Co-pay caps, ticket transparency, minimum wage bumps: Some of the new Minnesota laws taking effect on Jan. 1
MINNEAPOLIS — New protections for ticket buyers, a minimum wage increase and a $25 co-pay cap for certain prescription drugs are among a slate of new laws effective on Jan. 1 that were approved by the state legislature in the last two years.
Lawmakers will return to St. Paul on Jan. 14 for the start of the 2025 session when they must pass a budget for the next biennium.
Here's a list of some of the new laws.
Co-pay cap on certain prescription drugs
A new law will cap the cost of certain prescription drugs for chronic diseases like diabetes and asthma at $25 for a one-month supply. Allergies that require EpiPens also fall under this provision. That cap is $50 per month for all related medical supplies, like insulin pens, insulin pumps, inhalers, glucometers and test strips.
Ticket transparency
On the heels of Taylor Swift's blockbuster Eras Tour coming to a close, legislation prompted by fan frenzy to purchase tickets that overwhelmed Ticketmaster takes effect.
House File 1989 (yes, like Swift's first pop album) requires ticket sellers to disclose all fees upfront and bans bots used to purchase large swaths of tickets before fans.
There are new rules for ticket resellers, like prohibiting selling the same ticket more than once or advertising tickets before a seller actually has them. Ticket sellers also must provide consumers proof of purchase within 24 hours and clearly state their refund policies.
Minimum wage increase to $11.13 an hour
The statewide minimum wage will increase to $11.13 an hour and it will apply to all employers, except for the "90-day training wage" applicable to teenagers under age 20. Previously, the minimum wage differed between large and small companies. It's why for some the increase will amount to a 26% boost to their hourly wage. But the change falls short of a $15 minimum wage that some Democrats had pitched this past legislative session. The cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have minimum wages that exceed $15 per hour.
Salary range on job postings
Companies with 30 or more employees looking to hire for open positions will have to disclose the salary range for that job. It's an effort to close the gender wage gap that still persists.
The ranges must be an employer's "good faith estimate." That mirrors revised language in Colorado's law in order to prevent employers from posting such wide ranges that the information isn't actually helpful to determine prospective pay.
Companies will also need to provide other general information about benefits and other compensation.
Gun binary trigger ban
Firearms are barred from having binary triggers — or a device that doubles the rate of fire — under a provision in a gun safety package approved at the legislature this year. Another measure stiffened penalties for "straw buyers," or people who purchase guns for others not allowed to have them.
The proposals came in the wake of the Burnsville shooting last February, when a man who had guns illegally shot and killed three first responders. Prosecutors said one of the weapons used in the incident had a binary trigger.
"Forever chemicals" prohibited in consumer products
Minnesota's landmark legislation banning PFAS — "forever chemicals" that don't break down in the environment and are linked to health problems — in consumer products will also take effect in the new year.
The first phase of the law prohibits the chemicals for non-essential use like cookware, cosmetics, cleaning products, and other categories. The legislation also included funding to help clean up water contaminated with the chemicals, and will phase out PFAS in firefighting foam.
Lawmakers in 2023, when they approved the law, credited the family of Amara Strande with helping to get the proposal over the finish line. Amara died just a month prior of a rare liver cancer possibly linked to the chemicals, which contaminated drinking water in the east metro where she grew up.
Full implementation of the law prohibiting PFAS use in other products will happen in 2032.
Copper wire theft prevention
A new law targets thieves stealing copper wire and selling it, a crime that cost St. Paul more than $1 million in 2023 to repair damaged street lights. Scrap metal sellers now need a license approved by state regulators that costs $250 for an application.
Scrap metal dealers have sued the Minnesota Department of Commerce, arguing the law is unconstitutional
