Several New Laws Take Effect July 1st in Minnesota

(KNSI) — Several new laws take effect on July 1st in Minnesota.

Among them new rules surrounding the use of no-knock warrants. It limits a judge’s ability to issue such warrants. No knock warrants will only be allowed if there is no way a search can be conducted when there is no one inside and only if the judge feels there is an imminent threat of death or injury to law enforcement if they make an announcement before entering.

A new law will require up to 32 weeks of mental health treatment before a peace officer or firefighter with a psychological condition such as PTSD, or other serious mental health issue, can apply for duty disability benefits. Agencies must also pay the employee’s full salary and benefits during the treatment period. After 24 weeks of mental health treatment, an applicant for duty disability benefits can receive eight more weeks of treatment if they’re not ready to return to work but are progressing toward recovery.

There are also funding increases for the Department of Public Safety, Department of Corrections, courts, civil legal services, and the Peace Officer Standards and Training Board and raises for judges.

New veterans’ homes due to open this year will receive money for startup costs. The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Military Affairs will also receive increased funding. Money will be used to construct an Army Combat Fitness Test Field House in Arden Hills for soldiers to train for the tests they must pass to maintain physical readiness and to design and build the Minnesota Military Museum at Camp Ripley. Service bonuses will now be paid to post-9/11 veterans, and millions are coming for enlistment and retention bonuses, health and fitness initiatives, cybersecurity, and care models for residents of VA facilities.

While much of the environment, natural resources, climate and energy finance and policy law deals with environmental law and appropriations, it also funds several grant programs to aid the transition to renewable energy sources and upgrade energy efficiency. The law’s provisions related to climate and energy establish a biennial budget for the Department of Commerce and the Public Utilities Commission and govern activities related to clean and renewable energy, focusing on reducing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector.

A new law appropriates money to “protect, enhance, and restore” everything from wildlife habitats to water sources while devoting funds to preserving arts and cultural heritage and supporting parks and trails. The law will set a goal for all waters to be swimmable, fishable, and drinkable by 2050. Environmental and natural resources finance and policy law provide millions in one-time spending to address lingering issues and match federal dollars. Triannual fees to register a boat will increase by 56% to 151%, depending on the size and type of craft. “Amara’s Law” will require information on products containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances to be submitted to the Pollution Control Agency starting in 2026.

Some highlights of the omnibus agriculture, broadband, and rural development budget bill include millions to expand broadband access throughout the state, creates a grain indemnity fund, creates funding for urban youth agriculture education and urban agriculture community development grants, soil health equipment grants and support for emerging and beginning farmers with farm down payment assistance.

The commerce finance and policy law requires health plans to limit patient co-pays per one-month supply of prescription drugs used to treat chronic diseases, and the Right to Repair Act, prevents manufacturers from having exclusive rights to repair their products. Minnesota is the first state to pass such a strict law requiring broad consumer and independent repair shops access to most electronics repair manuals for devices sold on or after July 1st, 2021.

The education finance law boosts school funding with increases to the per pupil funding formula, special education cross subsidies, literacy education, and teacher grants, and allows hourly school workers to become eligible for unemployment during the summer months. While some students already qualified for free or reduced price lunches, the universal school meal program will now provide free breakfast and lunch to all students. Laws also cover free college tuition for qualifying students starting in the fall of 2024, a program for free undergrad education for indigenous students at public colleges and universities and qualifying high school seniors will get automatic conditional admission to public colleges and universities.

The “Nurse and Patient Safety Act” aims to address the working conditions of healthcare workers, and many new law provisions target the statewide shortage of nurses. An incident response action plan will be required at all hospitals to combat the rising violence against healthcare workers, and the health professional education loan forgiveness program will expand to include direct care nurses at nonprofit hospitals.

While the full adult use cannabis law doesn’t go into effect until August 1st, some pieces fall into place starting July 1st. They include a 10% tax charged on retail cannabis sales. It also creates a new Office of Cannabis Management and Expungement Board, appropriates money for the health department for education, and the Department of Public Safety for training.

For a complete rundown, click here.

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