HF 2380

Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)

Posted on 03/17/2025 02:59 p.m.

A bill for an act
relating to human rights; prohibiting discrimination based on disability status;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 363A.19.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 363A.19, is amended to read:

363A.19 DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
PROHIBITED.

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Discrimination prohibited. new text end

new text begin (a) Notwithstanding any provision of law
to the contrary, no individual with a disability shall, due to the reasons of the disability, be
excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities
of a public or private entity that receives money from the state of Minnesota. An entity must
provide reasonable accommodations to an individual with a disability and must ensure no
individual with a disability is discriminated against by the entity.
new text end

new text begin (b) For purposes of this section, "individual with a disability" or "person with a disability"
means an individual with a physical or mental condition that substantially limits one or
more major life activities, including caring for oneself, mobility, learning, seeing, hearing,
communicating, breathing, working, and social interaction.
new text end

new text begin (c) For purposes of this section, "disability" and "unfair discriminatory practice" have
the meanings given in section 363A.03, subdivisions 12 and 48.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Service animals. new text end

(a) It is an unfair discriminatory practice for an owner,
operator, or manager of a hotel, restaurant, public conveyance, or other public place to
prohibit a person with a disability from taking a service animal into the public place or
conveyance to aid persons with disabilities, and if the service animal is properly harnessed
or leashed so that the person with a disability may maintain control of the service animal.

(b) No person shall require a person with a disability to make an extra payment or pay
an additional charge when taking a service animal into any of the public places referred to
in paragraph (a).

(c) For purposes of this section, "service animal" means a service animal as defined by
the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin REVISOR INSTRUCTION.
new text end

new text begin The revisor of statutes shall add an additional cross-reference to Minnesota Statutes,
section 363A.19, whenever the term "section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act" appears in
Minnesota Statutes when used in the context of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, United States
Code Annotated, title 29, section 794. The revisor shall make any technical language,
grammatical, and other changes needed to carry out this instruction.
new text end