Bill > SF452

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to update Minnesota's existing protection against unreasonable searches and seizures by explicitly including electronic communications and data. Specifically, the amendment would modify Article I, Section 10 of the state constitution to expand the current protections that already exist for personal "persons, houses, papers, and effects" to also cover electronic communications and data. The proposed amendment would require that any warrants for accessing electronic communications or data must meet the same standard of probable cause currently required for physical searches, and must specifically describe the electronic communications or data to be accessed. The amendment would be submitted to voters at the 2026 general election, where voters will be asked to decide whether to add this explicit protection for electronic privacy to the state constitution. This update reflects the growing importance of digital privacy in an era of increasing technological surveillance and data collection.

Justice

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&f=SF0452&ssn=0&y=2025