Bill Tracker

Track bills and take action!

Introducing Minnesota Family Council’s 2024 bill tracker. In addition to our email updates and action alerts, bookmarking this page will keep you informed on the issues facing the Minnesota Legislature this year to do with life, family, and religious freedom. When it’s appropriate, this page will include links to take action and tell your legislators what you think of a pending bill.

The tracker below includes legislation from the 2024 Legislative Session. Click here to see our 2023 Legislative Scorecard.

Human Rights Act Modification

MFC/TNL supported HF4109 | SF4201 | PASSED
The Minnesota Human Rights Act (MHRA) is a section of Minnesota statutes (laws) developed in 1993 that establishes and balances the rights of various groups within the state of Minnesota. From 1993 until 2023, religious organizations have been exempt from this law with regard to “sexual orientation.”
What does that mean? It means that organizations such as churches, mosques, synagogues, parochial schools, Islamic private schools, etc. have been able to make employment and curriculum decisions which are aligned with the tenets of their faith.
During the 2023 state legislative session, the governing majority added “gender identity” as a protected class without adding the exemption for faith groups, an exemption which had been implemented for “sexual orientation” for 30 years. After the 2023 session, faith groups met with key legislators to share concerns that the lack of religious exemption inclusion is a violation of religious freedom. Specifically, this violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the Minnesota Constitution, and SCOTUS doctrines of church autonomy and the application of the ministerial exception.
True North Legal and other faith groups across the state have continued to advocate for statutory changes which would restore religious freedom protections for people of all faiths. As written without the exemption, the statute infringes on clearly established legal rights of religious organizations.

Read the bill that fixed the statutes: HF4109 | SF4201

Watch True North Legal Testimony: Senate Judiciary and Public Policy Committee, March 18, 2024.
Note: this testimony addressed the concerns related to current law and the consequences of not adopting the amendment during the hearing addressing the MHRA and related statutory provisions.

Read the True North Legal blog explanation of the situation.

Current bill status: The above bills passed both the Minnesota House of Representatives and the Minnesota Senate unanimously, restoring the religious exemption to the Minnesota Human Rights Act statutes.

Physician Assisted Suicide

MFC/TNL opposed HF1930 | SF1813 | DID NOT PASS
This bill would have legalized assisted suicide in Minnesota. It allows both Minnesota and non-Minnesota residents to seek lethal drugs if that individual has received a diagnosis of six months to live. Although the bill does require sign-off from two medical professionals, the professional prescribing drugs is not required to be a licensed physician. In addition, a mental fitness diagnosis is not required to be performed by a licensed mental health therapist, if the medical professionals signing off on assisted suicide deem that the individual seeking drugs is mentally fit.

Read the bill here: HF1930 | SF1813

Read Minnesota Family Council and True North Legal joint testimony

Current bill status: Failed to pass in the 2023-2024 sessions.

The “Equal Rights Amendment” or ERA

MFC/TNL opposed SF37 | HF173 | DID NOT PASS
The ERA is a proposed amendment to the Minnesota constitution which would ensure that “equal rights” shall not be abridged or denied on the basis of “gender identity or expression.” The ERA was introduced in the first year of the biennium (2023) and passed the Minnesota Senate on May 17, 2023, by a vote of 43 to 23 with bipartisan support.

In 2024, the bill was still active since the legislature had until the end of the 2024 legislative session to pass bills or constitutional amendments. In May 2024, the language changed to include more explicit protections of abortion up to the moment of a baby’s birth. Through the so-called “Protect Reproductive Options Act” which passed in 2023, Minnesota statutes make abortion legal until birth, but ERA would give constitutional protection to abortion until birth. In addition, that updated language removed any protection for religious freedom.

Read the bill here: SF37 | HF173. Note that the language had changed from the original bill language which passed the Minnesota Senate 43-23 on May 17, 2023.

The updated language passed the Minnesota House 68-62 on Mary 19, 2024.

Watch MFC Testimony: House Rules and Legislative Administration Committee, March 6, 2024
Watch TNL Testimony: House Rules and Legislative Administration Committee, March 6, 2024
Read MFC Testimony: House State and Local Government Finance and Policy Committee, March 2, 2023

Current bill status: Updated language failed to pass the Minnesota Senate before the end of the biennium (end of the 2024 legislative session,) making it dead for this year.

Legalization and Regulation of For-Profit Surrogacy

MFC/TNL opposed HF3567 | SF3504 | DID NOT PASS
The updated language linked below legalizes for-profit surrogacy in Minnesota. Surrogacy is already happening in Minnesota, but there isn’t a legal framework for the practice, meaning that it is technically illegal. Many people are unfamiliar with surrogacy. The general process is as follows: a person who desires a child procures gametes from at least one “donor,” either sperm or egg, or uses their own genetic material. In some cases, donors are sought for both egg and sperm. The egg and sperm are fertilized through assisted reproductive technology before the embryo is placed into the womb of a “gestational carrier” (surrogate.) The surrogate births the baby, who is given to the “intended parent(s).”
This language would legalize for-profit surrogacy, with no requirement that one of the “intended parents” be biologically related. There is also no requirement for any of the parties to be residents of Minnesota (imagine the facilitation of international human trafficking.) Surrogacy allows “intended parents” to bypass the background checks required for adoptive families or foster families, allowing nearly anyone with money and means to buy a child. Commercial surrogacy passed the Minnesota House on April 29, 2024 by 68-61.

Every child has a right to a mother and father; not every adult has a right to a child.

Read the bill here: HF3567 | SF3504

Watch MFC Testimony: Part 1 in House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee, March 19, 2024 | Part 2 in Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, March 22, 2024

Current bill status: Failed to pass the Minnesota Senate before the end of the biennium (end of the 2024 legislative session,) making it dead for this year.

Mandated Insurance Coverage of Abortion and Medical Assistance Coverage of Abortion Clarified

MFC/TNL oppose HF4053 | SF3967 | PASSED IN OMNIBUS TAX BILL HF5247
The language mandates that medical insurers operating in Minnesota cover abortion for all employers, removing abortion carveout in current statute, except for self-insured employers. Non-profits and closely-held businesses with religious objections will receive an accommodation of exemption.

Read the bill here: HF4053 | SF3967 (language eventually passed in omnibus Tax bill HF5247)

Watch True North Legal Testimony: Part 1 in Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee, March 7, 2024 | Part 2 in Senate Health and Human Services Committee, March 20, 2024

Read True North Legal Testimony

Current bill status: Passed in omnibus Tax bill; see House vote 70-50 and Senate vote 34-14

Mandated Insurance Coverage of “Gender-Affirming Care” and Medical Assistance Clarified, Expanded

MFC/TNL oppose HF2607 | SF2209 | PASSED IN OMNIBUS TAX BILL HF5247
The language mandates that all medical insurers operating in Minnesota cover “gender-affirming care” as medically necessary. The language also clarifies and expands current state taxpayer funding of “gender-affirming care.” Non-profits and closely-held businesses with religious objections will receive an accommodation of exemption.

Read the bill here: HF2607 | SF2209 (language eventually passed in omnibus Tax bill HF5247)
Watch MFC Testimony: Part 1 in House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee, March 6, 2024 | Part 2 in Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee, March 7, 2024 | Part 3 in Senate Health and Human Services Committee, March 20, 2024
Watch Detransitioner Camille Kiefel’s testimony in Senate Health and Human Services, requesting that an amendment be added to ensure that detransitioners also have mandatory coverage
Current Bill status: Passed in omnibus Tax bill; see House vote 70-50 and Senate vote 34-14

The “Gender-Affirming Rights Act”

MFC/TNL oppose HF2280 | SF2236 | FAILED TO PASS
The so-called “Gender-Affirming Rights Act” would give every “individual” the “fundamental right to make autonomous decisions about the individual's own gender, and related gender-affirming health care.” The language does not define the word “individual,” giving every child and adult the fundamental right to make these decisions. By taking parental and guardianship protection away from the child, this bill exposes children directly to the medical industrial complex, allowing the medical industrial complex to contract with children without informed consent.

Read the bill here: HF2280 | SF2236

Watch MFC Testimony: House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee, March 9, 2023

Current bill status: Failed to pass. Failed to move forward after one 2023 committee hearing.