Minnesota’s New Year will bring with it sweeping new laws for workers, hunters and families.
2026 will kick off with an expansion of workers' rights, guaranteeing up to 20 weeks of paid family and medical leave, and requiring meal and rest breaks for longer shifts.
For the outdoors, hunters will see an end of shotgun-only deer zones, and boaters will pay higher watercraft surcharges.
Signaling a shift in how the state manages its natural resources, there will also be stronger consumer data privacy rules coming into play, giving residents more control over how companies collect and use their personal information.
There is also an election change. A person using the online application to request an absentee ballot will now need to provide both a Minnesota driver’s license or state ID card number along with the last four digits of their Social Security Number - unless the applicant affirmatively certifies that they do not possess one of those numbers.
The 2025 public safety and judiciary policy and finance law also contains a provision that aims to better protect vulnerable adults from exploitation and scams. Effective Jan. 1, 2026, “a petitioner may petition the court for an order for protection against financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult seeking injunctive relief and any other equitable remedy the court deems appropriate.”