05/15/2026
Minnesota House Passes Bill to Expand Protections for Disability Accommodation
State Representative Kim Hicks made sure was brought to the House floor for a vote, and it passed! The bill will now go to Governor Tim Walz. A clear victory for groups throughout Minnesota who made their voices and needs heard.
Here's the press release from Rep. Hicks's office:
SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Today, May 12, the Minnesota House approved SF3210, which will amend the Minnesota Human Rights Act to implement a reasonable process requirement for accommodating Minnesotans with disabilities in areas like housing, public services, education, and other public accommodations. The bill passed on a vote of 88-42.
House author Rep. Kim Hicks (DFL — Rochester) released the following statement upon passage:
“Communities with disabilities are being harmed left and right by oppressive policies from the federal government, and this bill is something those neighbors are begging for – a glimmer of support in an otherwise terrible year. I’m incredibly proud of all of the advocates who poured their hearts out, shared their experiences, and spent countless hours working to get this bill into law. It's headed to the Governor’s desk because of them.”
The bill was brought to the House floor thanks to a successful motion made yesterday by Rep. Hicks to calendar the bill for today. She was able to make this motion because the bill had been sitting on the General Register for over 10 legislative days. The bill was placed on the General Register on April 30th after passing in the Senate with strong bipartisan support. Only one Republican joined Democrats in voting to calendar the bill.
Passing this into Minnesota statue now is imperative, as a federal lawsuit currently threatens to undermine Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1974. If successful, the lawsuit would affect the provision that prohibits disability discrimination by any entities that receive federal money, stripping Americans with disabilities of long-held rights.
