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The following summaries highlight the changes made to Chapter 13 (Data Practices Act) and other data practices related statutes during the 2025 Minnesota regular and special legislative sessions that affect a broad number of government entities.
The Legislature also passed several bills containing data provisions that are unique to specific entities, which are not included in the summary below. DPO encourages data practices staff at government entities to review their enabling statutes to determine whether the Legislature made changes to data practices requirements that solely impact their entity.
Unless otherwise noted in the summaries, effective dates are July 1, 2025.
Note: Click here to jump to the remainder of the newsletter covering policy updates, Open Meeting Law guidance, an upcoming training, as well as advisory opinion summaries.
Data Practices
Minn. Stat. § 13.03, subd. 3(g) (Session Law ch. 35, art. 9, sec. 1)
Allows a responsible authority to suspend any further responses to a data request if a requester does not inspect or collect copies of data within five business days after being notified data are available. The response must resume after requester inspects or collects the produced data.
Minn. Stat. § 13.04, subd. 4 (Session Law ch. 39, art. 2, sec. 15)
Allows government entities to share not public data with the Commissioner of Administration to respond to a data challenge appeal under section 13.04, subd.4. Classifies data submitted by either a data subject or government entity as the same classification as maintained by the entity. Allows sharing of not public data between the Commissioner of Administration and the Office of Administrative Hearings. Classifies data on individuals maintained by the Department of Administration as private if the data were completed, corrected, or destroyed as a result of the informal resolution process in a data challenge appeal.
Minn. Stat. § 13.32, subds. 2 & 5 (Session Law ch. 35, art. 9, secs. 2 & 3) (effective May 24, 2025)
Prohibits schools from designating certain data about a student's parents, including home address, telephone number, email address, or other personal contact information, as directory information.
Minn. Stat. § 13.357 (Session Law ch. 39, art. 2, sec. 16)
Allows government entities to disclose data related to suspected or confirmed fraud in a public program to any other government entity if access would promote the protection of public resources, promote the integrity of public programs, or aid the law enforcement process.
Minn. Stat. § 13.43 (Session Law ch. 35, art. 9, sec. 4)
Removes population threshold for cities and counties when determining who is a public official for personnel data purposes. Adds members of the Metropolitan Council appointed by the governor to definition of “public official” in section 13.43. Also adds the Met Council’s principal administrative officer, deputy regional administrator, general counsel, executive heads of divisions, executive head responsible for compliance with EEO provisions of federal law, and chief law enforcement officer to public official definition.
Minn. Stat. § 13.821, § 13.03, subd. 6 (Session Law ch. 35, art. 5, secs. 1 & 2)
Updates language to apply to "recordings" of child abuse victims rather than "videotapes."
Minn. Stat. § 13.825, subd. 4 (Session Law ch. 35, art. 9, sec. 5)
Allows individuals who can obtain a state accident report under 169.09, subd. 13 to obtain copies of body camera data created during a collision investigation. Limits use of the body camera data provided under this section and subjects requesters who receive the footage to section 13.08. Law enforcement agencies may deny these requests if there is a compelling reason that providing these data would interfere with an active investigation, the data are clearly offensive to common sensibilities or are classified as not public by other sections of the Data Practices Act. These new requirements do not apply to the Minnesota State Patrol.
Minn. Stat. §§ 13.991, 480.40, 480.45, 480.50 (Session Law ch. 35, art. 5, secs. 6, 10-13) (effective January 1, 2026)
Defines real property records and creates additional protections and responsibilities for government entities maintaining real property records on a subset of judicial officials. Requires a judicial official to submit a real property notice to a county recorder for classifications and additional rights to apply. Adds the Department of Human Services Appeals Division to the definition of “judicial official” that receives protection of their personal information held by government entities.
Minn. Stat. § 15.013, subd. 3 (Session Law ch. 39, art. 2, sec. 22) (effective May 24, 2025)
Classifies data at state agencies related to evidence of fraud as confidential or protected nonpublic data, allows state agencies to disclose these data to federal, state, or local government agencies or a law enforcement agency if disclosure will help prevent fraud against public programs or aid the law enforcement process.
Minn. Stat. § 16C.05, subd. 8 (Session Law ch. 39, art. 2, sec. 45)
Prohibits contracts entered into by the state from containing terms that are inconsistent with the Data Practices Act.
Minn. Stat. § 299C.061 (Session Law ch. 35, art. 3, sec. 19)
Requires state agencies that make a mandatory or discretionary referral to the BCA’s Financial Crimes and Fraud Section to provide any data related to the suspected fraudulent activity, regardless of classification. Authorizes sharing of active criminal investigative data concerning insurance fraud with the Department of Commerce.
Open Meeting Law
The Minnesota Legislature also made the following change to the Open Meeting Law during the 2025 legislative session.
Minn. Stat. § 13D.02, subds. 1 & 2 (Session Law ch. 39, art. 6, secs. 1 & 2) (effective May 24, 2025)
Removes requirement that the location of public body members attending a meeting via interactive technology be open to the public. Removes requirement that the location of the public body member attending meeting via interactive technology must be noticed to the public, but requires bodies to notice the fact that members may participate by interactive technology.
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