any employer currently offering parking subsidies to their workforce.
This bill modifies Minnesota's existing African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act to require more detailed data collection and reporting on child welfare cases involving African American and other disproportionately represented children. It mandates that the commissioner of children, youth, and families conduct annual reviews of child welfare cases, collecting specific data on maltreatment reports, service access, removals, reunifications, and permanency outcomes broken down by race. The bill also requires agencies to identify barriers to family reunification and develop remediation plans with measurable goals when disparities are found in child welfare outcomes. Additionally, the legislation appropriates funding to support staffing and service provision for implementing these requirements, with the first report due by October 1, 2031.
This bill directs the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees to create a workgroup focused on improving health insurance access for adjunct faculty members. The workgroup must include representatives from the university system, faculty organizations, and designated faculty members, and it is tasked with identifying obstacles preventing part-time instructors from qualifying for employer-sponsored health coverage. By December 2027, the group must submit findings and policy recommendations to state legislators, with the workgroup itself expiring in early 2028.
This bill modifies how evidence is handled in Minnesota Tax Court cases involving property tax valuations. It requires government officials to prove their property valuations are correct rather than assuming they are valid, and it allows comparable property sales and assessed valuations to be used as evidence in court. The changes apply to cases filed on or after January 1, 2027, and affect taxpayers, property assessors, and government units involved in property tax appeals.
This bill establishes a state rapid start program to help Minnesota treat people living with HIV by ensuring they begin antiretroviral therapy quickly after diagnosis. It requires health plans to cover HIV treatment and prevention services without prior authorization, step therapy protocols, or cost-sharing requirements like co-pays and deductibles. The state will oversee local programs, provide grants to support treatment access, and report on program outcomes to improve care delivery.
This Minnesota bill creates a relief program to help small businesses that suffered significant financial losses between July 2025 and February 2026 due to federal enforcement actions. The program provides up to $100 million in grants to operators of indoor retail or food market spaces that host at least 25 small tenant businesses with a cultural focus. Eligible businesses must be Minnesota-based, have fewer than 50 employees, and show at least a 20 percent decline in revenue or sales during the specified period. Grant funds can be used for payroll, rent, utilities, inventory, security upgrades, and working capital, with at least 50 percent of operator grants required to be passed directly to tenants as rent forgiveness. The bill requires grants to be distributed through a lottery system by late 2026 and mandates a report by December 2026 detailing how the funds were used and their economic impact.
This bill repeals a previous requirement that assumed a $250 million reduction in special education funding for the 2027-2028 biennium and subsequent years. Under the new provisions, the state commissioner of management and budget will no longer be required to forecast this specific funding cut when preparing revenue and expenditure forecasts. The legislation also removes the mandate that the legislature must identify enacted provisions from the Blue Ribbon Commission on Special Education to offset the assumed funding reduction. If savings from those provisions fall short of $250 million, the commissioner of education would no longer be required to reduce the special education cross subsidy aid factor to make up the difference. The changes take effect the day following final enactment of the bill.
