SF 3720 Minnesota Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

2026 recommendations adoption of the Workers' Compensation Advisory Council

SF 3720 modifies how Minnesota municipalities can handle building code enforcement for certain projects. It updates qualification standards from "inspectors" to "qualified personnel," requiring municipalities to have enough trained staff (including code enforcement staff) to provide plan review, inspection, and enforcement for public buildings and state-licensed facilities. The bill also specifies a list of "reserved projects" (like roof replacements, exterior maintenance, or accessibility upgrades) where municipalities can manage code enforcement without state oversight. Municipalities must formally request agreements, and the state commissioner must provide written criteria and explanations for approvals or denials, with appeal options available.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

May 2026

Senate Passage

May 2026

House Passage

May 2026

Signed into Law

May 2026

Introduced Feb 19, 2026 Signed May 18, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduction → 1st Engrossment · 6 edits · Apr 21, 2026

MODERATE

This bill updates Minnesota's Workers' Compensation Reinsurance Association to improve financial stability by allowing the distribution of excess surplus to members and the assessment of deficiencies when funds are insufficient. It modernizes the permanent partial disability payment schedule, increases legal fee caps for injured workers, and expands the definition of compensable occupational diseases to include mental health conditions like PTSD for first responders.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of compensable injuries to include mental impairments for specific public safety roles and changes the mechanism for distributing surplus funds from the reinsurance association.

FISCAL

The permanent partial disability payment schedule was updated to increase the dollar amounts paid to injured workers across all impairment levels.

The maximum legal fees an attorney can charge an injured worker were increased from $26,000 to $55,000, with the percentage cap raised to 20% of the first $275,000 awarded.

ELIGIBILITY

Mental impairments, specifically PTSD, are now presumptively considered occupational diseases for firefighters, police officers, paramedics, and other first responders.

REQUIREMENT

New procedures were established for the Workers' Compensation Reinsurance Association to distribute excess surplus to members and assess deficiencies when funds run low.

DEFINITION

The definition of occupational disease was expanded to include mental injuries resulting from disciplinary actions or workplace stress for certain public safety employees.

TIMELINE

New provisions regarding mental health claims and legal fee caps apply to injuries occurring on or after October 1, 2026.

Floor votes · House May 14, 2026

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

May 18, 2026

Signed into law

Governor's action Approval 05/18/26

executive

May 18, 2026

Introduced

Secretary of State, Filed 05/18/2026

lower

May 18, 2026

Signed into law

Governor approval 05/18/2026

executive

May 14, 2026

Lower · Passed

Bill was passed

lower

May 11, 2026

Upper · Passed

Third reading Passed

upper

May 11, 2026

Committee

Senate file first reading, referred for comparison HF4598

lower

May 11, 2026

Introduced

Received from Senate

lower

May 7, 2026

Upper · Passed

Comm report: To pass

upper

Apr 21, 2026

Upper · Passed

Senate Concurrent Resolution 6 Suspended adopt previous committee report

upper

Apr 20, 2026

Committee

Pursuant to Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 6, referred to Rules and Administration

upper

Apr 20, 2026

Upper · Passed

Comm report: To pass as amended and re-refer to Finance

upper

Feb 19, 2026

Committee

Referred to Labor

upper

Feb 19, 2026

Introduced

Introduction and first reading

upper

1 primary · 2 co-sponsors