New Minnesota laws that went into effect July 1
Jul 02, 2026 05:04AM ● By Editor
Photo: Bao Chau
From the Minnesota House of Representatives - July 2, 2026
Listed below are a few laws that went into effect July 1, 2026. Summaries of laws passed by the 2026 Legislature are available online from nonpartisan House Public Information Services at house.mn.gov/newlaws/search/2026.
Civil Law:
Termination of contracts for deed modified for victims of domestic violence:
A right to petition the court to remove someone from a contract for deed when they have committed domestic violence, sexual assault or harassment against another owner or their child is the focus of a new law.
Taking effect July 1, 2026, it will allow an unmarried person to petition the court to terminate another person’s interest in a contract for deed when that person has been the victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or harassment from the other person, and the person who committed the assault or abuse has not resided at the property and the person petitioning has been making payments for the home or other real property that is under contract.
Education:
School districts must adopt anonymous threat reporting system
The board of a school district or charter school must adopt a policy to implement the use of an anonymous threat reporting system by June 30, 2027, and implement a system by July 1, 2028.
The law taking effect July 1, 2026, establishes requirements for anonymous threat reporting systems, including a 24-hour mobile application, website or toll-free hotline that can receive anonymous tips regarding dangerous, violent, threatening, harmful, or potentially harmful activity that occurs, or is threatened on, school property or relates to an enrolled student or school personnel.
School districts or charter schools that do not implement their own system must provide information to students, families, employees and the school community about the Department of Public Safety’s statewide anonymous threat reporting system.
Mandatory teacher reporting requirement
Effective July 1, 2026, a police department or county sheriff must notify the appropriate licensing board when a teacher is criminally charged with an offense that triggers automatic license denial, refusal to renew, or revocation without a right to a hearing, or with any other offense that requires the person to register as a predatory offender.
This provision is included a larger law mostly taking effect Aug. 1, 2026, that makes grooming of a minor a felony.
Environment:
Legacy Amendment funds total $191 million into state prairies, forests, wetlands
More than $191 million from the Outdoor Heritage Fund will be distributed to protect, enhance, and restore wetlands, prairies, forests, and habitat for fish, game and other wildlife. The money was allocated as recommended by the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council.
Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund supports $130.22 million in projects
Nearly $102.04 million in Fiscal Year 2027 from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund is targeted for 108 projects aimed at environmental protection, conservation, preservation and enhancement. This includes land acquisition, data collection and research, environmental education, invasive species management, and habitat restoration.
Health and Human Services:
Mental health care funding for young children
Included in the human services policy law is a provision that, effective July 1, 2026, will establish an early childhood mental health consultation grant program to support the delivery of specialized mental health care to children age 5 or younger.
Eligible applicants include mental health clinics, community mental health centers, an Indian health service facility or one owned by a tribal organization, providers of children’s therapeutic services and supports, and agencies with expertise in infant and early childhood mental health.
Social media mental health warning
A health and human services policy law passed in the 2025 special session includes a provision that, effective July 1, 2026, social media platforms must have a mental health warning that appears each time a user accesses the platform and only disappears when the user either exits the platform or acknowledges the potential for harm and chooses to proceed.
Public Safety:
Supplemental budget law funds Capitol, courtroom security A public safety and judiciary safety and security law will appropriate $47.44 million in the 2026-27 biennium to fund legislative, judicial, and State Capitol security programs, plus provide crime victim services.
The largest public safety appropriation is $12 million in Fiscal Year 2027 to a new Minnesota Victims of Crime account in the Office of Justice Programs for grants to community-based crime victim service providers, such as emergency shelters and legal advocacy.
State Government:
A new law taking effect July 1, 2026, establishes a state fund to modernize the IT systems used by state agencies, counties and tribal nations to administer human services programs. It also creates a Human Services Modernization Advisory Council and a Legislative Commission on Human Services Systems.
See the attached PDF for a complete listing of new laws that went into effect on July 1, 2026 or follow this link.
Listed below are a few laws that went into effect July 1, 2026. Summaries of laws passed by the 2026 Legislature are available online from nonpartisan House Public Information Services at house.mn.gov/newlaws/search/2026.
Civil Law:
Termination of contracts for deed modified for victims of domestic violence:
A right to petition the court to remove someone from a contract for deed when they have committed domestic violence, sexual assault or harassment against another owner or their child is the focus of a new law.
Taking effect July 1, 2026, it will allow an unmarried person to petition the court to terminate another person’s interest in a contract for deed when that person has been the victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or harassment from the other person, and the person who committed the assault or abuse has not resided at the property and the person petitioning has been making payments for the home or other real property that is under contract.
Education:
School districts must adopt anonymous threat reporting system
The board of a school district or charter school must adopt a policy to implement the use of an anonymous threat reporting system by June 30, 2027, and implement a system by July 1, 2028.
The law taking effect July 1, 2026, establishes requirements for anonymous threat reporting systems, including a 24-hour mobile application, website or toll-free hotline that can receive anonymous tips regarding dangerous, violent, threatening, harmful, or potentially harmful activity that occurs, or is threatened on, school property or relates to an enrolled student or school personnel.
School districts or charter schools that do not implement their own system must provide information to students, families, employees and the school community about the Department of Public Safety’s statewide anonymous threat reporting system.
Mandatory teacher reporting requirement
Effective July 1, 2026, a police department or county sheriff must notify the appropriate licensing board when a teacher is criminally charged with an offense that triggers automatic license denial, refusal to renew, or revocation without a right to a hearing, or with any other offense that requires the person to register as a predatory offender.
This provision is included a larger law mostly taking effect Aug. 1, 2026, that makes grooming of a minor a felony.
Environment:
Legacy Amendment funds total $191 million into state prairies, forests, wetlands
More than $191 million from the Outdoor Heritage Fund will be distributed to protect, enhance, and restore wetlands, prairies, forests, and habitat for fish, game and other wildlife. The money was allocated as recommended by the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council.
Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund supports $130.22 million in projects
Nearly $102.04 million in Fiscal Year 2027 from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund is targeted for 108 projects aimed at environmental protection, conservation, preservation and enhancement. This includes land acquisition, data collection and research, environmental education, invasive species management, and habitat restoration.
Health and Human Services:
Mental health care funding for young children
Included in the human services policy law is a provision that, effective July 1, 2026, will establish an early childhood mental health consultation grant program to support the delivery of specialized mental health care to children age 5 or younger.
Eligible applicants include mental health clinics, community mental health centers, an Indian health service facility or one owned by a tribal organization, providers of children’s therapeutic services and supports, and agencies with expertise in infant and early childhood mental health.
Social media mental health warning
A health and human services policy law passed in the 2025 special session includes a provision that, effective July 1, 2026, social media platforms must have a mental health warning that appears each time a user accesses the platform and only disappears when the user either exits the platform or acknowledges the potential for harm and chooses to proceed.
Public Safety:
Supplemental budget law funds Capitol, courtroom security A public safety and judiciary safety and security law will appropriate $47.44 million in the 2026-27 biennium to fund legislative, judicial, and State Capitol security programs, plus provide crime victim services.
The largest public safety appropriation is $12 million in Fiscal Year 2027 to a new Minnesota Victims of Crime account in the Office of Justice Programs for grants to community-based crime victim service providers, such as emergency shelters and legal advocacy.
State Government:
A new law taking effect July 1, 2026, establishes a state fund to modernize the IT systems used by state agencies, counties and tribal nations to administer human services programs. It also creates a Human Services Modernization Advisory Council and a Legislative Commission on Human Services Systems.
See the attached PDF for a complete listing of new laws that went into effect on July 1, 2026 or follow this link.
Downloads
07012026NewLaws.pdf
