SF 4069 updates definitions in Minnesota's veterinary practice laws to clarify terminology for professionals and facilities. It adds specific definitions for terms like "accredited program of veterinary technology," "client," "consent," "dispensing," and "emergency stabilization" while expanding the definition of "animal" to include nonhuman mammals, birds, fish, and reptiles. These changes standardize how veterinary care, drug use, and patient interactions are legally described under Minnesota Statutes. The bill directly affects veterinarians, veterinary technicians, pharmacies, and animal care facilities by providing clearer regulatory language. (Note: This is a definitional bill with no substantive policy changes described in the text.)
This bill allows patients in Minnesota hospitals, hospice facilities, and birth centers to use electronic monitoring devices in their rooms to help prevent abuse. It specifically applies to vulnerable patients - including the elderly, young children, individuals with disabilities, neurodivergent conditions, or impaired cognition - during stays longer than 24 hours. The policy follows existing rules for such devices, enabling patients to install them without facility permission. This change directly affects patient safety during extended care stays in covered facilities.
This bill establishes a new program allowing Minnesota state employees to redirect their employer matching contributions from a deferred compensation plan into a Launch Account, which is designed to help save for a child's future financial needs. The program would require the commissioner of management and budget to set up the system by July 4, 2026, and must be available to all state employees on equal terms. Employees could either contribute their own salary to the account or direct their employer's matching funds that would normally go to their retirement plan into this child-focused savings vehicle. The bill defines specific rules for opening accounts, including priority order for who can open an account for a child, and requires the program to follow federal tax code requirements for similar savings accounts.
SF 3946 clarifies Minnesota's law against assaulting transit workers by expanding the definition of "transit worker" to include all employees, contractors, and volunteers in public transportation (not just drivers or operators). It specifies that assaulting or intentionally transferring bodily fluids onto these workers while they're performing job duties becomes a gross misdemeanor punishable by up to 364 days in jail or a $3,000 fine. The bill removes outdated references to "transit vehicle operation" and broadens protection to cover more transit staff types during work. The law would take effect on August 1, 2026, applying to incidents occurring after that date.
HF 1531 permanently removes the June 30, 2025, expiration date from Minnesota's law allowing crossbow hunting and fishing during regular archery seasons. This change affects hunters targeting deer, bear, turkey, common carp, or native rough fish using crossbows during designated seasons. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes section 97B.037 by deleting the sunset provision, making the crossbow allowance permanent. Hunters must still meet standard requirements, including valid licenses and crossbow specifications under section 97B.106.
This bill requires Minnesota landlords to have a valid "just cause" reason to terminate a tenancy or refuse lease renewal, directly affecting landlords and tenants in residential rental properties. It specifies 10 acceptable grounds for termination, such as nonpayment of rent (after a notice period), repeated late payments, material lease breaches, or the landlord needing the unit for personal occupancy. Landlords must provide written notice explaining the reason and give tenants at least one full rental period's notice (or 180 days for property withdrawals), with additional relocation fees required for certain cases like building demolition. The law aims to prevent arbitrary evictions while preserving landlords' rights to terminate under defined circumstances.
SF 3893 proposes to strengthen penalties for election-related offenses in Minnesota. It upgrades criminal charges for intimidating voters or interfering with voting (currently a gross misdemeanor) to a felony and increases civil penalties from $1,000 to $10,000 per violation. The bill also allows any person injured by such interference to sue for damages and attorney fees, and expands standing for election officials to pursue civil actions. These changes directly affect individuals who disrupt voting processes or target election workers, aiming to deter interference through stricter legal consequences. The bill focuses on concrete penalty modifications without altering voting procedures.
HF 3571 allows watershed districts in Minnesota to cover their own employee health insurance costs (excluding life insurance) instead of purchasing group policies, a change previously limited to cities, counties, and school districts. The bill requires these self-insurance plans to meet state certification standards, provide all legally required benefits, and involve consultation with employee representatives before implementation or dissolution. It also permits multiple watershed districts to jointly self-insure under shared rules and clarifies that employees represented by unions may opt into the district’s plan at their own expense. The legislation updates existing statutes to include watershed districts in these health benefit options while maintaining key safeguards for employees.
SF 2634 requires all school personnel in Minnesota public, private, and charter schools (including teachers, administrators, and support staff) to have access to annual training on relationship-building and de-escalation strategies. The training must cover building positive school cultures, preventing conflicts, and responding to escalated situations using evidence-based methods, with specific components like communication skills and restorative discipline practices. Schools that implement this training may receive priority for state professional development funding. The bill also appropriates funds for grants to support school districts in implementing these programs, though staff completion is encouraged but not mandatory.
This bill updates Minnesota's business services laws to improve how the Secretary of State handles unpaid filing fees and manages liens on business property. It allows the Secretary of State to refuse future filings from individuals with rejected payments, terminate inactive business entities, and pursue collection of outstanding fees. The legislation also modernizes lien procedures by enabling electronic filing and establishing a centralized database for lien notices, renewals, and releases. Additionally, it requires the Secretary of State to organize financing statement information into a master list categorized by farm product for better record-keeping. These changes directly affect business entities, employers, and the Secretary of State's office by streamlining administrative processes and clarifying enforcement mechanisms.
This bill strengthens fraud prevention measures for vehicle and snowmobile registrations, licenses, passes, and permits issued by the Minnesota Commissioner of Natural Resources. It makes it unlawful for individuals or dealers to use temporary registration permits without intending to complete a sale, to obtain registrations through false or misleading information, or to possess fraudulent registration documents. The bill establishes specific penalties, including voiding any permits obtained through fraud and imposing misdemeanor charges for individuals and gross misdemeanor charges for dealers who violate these provisions.
This bill allows public colleges and universities in Minnesota to create rules limiting how visitors can carry firearms on campus property. Under the new provisions, institutions can require visitors to leave if they violate firearm policies, and those who refuse to comply could face a petty misdemeanor charge with a fine of up to $500 for a first offense. The legislation also clarifies that firearms carried in violation of these rules cannot be subject to forfeiture. Additionally, the bill maintains that employers and schools cannot ban firearms in parking areas, even if they have other campus-wide restrictions.
