ST. PAUL, MN - Today, Governor Mark Dayton signed multiple bills into law, including Chapters: 82, 85, 86, 108, 111, 114, 117, 131, 142, and 143.

Highlights of the new legislation include:

A Growing Economy That Creates Middle-Class Jobs
Minnesotans need a strong economy for good jobs, living wages, and a strong middle class. That is why the Governor and the DFL legislature took bold action this session to create jobs, strengthen our infrastructure, and make our state a more competitive place to do business. Today, Governor Dayton signed (HF729) a bill into law that invests millions in job creation efforts that will leverage billions of dollars in private sector investment in Minnesota's economy, make our state a more competitive place to do business, and get thousands of Minnesotans back to work. [/governor/assets/2013_budget_better_mn_jobs.pdf_tcm1055-93106.pdfRead More]

Investing in Veterans and Their Families
Nearly 400,000 veterans call Minnesota home. Our veterans have endured great sacrifice to make our state and country safer. That is why Governor Dayton signed a bill (SF1589) into law today that invests in Minnesota veterans, ensuring they receive the education, opportunities, and benefits they earned through their service. [/governor/assets/2013_budget_better_mn_veterans.pdf_tcm1055-93107.pdfRead More]

Better Health for Every Dollar
Minnesota is a national leader in providing quality health care at low costs. But health and human services are still the fastest growing parts of our budget, with costs rising 8.5% each year. We can do more to improve health and reduce costs. Today, Governor Dayton signed a bill (HF1233) that makes crucial reforms to deliver better services at a better price for taxpayers. [/governor/assets/2013_budget_better_mn_healthcare.pdf_tcm1055-92677.pdfRead More]


Chapters Signed Into Law

• Chapter 82, Senate File 745: Relating to state government; classifying or modifying certain provisions concerning data practices; requiring informed consent; amending definitions; allowing disclosure of certain data; allowing access to certain records; making technical changes; modifying certain provisions regarding transportation and health data; modifying certain provisions regarding criminal history records, criminal background checks, and other criminal justice data provisions; clarifying provisions regarding data on homestead and other tax applications; extending for six years the sunset provision for the newborn screening advisory committee; requiring a newborn screening program study; providing for destruction of data from mileage-based user fee pilot project; repealing the McGruff safe house program.
• Chapter 85, House File 729: Relating to state government; appropriating money for jobs and economic development; modifying labor and industry; employment, economic development, and workforce development; unemployment insurance;miscellaneous provisions; commerce and consumer protection; utility regulation; energy and solar energy regulations; creating various renewable energy incentives; imposing penalties; increasing fees; requiring reports; authorizing rulemaking; appropriating money to various state boards, agencies, and departments; amending Minnesota Statutes.
• Chapter 86, Senate File 671: relating to criminal justice; modifying certain provisions relating to public safety, courts, guardians and conservators, corrections, offenders, and data integration; requiring reports; providing for penalties; appropriating money for courts, Guardian Ad Litem Board, Uniform Laws Commission, Board on Judicial Standards, Board of Public Defense, sentencing guidelines, public safety, Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board, Private Detective Board, human rights, and corrections; amending Minnesota Statutes.
• Chapter 108, HF 1233: relating to state government; establishing the health and human services budget; modifying provisions related to health care, continuing care, human services licensing, children and family services, program integrity, health-related licensing boards, chemical and mental health services, managed care organizations, waiver provider standards, home care, and the Department of Health; redesigning home and community-based services; establishing payment methodologies for home and community-based services; adjusting provider rates; setting and modifying fees; modifying autism coverage; modifying assistance programs; establishing Northstar care for children; making technical changes; requiring studies; requiring reports; appropriating money.
• Chapter 111, SF 489: relating to retirement; modifying State Board of Investment provisions; MSRS administrative provisions; PERA administrative provisions; benefit accrual rate specification; revisions and repeals of former local police and paid firefighter relief association laws; volunteer firefighter retirement changes; one person and small group retirement changes; miscellaneous provisions; state patrol retirement plan financial solvency measures; PERA plans salary definitions; public employees police and fire retirement plan financial solvency measures; Teachers Retirement Association early retirement reduction factors; first class city teacher retirement increases and financial solvency measures; judges retirement plan financial solvency measures; requiring reports; appropriating money.
• Chapter 114, HF 976: relating to state government; appropriating money for environment, natural resources, and agriculture; modifying and providing for disposition of certain revenue; modifying pesticide control; providing certain fee exemptions; establishing agricultural water certification program; modifying Minnesota Noxious Weed Law; providing for biobased and biofuel products; modifying certain bond requirements; modifying animal waste technician provisions; making technical changes; modifying certain permit requirements; providing for federal law compliance; providing for certain easements; modifying all-terrain vehicle operating provisions; establishing pollinator habitat program; modifying snowmobile registration provisions; modifying state trails; modifying State Timber Act; modifying certain park boundaries and expenditures; modifying reporting requirements; modifying Petroleum Tank Release Cleanup Act; providing for silica sand mining model standards and technical assistance; providing for wastewater laboratory certification; providing for product stewardship program; providing for discontinuance of Hennepin County Soil and Water Conservation District; authorizing recreation of Hall's Island; providing for certain interim ordinance extension or renewal; repealing certain pollution control rules; modifying certain environmental review; modifying Water Law; modifying public utilities provisions; providing certain criteria for wastewater treatment systems; providing for sanitary districts; requiring studies and reports; requiring rulemaking.
• Chapter 117, HF 1444: relating to government finance; appropriating money for transportation, Metropolitan Council, and public safety activities and programs; providing for fund transfers, tort claims, and contingent appropriations; modifying policy and tax provisions relating to transportation, transit, and public safety; making technical and clarifying changes.
• Chapter 131, House File 894: relating to elections; making policy, technical, and clarifying changes to various provisions related to election law, including provisions related to absentee voting, redistricting, ballots, registration, voting, caucuses, candidates, recounts, campaigns, voting rights, voting data, vacancies in nomination, and election administration; providing an electronic roster pilot project and task force; requiring reports; appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes.
• Chapter 142, Senate File 1589A: relating to the operation of state government; providing funding for the legislature, constitutional officers and other agencies, boards, councils, commissions, and state entities; changing certain state government programs; changing powers and duties of certain state officers; repealing the Minnesota Sunset Act; requiring the chair of the Legislative Advisory Commission alternate between a member of the senate and a member of the house of representatives; requiring the chair of the Legislative Advisory Commission be a senate member in 2013; allowing the Legislative Advisory Commission to accept grants and gifts related to the commission's duties; requiring data security audits by the legislative auditor under certain circumstances; requiring notification of the legislative auditor when public resources have been used unlawfully or government data has been accessed unlawfully; allowing the secretary of state authority to accept funds from local government units for election systems enhancements and to receive certain funds for the address confidentiality program; allowing the state auditor to change a onetime user fee for a small city and town accounting system software; changing provisions for bid solicitations and proposals; changing certain provisions for service contracts and the solicitation process; requiring a determination of the information technology cost for agency technology cost for agency technology projects; expanding E-Government initiative and establishing the E-Government Advisory Council; allowing a convenience fee for users of NorthStar or online government information services; changing certain audit provisions relating to duties of the state auditor and the legislative auditor; allowing the state auditor to bill counties and political subdivisions periodically for services rendered; establishing a state auditor enterprise fund; modifying provisions for general noncommercial radio station and equipment grants; removing investigative powers of the Mississippi River Parkway Commission; changing a paid military leave provision; modifying provisions in the Veterans Service Office grant program; changing provisions in the Minnesota GI Bill program; establishing presumption of rehabilitation by an honorable discharge status from military service following a prior offense; providing for a bid preference for contracts for veteran-owned small businesses; allowing active duty service members to take a peace officer reciprocity exam; making Department of Revenue changes; establishing electronic filing requirements; establishing an automobile theft prevention surcharge; requesting the legislative auditor conduct a data security of the Department of Revenue's use of debit cards for tax refunds; adjusting certain salary groups; making compensation council changes; requiring a compensation study; adjusting constitutional officers salaries; requiring reports; appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes; and
• Chapter 143, House File 677: relating to financing and operation of state and local government; making changes to individual income, corporate franchise, property, sales and use, estate, mineral, tobacco, alcohol, special, local, and other taxes and tax-related provisions modifying the property tax refund; changing property tax aids and credits; modifying the Sustainable Forest Incentive Act; modifying education aids and levies; providing additional pension funding; modifying definitions and distributions for property taxes; providing for property tax exemptions; modifying the payment in lieu of tax provisions; modifying education aids and levies; modifying tobacco tax provisions; making changes to additions and subtractions from federal taxable income; providing for federal conformity; changing income tax rates for individuals, estates, and trusts; providing income tax credits; modifying estate tax provisions; providing for a state gift tax; expanding the sales tax base; modifying the duty to collect and remit sales taxes for certain sellers; imposing the sales tax on digital products and selected services; modifying the definition of sale and purchase; modifying provisions for the rental motor vehicle tax rate; providing for multiple points of use certificates; modifying sales tax exemptions; authorizing local sales taxes; authorizing economic development powers; modifying tax increment financing rules; providing authority, organization, powers, duties, and requiring a prevailing wage for development of a Destination Medical Center; authorizing state infrastructure aid; modifying the distribution of taconite production taxes; authorizing taconite production tax bonds for grants to school districts; modifying and providing provisions for public finance; providing funding for legislative office facilities; modifying the definition of market value for tax, debt, and other purposes; making conforming, policy, and technical changes to tax provisions; requiring studies and reports; appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes.