The 2023 Minnesota legislative session Recap

New Legislation

Democrats returned to St. Paul in January with a $17.5+ billion surplus and total control of state government.  The Following is the results.

When Laws Go into Effect

Summary of New Laws - and links to the Chapters and Bills

Chapter of Law Bill Short Description

 1 - HF31- Federal tax conformity—a non-controversial bill conforming Minnesota tax law to federal tax laws

 2 - SF40 - Unemployment insurance benefits were extended for miners due to the closure of mines in the Iron Range.

 3 - HF37 - The CROWN Act—Certain hairstyles are now considered part of someone’s race, and employers can no longer ban those hairstyles. Beards are not included.

 4 - HF1 - The “Pro Act” made abortion and any type of procedure related to sex or reproduction a right for any “individual” (no regard to age, gender, or Minnesota residency) This general statement lays the groundwork for undermining parental rights and for the state to pay for all procedures.

5 - SF13 - Juneteenth Holiday. June 19 is now a public holiday for the state as well as federal workers.

6 - HF26 - Appropriation of Federal Infrastructure money for transportation.

7 - HF7 - 2040 renewable energy goal “Blackout Bill.”  This “goal” will result in higher rates for utilities because there is currently no way to achieve it.  The utilities and the Public Utilities Commission are in a standoff over this, with the utilities claiming they are cutting other services and investments.

8 - SF33 - More money for Attorney General Ellison to assist County Attorneys in Criminal Prosecutions.

9 - HF50 - Lands bill. A technical bill allowing counties and the state to sell or swap government owned land in specific instances explained in the bill.

10 - HF35 - State forecasts are required to include the rate of inflation.  Now budgets will have inflation automatically added so that Legislators will see the inflated costs of the previous year’s budget before they decide on increases and decreases.

11 - HF213 - Food Shelf Funding. $5 Million from the General Fund for Food Shelves

12 - HF28 - Felon Voting. Felons can now vote when they get out of jail and no longer must wait for their parole to be over.

13 - HF4 - Driver’s Licenses issued without having identity documents are or whether you are in the country legally. There will be no difference between these non-compliant licenses and other licenses which has led many to question whether they will be used to fraudulently obtain benefits or vote.

14 - HF121 - Technical corrections to the Court Competency process law passed last year.

15 - HF30 - Catalytic Converter theft prevention and penalties. More regulations for the scrap/spare parts industry. Criminals will just change their methods to avoid getting caught.

16 - SF667 - Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act changes

17 - HF112 - Physical Education Standards Delayed

18 - HF5 - Free Breakfast and Lunch provided to all K-12 students even if they don’t qualify due to income level. (Low-income students already received free breakfast and lunch through a federal program.)

19 - HF45 - Review of military offenses for deferred prosecution. This deals with military offenses and whether they should be criminally prosecuted under civilian courts. This pertains to the Minnesota National Guard only.

20 - HF1440 - Homelessness Prevention Bill.

21 - HF244 - Electronic Wills

22 - SF2265 - Transition from Public Health Emergency and continuation of health insurance MA for people who are no longer eligible under federal guidelines.

23 - SF1816 - Additional money for the Office of Administrative Hearings

24 - HF1656 - $156 M in grants to be administered to the Dept. of Commerce for assisting Minnesota businesses and nonprofits applying for federal energy grants.

25 - HF1581 - Revisor Technical Corrections bill

26 - HF1278 - $40 Million for the Disaster Contingency Account.

27 - HF42 - Labor Trafficking and Human Trafficking penalties enhanced

28 - HF16 - Conversion therapy prohibited

29 - HF146 - Transgender Sanctuary bill. Prohibiting extradition in custody situations if the parent of a child is seeking gender transition treatment for them.

30 - SF10 - Contractors at petroleum refineries must be trained to State Department of Labor (union) standards

31 - HF366 - Sanctuary for people who break abortion laws in other states

32 - HF463 - Rural Finance Authority funding

33 - SF2369 - Economic Development Policy Omnibus Bill

34 - HF3 - Voter registration expanded, interpreters use expanded, voter intimidation and express advocacy redefined and regulated.

35 - HF717 - Prince Highway and Augie Mueller Highway in Chanhassen

36 - HF800 - Labor contracts ratified. Several State Government Workers unions contracts contained in this bill. 

37 - HF2335 - Housing Finance and Policy Omnibus bill. 

38 - HF1937 - Veterans and Military Affairs Omnibus bill. Passed as a standalone bill this year.

39 - HF24 - Lead pipe replacement grants. Grants to local governments to replace lead pipes in their drinking water systems.

40 - HF1999 - Legacy Finance Bill. Grants for arts, outdoors and clean water projects funded by the state sales tax mandated by the constitutional amendment.

41 - HF2073 - Higher Education Omnibus Bill.

42 - HF2204 - Metropolitan Council redistricting technical bill.

43 - SF1955 - Omnibus Agriculture, Broadband and Rural Development Bill

44 - HF1126 - PSEO changes, student financial aid and teacher licensure. PSEO changes, student financial aid and teacher licensure. This bill includes new rules that restrict religious post-secondary institutions from the program, a provision which is being fought in court.

45 - HF3100 - Pension Omnibus Bill

46 - HF782 - Minnesota Secure Choice retirement program bill. Another employer mandate on payroll that duplicates a service available in the private sector.

47 - HF2950 - Pension Policy Bill

48 - HF1234 - Disability Pension modifications for Police and Fire.

49 - HF1486 - Modifications for Licensing of Drug Counselors

50 - HF1403 - Aging, Disability and Recovery Support Services Policy Bill

51 - HF2988 - Workers Comp Bill

52 - SF2909 - Public Safety Omnibus Bill. This is the bill that contains so called “red flag laws” that allow third parties to petition the court to get someone’s gun rights removed.  It also expands background checks. 

53 - SF3035 - Omnibus Jobs, Labor and Industry Bill

54 - HF2292 - Early Childhood Bill. This bill greatly expands subsidies for childcare and Pre-K programs “from birth to age 5.” Increases funding for education of childcare workers and further expands the “parent aware” program which serves as a government rating system for childcare providers. Gives discretion to the Commissioner of the Department of Education to determine Kindergarten “readiness” and changes the title from Kindergarten Readiness to Kindergarten “entry.”

55 - HF2497 - Education Omnibus Bill. This bill imposes a huge number of mandates onto schools, that don’t directly impact the classroom. Many school districts have told us that this and other bills will cost them more than they are receiving. It requires schools to stock menstrual products in the boys’ bathrooms. It allows part time and seasonal employees to collect unemployment rather than fill other jobs during their off months. It removes the requirement that teachers have expertise in the areas they teach.

56 - HF3288 - Claims. Payment of settlements already agreed to by the Attorney General.

57 - SF2744 - Omnibus Commerce Bill This bill funds the Commerce Department and puts new regulations on the industries it regulates, namely, insurance and financial institutions. It also opens the door to price controls on drugs and removes price controls on gasoline.  It is likely to increase insurance rates of all kinds. It Regulates Payday Lending by limiting interest rates; It ends state reinsurance for health insurance, which served to keep health insurance premiums lower. Democrats want to move more people to subsidized care instead, and eventually to a “public option.”  Creates a “Prescription Drug Affordability Board” that can review drug prices for “fair” pricing. Controls prices for Epi-pens and Insulin. “Anti-Gouging” laws for products during market disruptions.  Right to Repair which requires an original equipment manufacturer to generally make available to the purchaser/owner (or an independent repair provider) documentation, parts, and tools for diagnostic, maintenance, or repair purposes, and similarly, information to reset an electronic security lock or security-related function when the lock or function is disabled during repairs.  Gas markup elimination which repeals the prohibition against selling gasoline below cost and eliminates the eight cent per gallon statutorily required markup.  Increases penalties for unlawful robocalls.

58 - HF1370 - Deep Fake Sexual Images prohibited. This bill puts criminal penalties on using someone’s image to create pornographic material.

59 - HF2 - Paid Family Leave. A new mandate and payroll tax on businesses of any size. 

60 - HF2310 - Environment, Natural Resources and Energy policy bill

61 - SF2934 - Omnibus Human Services Bill

62 - HF1830 - State Government Finance Bill. This bill contains raises to the Governor and other constitutional officers and designation of a race-based committee to design the new state flag.

63 - HF100

Legalization, Regulation and Taxation of Cannabis, THC and CBD products.  Unfortunately, this bill also creates problems for hemp farmers to such an extent that it will likely put some of them out of business due to the high cost of compliance.

64 - HF1938

Tax Omnibus Bill. This bill raises taxes and has a provision which restricts electronic pull tabs to make them less attractive, negatively impacting charitable gambling.  It changes the income threshold for taxing social security income, but it doesn’t eliminate the tax.

65 - HF2369 - Ride Sharing Bill (Vetoed). This regulatory bill would have caused Uber and Lyft to leave Minnesota.

66 - HF402 - Regulation of Health Care/Hospital mergers (Fairview University).

67 - HF1900 - Environmental Trust Fund and lottery constitutional amendment proposed. This is a renewal of what the state lottery money funds which expires in 2025.

68 - HF2887 - Transportation Finance and Policy Omnibus Bill

69 - SF3307 - Revisor Corrections bill 2

70 - SF2995 - Omnibus Health Bill.  This bill repealed 50 years of prolife legislation including the Born Alive Act, which banned partial birth abortion and the neglect of babies who survived abortion. It removes funding for abortion alternatives and replaces it with funding for “family planning grants” that include abortion.

71 - HF670 - Cash Capital Investment Bill. This bill and the Borrowing Bill below, fund infrastructure projects around the state.  Unfortunately, this bill also contained tens of millions of dollars in unrestricted grants to nonprofits as well.

72 - HF699 - Borrowing Capital Investment Bill. This had a mixture of good, important projects as well as some projects that should not have been a priority or could have been paid with the surplus that the Democrat leadership chose to spend on other things.

73 - HF447 - Revisor Corrections Bill 3

74 -HF3342 - Nursing Home Facility Payments—300 million dollars to shore up our failing nursing home industry in Minnesota. The crisis in funding and staffing shortages are putting the elderly and vulnerable populations at risk.

75 - SF1384

Nurse Staffing. This bill started out as an aggressive regulations bill, where nurse staffing would be determined by the Nurses union and staffing committees in each hospital.  With staffing shortages at crisis levels, especially in rural areas, it would have led to patients being turned away from hospitals in Greater Minnesota where distances between hospitals can be big. The final bill was limited to a study and an emphasis on Nurse and Patient safety.

Alpha News Recap of the 2023 legislation outcome. Most Info below comes from the following article. Here's the legislation passed by Minnesota's DFL majority - Alpha News 

Democrats have a one-seat majority in the Senate that was decided by just a few hundred votes.

One dissenting voice would have been enough to derail their entire agenda. Instead, swing-district senators were reliable green votes on every major piece of legislation.  The Democrat legislators voted in lock step to instill mostly pure partisan legislation.


In just four months, the DFL majority:

(click to expand)