Minnesota Bills

in committee · Minnesota · Senate Apr 7, 2026

SF 4941: Motorized waterfowl boats use authorization in wildlife management areas under certain conditions

This bill allows older hunters in southern Minnesota to use motorized boats for waterfowl hunting in specific wildlife management areas. It permits individuals aged 65 and older to operate these boats during the hunting season if they follow existing safety rules and stay within the designated region south of U.S. Highway 10. The legislation also requires the state's natural resources commissioner to inform the federal government about this new permission and ask for matching rules in federal hunting zones.

in committee · Minnesota · Senate Apr 7, 2026

SF 4976: Financial assurance requirement for certain feedlot permits

This bill requires large feedlots in Minnesota, defined as those with 1,000 or more animal units, to provide financial proof before receiving or renewing a permit. The financial guarantee must be sufficient to cover the costs of closing the facility and cleaning up manure storage areas if the operator fails to comply with environmental rules. Additionally, the legislation mandates that the state Pollution Control Agency create and maintain a list of abandoned manure storage areas and develop a schedule to phase in these new financial requirements for 250 permittees per year, starting with the largest operations.

Topics ✓ Environment

in committee · Minnesota · Senate Apr 7, 2026

SF 4945: Tax-related data practices policy and technical provisions

This bill updates Minnesota tax laws to allow the Department of Revenue to share specific taxpayer data with other state agencies for administrative and investigative purposes. It authorizes the sharing of delinquent tax information with the State Lottery, return details with the Department of Human Services, and unclaimed property data including Social Security numbers with the Department of Commerce. Additionally, the legislation permits the exchange of fraud-related data with law enforcement and public safety agencies to investigate suspected violations in public programs and employer compliance. These changes enable more targeted information sharing to help various departments administer their programs and enforce laws more effectively.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Criminal Justice

in committee · Minnesota · Senate Apr 7, 2026

SF 5001: Define domestic assault by strangulation as a violent crime

This bill proposes to classify domestic assault involving strangulation as a violent crime under Minnesota law. It achieves this by adding a specific reference to strangulation statutes within the state's existing definition of violent crimes. The change would apply to offenses committed on or after August 1, 2026, affecting individuals charged with domestic violence incidents that involve choking or strangulation.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

in committee · Minnesota · Senate Apr 7, 2026

SF 4952: Continuing education requirements modification for online courses

This bill modifies Minnesota's continuing education rules to allow licensed professionals in various industries to take online courses instead of attending in-person classes. It requires that online courses be approved by specific international certification bodies or state agencies, depending on the profession, and mandates security measures to protect student data. The legislation also sets new standards for course content, ensuring it remains relevant to the industry while excluding sales or exam-prep materials, and establishes a future effective date of January 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Technology

in committee · Minnesota · Senate Apr 7, 2026

SF 4973: Commercial feed licensees authorization to employ veterinarians

This bill allows commercial feed licensees in Minnesota to hire licensed veterinarians to provide veterinary services to their customers. It achieves this by adding a new provision to state law that explicitly permits these feed businesses to employ veterinarians without needing to form a professional firm under specific regulations. The legislation clarifies that this employment arrangement does not violate existing rules regarding who can practice veterinary medicine.

in committee · Minnesota · Senate Apr 7, 2026

SF 5002: Hazard mitigation grant program establishment to support mitigation planning and mitigation projects that diminish potential effects of emergencies

This bill creates a new state fund to provide grants and technical assistance to local governments in Minnesota for reducing risks from emergencies. Eligible recipients include counties, cities, towns, and school districts, which can use the money to develop hazard mitigation plans or fund projects that protect life and property. The program requires local governments to match at least 25 percent of project costs and mandates that projects align with approved federal mitigation plans. Additionally, the bill allows the state to use these funds to help cover local shares for federal disaster assistance programs.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

in committee · Minnesota · Senate Apr 7, 2026

SF 4957: Registered designated caregivers provisions modifications and increasing patient and cannabis plant limits expansion provision

This bill modifies Minnesota's medical cannabis program to allow registered designated caregivers to cultivate plants for up to eight patients instead of the previous limit of one. Under the new rules, a caregiver may grow up to 12 plants per patient, with no more than six allowed to be mature or flowering at any time, provided the plants are kept in a locked, enclosed space that is not visible from public areas. The legislation also updates the registration requirements, permitting caregivers to assist a maximum of eight patients simultaneously while clarifying that a patient who assigns cultivation rights to a caregiver cannot grow their own plants. These changes directly affect registered patients, their designated caregivers, and the state office responsible for overseeing the medical cannabis registry.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Minnesota · Senate Apr 7, 2026

SF 4975: Certain former officers of the Public Health Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to reside in state veterans homes authorization

This bill expands eligibility for Minnesota state veterans homes to include former commissioned officers of the Public Health Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. To qualify, these individuals must have served on active duty for at least 181 consecutive days or been discharged due to service-related disability, and must have been separated under honorable conditions. The legislation amends existing state statutes to formally recognize these groups as veterans for the purpose of receiving nursing care and related health services at the homes.

Topics ✓ Veterans

in committee · Minnesota · Senate Apr 7, 2026

SF 4965: Prairie Lakes Municipal Solid Waste Authority regional solid waste management facilities

This bill authorizes the state to issue up to $7,267,000 in bonds to fund waste management projects for the Prairie Lakes Municipal Solid Waste Authority, which serves five counties in western Minnesota. The funds will support the design and construction of an ash recovery and recycling plant that turns landfill ash into road construction material and recovers metals, as well as a waste transfer station to consolidate trash for regional processing. The money is allocated through a grant to Otter Tail County, which manages the joint powers board representing the participating counties. Once enacted, the state will sell the bonds to raise the necessary capital for these infrastructure improvements.

Topics ✓ Environment ✓ Transportation

in committee · Minnesota · Senate Apr 7, 2026

SF 4953: Crime of providing material support or resources terrorism establishment

This bill establishes a new crime in Minnesota for providing material support or resources to designated foreign terrorist organizations or groups engaged in terrorism. It directly affects any individual who knowingly offers property, services, training, or other assistance to such groups, explicitly excluding medical and religious materials from the definition. The legislation sets tiered criminal penalties ranging from ten years to forty years in prison and fines up to $100,000, depending on whether the support results in great bodily harm or death. These provisions will become effective on August 1, 2026, and apply to crimes committed on or after that date.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

in committee · Minnesota · Senate Apr 7, 2026

SF 4979: Early Childhood Educator Licensure Task Force establishment and appropriation

This bill establishes the Task Force on Early Childhood Educator Licensure in Minnesota to develop a new system for licensing early childhood educators. The task force will include representatives from legislative bodies, child care centers, family programs, public schools, Tribal communities, Head Start programs, parents, medical professionals, and researchers, with appointments required by August 1, 2026. Its primary duties are to propose a plan for individual licensure, create competency frameworks that recognize skills beyond college degrees, and identify methods for improving educator qualifications. The group will meet regularly under the supervision of the commissioner of children, youth, and families, who will provide necessary administrative support.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

Bill results