New laws take effect in Minnesota on July 1. Here's what you need to know.
Several new Minnesota laws are set to take effect on July 1 that address school district safety, update decades-old government technology and provide funding for various projects across the state.
Here's what you need to know about the new laws:
Anonymous reporting system for schools
School districts across Minnesota are required to adopt a system that receives anonymous tips regarding potentially harmful activity on school property or involving students and staff. The law sets aside funds for schools to purchase and implement an app or website that could receive those tips.
The systems are required to be up and running by July 1, 2028, and the data collected will need to be able to be shared with the district, the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Education.
Mandatory teacher reporting
Police and county sheriffs will be required to notify a licensing board when a teacher is criminally charged with an offense that triggers a license denial or an offense that requires a person to register as a public offender.
The teacher reporting is part of a larger anti-grooming bill that takes effect on Aug. 1.
Updates to state technology
One of the laws establishes a state fund to update IT systems used by state agencies, which in some cases haven't been updated since 1994.
Updating the software was a top priority for all of Minnesota's 87 counties, which oversee enrollement and case management for Medicaid, SNAP and other assistance.
Cash bonding bill funds projects across Minnesota
The Legislature appropriated $46.47 million to focus on state projects, including $10 million for design updates for Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, $1.3 million for a new clinic in north Minneapolis and $1 million for the design and construction of a city park at The Heights in St. Paul.
An additional $6.1 million will go towards renovating a water treatment plant in Apple Valley to address PFAS in the city's drinking water.
Courtroom security, State Patrol staffing
A public safety law sets aside $47.44 million for the 2026-2027 biennium to fund safety around the State Capitol. Roughly $4 million will go towards improving safety at courthouses and $1.69 million will help monitor and respond to threats to judges and judicial staff.
The Legislature also allocated $7.32 million for State Patrol staffing and overtime, as well as provided funds to the Philando Castile Memorial Training Fund, which trains peace officers on deescalation techniques.
