Governor Walz Signs Four Bipartisan Bills Into Law

[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz today signed four bipartisan bills into law. The bills include measures to fund unemployment insurance for hourly school workers and strengthen laws against DUIs in response to the deadly crash at Park Tavern last September.

Chapter 33 House File 1143 appropriates $100 million to the school unemployment insurance aid account. Funding will assist school districts with unemployment insurance costs for hourly employees.

“Hourly school workers keep school buildings running, get our kids safely to and from school, prepare and serve their meals, and provide the individualized support necessary for children to succeed,” said Governor Walz. “We’re ensuring that these workers are fairly paid for the services we count on them for.”

In response to the accident in St. Louis Park that left two people dead and dozens injured, Governor Walz signed Chapter 29, House File 2130, which extends the length of driver’s license revocations for individuals with prior driving under the influence incidents from ten years to 20 years. The bill also modifies the length of time individuals must participate in the ignition interlock program and requires all ignition interlock participants to complete a treatment or rehabilitation program prior to reinstatement of full driving privileges.

“The crash that resulted in two tragic deaths in St. Louis Park in September was preventable. It shed light on the work that we have to do to ensure the safety of our communities,” said Governor Walz. “This legislation will help prevent impaired driving and keep Minnesotans safe.”

Chapter 28, House File 1290 allows for the establishment of Automatic External Defibrillator signs on public roads.

Chapter 27, House File 3228 updates and clarifies Minnesota’s workers’ compensation laws. The bill includes both policy changes and technical corrections to help ensure the system operates effectively. It also contains provisions aimed at addressing workers’ compensation premium fraud in the construction industry.