Minnesota Bills

in committee · Minnesota · House Apr 7, 2026

HF 2614: Governing bodies prohibited from requiring or incentivizing creation of homeowners associations, and governing bodies prohibited from requiring terms not required under state law in homeowners association documents.

HF 2614 prohibits Minnesota counties and municipalities from requiring or incentivizing homeowners to join a homeowners association (HOA) as a condition for residential permits or development approvals. It also bans local governments from forcing HOAs to include terms in their governing documents (like declarations or bylaws) that aren't required by state law. The bill amends state statutes to specifically block counties from conditioning permits on HOA creation or requiring HOA-related features, and extends similar restrictions to municipalities for residential development permits. This directly affects homeowners in new residential developments and HOAs by limiting local government control over HOA formation and internal rules.

Topics ✓ Housing

in committee · Minnesota · Senate Apr 7, 2026

SF 1857: Minor access to chatbots for conversational purposes by persons prohibition, penalties provided

This bill prohibits website, app, or software owners from allowing minors (under 18) to access chatbots for recreational use. It requires service providers to verify users' ages before granting access to chatbots. Violations could result in civil penalties of up to $5 million for businesses, or $1,000 in damages for affected individuals. The law directly affects companies offering chatbot services to the public, aiming to restrict minors' recreational use of AI conversation tools.

Topics ✗ Technology

in committee · Minnesota · House Apr 7, 2026

HF 2291: Palliative Care Advisory Council funding provided, and money appropriated.

HF 2291 appropriates $44,000 from the general fund for fiscal year 2026 and another $44,000 for fiscal year 2027 to the Palliative Care Advisory Council. This funding supports the council's work under Minnesota Statutes § 144.059, which was established to advise on palliative care services. The bill directly affects the council by providing dedicated financial resources for its operations. It is a straightforward funding measure with no policy changes beyond allocating specific annual amounts.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Minnesota · Senate Apr 7, 2026

SF 1690: Stewardship program establishment for circuit boards, batteries, and electrical products

Minnesota Senate File 1690 establishes a stewardship program requiring manufacturers of covered circuit boards, batteries, and electrical products to fund collection, recycling, and disposal of these items. It directly affects electronics manufacturers and brands, who must pay into a new reimbursement system managed by a Covered Products Reimbursement Board (Section 3.17). Key provisions include prohibiting mercury in batteries (Section 3.4) and defining "covered products" to exclude medical devices and motor vehicles (Section 3.12). The bill amends multiple statutes to implement this system, effective January 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ Environment

in committee · Minnesota · House Apr 7, 2026

HF 2136: Grant funding provided for forensic interview training scholarships, and money appropriated.

HF 2136 appropriates $250,000 for fiscal year 2026 and $250,000 for fiscal year 2027 from the general fund to provide grants for forensic interview training scholarships. The funds will support nationally recognized organizations that offer scholarships to law enforcement, child protection workers, prosecutors, health professionals treating child maltreatment cases, and forensic interviewers at children's advocacy centers. These scholarships cover basic, advanced, and specialized forensic interview training. The bill directly affects Minnesota professionals working with child abuse cases by expanding access to specialized training through state-funded scholarships.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Criminal Justice

in committee · Minnesota · House Apr 7, 2026

HF 2002: Prohibition on issuing certificate of need for new nuclear power plant abolished.

HF 2002 abolishes a prohibition that prevented the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission from issuing a certificate of need for new nuclear power plants. This change would allow the commission to approve applications for new nuclear plant construction, which was previously blocked by law. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 216B.243, subdivision 3b, by removing the language stating the commission "may not issue a certificate of need" for new nuclear facilities. The policy change directly affects nuclear energy developers seeking to build new plants in Minnesota and the commission's approval process.

Topics ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

in committee · Minnesota · House Apr 7, 2026

HF 1434: Age verification required for websites with material harmful to minors, enforcement by the attorney general provided, and private right of action created.

HF 1434 requires commercial websites sharing material harmful to minors (defined as content with sexual depictions lacking artistic value for minors) to verify users are 18+ if 25% or more of the site’s pages contain such material. It mandates age verification using approved methods like commercial databases, prohibits retaining user identifying information, and creates a private right of action for parents to sue violators. The Minnesota Attorney General can enforce the law through civil actions, and commercial entities face $25,000 penalties per violation. This bill directly affects websites meeting the 25% harmful content threshold and targets operators of commercial platforms accessible to Minnesota residents.

Topics ✓ Technology

Ben Bakeberg (R) · 18 co-sponsors

in committee · Minnesota · House Apr 7, 2026

HF 729: Health and human services policy bill.

HF 729 expands Minnesota's medical assistance program to cover face-to-face care evaluations for home care planning, directly benefiting seniors and disabled residents needing home care services. The bill modifies payment rates for homemaker services, home health agencies, and home care nursing, while establishing a grant program to train home care professionals. It requires counties to report on implementation and appropriates funding for these changes. These updates aim to improve access to personalized home care assessments and support service providers through revised reimbursement structures.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Minnesota · House Apr 7, 2026

HF 1900: Minnesota Family Investment Program and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits restrictions removed for individuals convicted of drug crimes.

Minnesota bill HF 1900 changes eligibility rules for public assistance benefits by modifying which drug-related offenses affect an applicant's or participant's benefits. It requires that individuals convicted of a felony-level drug offense within the past ten years may face random drug testing and must receive benefits for housing and utilities through vendors (not cash), unless they are applying only for SNAP benefits. The bill specifically excludes cannabis, marijuana, or THC-related offenses from these restrictions. This directly affects people applying for or receiving public assistance who have recent felony drug convictions, including those seeking SNAP benefits alone.

in committee · Minnesota · Senate Apr 7, 2026

SF 1373: Driver's license suspension expansion to include all cases where a person is believed to have committed vehicular homicide or criminal vehicular operation; peace officer reporting in all cases where a person is believed to have committed criminal vehicular homicide or criminal vehicular operation

SF 1373 expands Minnesota's driver's license suspension policy to apply to all cases where a person is suspected of committing vehicular homicide (causing death while driving) or criminal vehicular operation (serious reckless driving). It directly affects drivers suspected of these offenses and requires peace officers to report all such cases to the state commissioner of public safety. The bill mandates automatic license suspensions upon officer certification of probable cause, rather than limiting suspensions to specific prior scenarios, and adds a requirement for officers to formally notify the state in every qualifying case. This change takes effect August 1, 2025.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice ✓ Transportation

in committee · Minnesota · House Apr 7, 2026

HF 2685: Athletic team designations based on biological sex at birth required.

HF 2685 requires Minnesota schools to designate interscholastic, intramural, or club athletic teams as "males," "females," or "coed" based solely on students' biological sex at birth. The bill specifically mandates that teams designated for "females" must only include participants who were biologically female at birth. This amendment to Minnesota Statutes section 123B.49 directly affects all public and private school athletic programs in the state. The policy change replaces existing team designation practices with a requirement tied to sex assigned at birth, impacting transgender and intersex student-athletes seeking to participate on teams matching their gender identity.

Topics ✗ Education

in committee · Minnesota · Senate Apr 7, 2026

SF 2320: Local governmental units authorization to prohibit or restrict the possession of dangerous weapons, ammunition, or explosives in local government-owned or leased buildings and land

This bill authorizes Minnesota counties, cities, and towns to prohibit or restrict the possession of dangerous weapons, ammunition, or explosives in their owned or leased buildings and land. Local governments must post conspicuous, prominently displayed signs with specific wording (e.g., "BANS GUNS") to communicate the ban, and exceptions apply for law enforcement officers on duty or individuals with written permission. Violating the ban would be classified as a misdemeanor, with the law taking effect on August 1, 2025.

Bill results