| 1 | 1 | | 1.1 A bill for an act |
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| 2 | 2 | | 1.2 relating to human rights; prohibiting the Department of Human Rights from |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1.3 maintaining a collection or database on incidents of protected speech; amending |
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| 4 | 4 | | 1.4 Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 363A.06, subdivision 1. |
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| 5 | 5 | | 1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: |
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| 6 | 6 | | 1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 363A.06, subdivision 1, is amended to read: |
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| 7 | 7 | | 1.7 Subdivision 1.Formulation of policies.(a) The commissioner shall formulate policies |
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| 8 | 8 | | 1.8to effectuate the purposes of this chapter and shall do the following: |
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| 9 | 9 | | 1.9 (1) exercise leadership under the direction of the governor in the development of human |
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| 10 | 10 | | 1.10rights policies and programs, and make recommendations to the governor and the legislature |
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| 11 | 11 | | 1.11for their consideration and implementation; |
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| 12 | 12 | | 1.12 (2) establish and maintain a principal office in St. Paul, and any other necessary branch |
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| 13 | 13 | | 1.13offices at any location within the state; |
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| 14 | 14 | | 1.14 (3) meet and function at any place within the state; |
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| 15 | 15 | | 1.15 (4) employ attorneys, clerks, and other employees and agents as the commissioner may |
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| 16 | 16 | | 1.16deem necessary and prescribe their duties; |
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| 17 | 17 | | 1.17 (5) to the extent permitted by federal law and regulation, utilize the records of the |
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| 18 | 18 | | 1.18Department of Employment and Economic Development of the state when necessary to |
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| 19 | 19 | | 1.19effectuate the purposes of this chapter; |
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| 20 | 20 | | 1.20 (6) obtain upon request and utilize the services of all state governmental departments |
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| 21 | 21 | | 1.21and agencies; |
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| 22 | 22 | | 1Section 1. |
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| 23 | 23 | | REVISOR SGS/BM 25-0192401/24/25 |
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| 24 | 24 | | State of Minnesota |
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| 25 | 25 | | This Document can be made available |
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| 26 | 26 | | in alternative formats upon request |
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| 27 | 27 | | HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
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| 28 | 28 | | H. F. No. 768 |
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| 29 | 29 | | NINETY-FOURTH SESSION |
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| 30 | 30 | | Authored by Hudson, Niska, Dotseth, Gander and Novotny02/13/2025 |
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| 31 | 31 | | The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Judiciary Finance and Civil Law 2.1 (7) adopt suitable rules for effectuating the purposes of this chapter; |
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| 32 | 32 | | 2.2 (8) issue complaints, receive and investigate charges alleging unfair discriminatory |
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| 33 | 33 | | 2.3practices, and determine whether or not probable cause exists for hearing; |
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| 34 | 34 | | 2.4 (9) subpoena witnesses, administer oaths, take testimony, and require the production for |
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| 35 | 35 | | 2.5examination of any books or papers relative to any matter under investigation or in question |
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| 36 | 36 | | 2.6as the commissioner deems appropriate to carry out the purposes of this chapter; |
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| 37 | 37 | | 2.7 (10) attempt, by means of education, conference, conciliation, and persuasion to eliminate |
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| 38 | 38 | | 2.8unfair discriminatory practices as being contrary to the public policy of the state; |
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| 39 | 39 | | 2.9 (11) develop and conduct programs of formal and informal education designed to |
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| 40 | 40 | | 2.10eliminate discrimination and intergroup conflict by use of educational techniques and |
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| 41 | 41 | | 2.11programs the commissioner deems necessary; |
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| 42 | 42 | | 2.12 (12) make a written report of the activities of the commissioner to the governor each |
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| 43 | 43 | | 2.13year; |
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| 44 | 44 | | 2.14 (13) accept gifts, bequests, grants, or other payments public and private to help finance |
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| 45 | 45 | | 2.15the activities of the department; |
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| 46 | 46 | | 2.16 (14) create such local and statewide advisory committees as will in the commissioner's |
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| 47 | 47 | | 2.17judgment aid in effectuating the purposes of the Department of Human Rights; |
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| 48 | 48 | | 2.18 (15) develop such programs as will aid in determining the compliance throughout the |
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| 49 | 49 | | 2.19state with the provisions of this chapter, and in the furtherance of such duties, conduct |
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| 50 | 50 | | 2.20research and study discriminatory practices based upon race, color, creed, religion, national |
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| 51 | 51 | | 2.21origin, sex, gender identity, age, disability, marital status, status with regard to public |
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| 52 | 52 | | 2.22assistance, familial status, sexual orientation, or other factors and develop accurate data on |
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| 53 | 53 | | 2.23the nature and extent of discrimination and other matters as they may affect housing, |
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| 54 | 54 | | 2.24employment, public accommodations, schools, and other areas of public life; |
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| 55 | 55 | | 2.25 (16) develop and disseminate technical assistance to persons subject to the provisions |
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| 56 | 56 | | 2.26of this chapter, and to agencies and officers of governmental and private agencies; |
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| 57 | 57 | | 2.27 (17) provide staff services to such advisory committees as may be created in aid of the |
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| 58 | 58 | | 2.28functions of the Department of Human Rights; |
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| 59 | 59 | | 2.29 (18) make grants in aid to the extent that appropriations are made available for that |
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| 60 | 60 | | 2.30purpose in aid of carrying out duties and responsibilities; |
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| 61 | 61 | | 2Section 1. |
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| 62 | 62 | | REVISOR SGS/BM 25-0192401/24/25 3.1 (19) cooperate and consult with the commissioner of labor and industry regarding the |
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| 63 | 63 | | 3.2investigation of violations of, and resolution of complaints regarding section 181C.06 or |
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| 64 | 64 | | 3.3363A.08, subdivision 7; and |
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| 65 | 65 | | 3.4 (20) analyze civil rights trends pursuant to this chapter, including information compiled |
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| 66 | 66 | | 3.5from community organizations that work directly with historically marginalized communities, |
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| 67 | 67 | | 3.6and prepare a report each biennium that recommends policy and system changes to reduce |
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| 68 | 68 | | 3.7and prevent further civil rights incidents across Minnesota. The report shall be provided to |
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| 69 | 69 | | 3.8the chairs and ranking minority members of the house of representatives and senate |
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| 70 | 70 | | 3.9committees with jurisdiction over the Department of Human Rights. This report must also |
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| 71 | 71 | | 3.10be posted on the Department of Human Rights' public website and shared with community |
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| 72 | 72 | | 3.11organizations that work with historically marginalized communities. Notwithstanding the |
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| 73 | 73 | | 3.12provisions in this subdivision or any other provision of law, the Department of Human |
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| 74 | 74 | | 3.13Rights shall not, directly or indirectly, maintain in any collection or database any incident |
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| 75 | 75 | | 3.14of protected speech nor shall the department, directly or indirectly, offer any reward for the |
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| 76 | 76 | | 3.15reporting of any incident of protected speech. As used in this clause, "protected speech" |
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| 77 | 77 | | 3.16includes any exercise of the right of freedom of speech or of the press, the right to assemble |
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| 78 | 78 | | 3.17or petition, or the right of association guaranteed by the United States Constitution or the |
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| 79 | 79 | | 3.18Minnesota Constitution. |
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| 80 | 80 | | 3.19 In performing these duties, the commissioner shall give priority to those duties in clauses |
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| 81 | 81 | | 3.20(8), (9), and (10) and to the duties in section 363A.36. |
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| 82 | 82 | | 3.21 (b) All gifts, bequests, grants, or other payments, public and private, accepted under |
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| 83 | 83 | | 3.22paragraph (a), clause (13), must be deposited in the state treasury and credited to a special |
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| 84 | 84 | | 3.23account. Money in the account is appropriated to the commissioner of human rights to help |
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| 85 | 85 | | 3.24finance activities of the department. |
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| 86 | 86 | | 3Section 1. |
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| 87 | 87 | | REVISOR SGS/BM 25-0192401/24/25 |
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