Today, Governor Mark Dayton signed four bills into law. The first, House File 786/Senate File 615 modifies certain financial statement requirements for charitable organizations; it changes the definition of "compensation" for the purposes of reporting requirements. Previously, fringe benefits and deferred compensation were included in the "compensation" reported; now the value of fringe benefits and deferred compensation will be reported as a separate item. This bill passed the State House and Senate with broad bipartisan support.

The second bill, House File 664/Senate File 617, modifies the compliance timeline for building code requirements related to elevators. Specifically, it creates an exception to the requirement that elevators not meeting building code safety requirements be taken out of service until modifications have been made to bring the device into compliance. The exception provides an alternative compliance timeline for modifying elevators. This bill unanimously passed the State House and Senate.

The third bill, House File 1092/Senate File 1062 allows teachers taking early retirement to continue coaching. It also extends the deadline for the Minnesota Department of Education to approve charter school authorizers from June 30, 2011 to June 30, 2012. It passed with broad bipartisan support.

Finally, Governor Dayton signed House File 447/Senate File195, which increases the criminal penalty for assaulting a vulnerable adult from a fifth degree assault to fourth degree assault, which is a gross misdemeanor. Under current law, a caregiver who assaults a vulnerable adult can be charged with a gross misdemeanor; this law will ensure that anyone who assaults a vulnerable adult will be prosecuted in the same way. The new law will also require individuals convicted of criminal abuse of a vulnerable adult to register on the predatory offender registration list. Additionally, it makes several minor changes regarding the role of state agencies in investigating, reviewing, and prosecuting maltreatment of vulnerable adults. This bill passed unanimously.