Bill > HF732

This bill modifies Minnesota's laws regarding peacetime emergency declarations by the governor, introducing more legislative oversight and limiting the duration of such declarations. Currently, the governor can declare a peacetime emergency for up to 30 days (initially 5 days, then extendable by the Executive Council for an additional 25 days). The bill now requires legislative approval to extend the emergency beyond 30 days, with the legislature able to approve additional 30-day extensions through majority votes in both houses. The bill explicitly prohibits the governor from allowing an emergency to expire and then immediately re-declaring the same emergency to circumvent legislative approval. It also provides a mechanism for declaring additional, separate emergencies while maintaining the approval requirements. The bill covers various types of emergencies, including natural disasters, technological failures, terrorist incidents, and civil disturbances, and requires the governor to notify legislative leaders when declaring an emergency. The changes are designed to ensure more transparency and legislative input in prolonged emergency situations, balancing the governor's emergency powers with legislative oversight.

Government Affairs

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF0732&ssn=0&y=2025