SF 4994
Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)
Posted on 04/08/2026 09:34 a.m.
1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12
1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5
2.6
2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10
2.11
2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16
2.17
2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 2.30 2.31 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25
3.26
3.27 3.28 3.29 3.30 3.31 3.32 3.33 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7
4.8
4.9 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14
4.15
4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 4.21
4.22
4.23 4.24 4.25 4.26 4.27 4.28 4.29
4.30
5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 5.19
5.20
5.21 5.22
A bill for an act
relating to local government; authorizing online publication when no qualified
newspaper is available; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 331A.01,
subdivisions 1, 7, 12, by adding a subdivision; 331A.03; 331A.04, subdivision 4;
331A.06, subdivision 1; 331A.08, subdivision 3; 331A.09; Minnesota Statutes
2025 Supplement, section 331A.10, subdivision 2; repealing Minnesota Statutes
2024, section 331A.12, subdivision 1.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Section 1.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 331A.01, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
Sec. 2.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 331A.01, subdivision 7, is amended to read:
Subd. 7.
Public notice.
"Public notice" means every notice required or authorized by
law or by order of a court to be published deleted text begin by a qualified newspaperdeleted text end new text begin in the manner described
in this chapternew text end , and includes:
(1) every publication of laws, ordinances, resolutions, financial information, and
proceedings intended to give notice in a particular area;
(2) every notice and certificate of election, facsimile ballot, notice of referendum, notice
of public hearing before a governmental body, and notice of meetings of private and public
bodies required by law;
(3) every summons, order, citation, notice of sale or other notice which is intended to
inform a person that the person may or shall do an act or exercise a right within a designated
period or upon or by a designated date; and
(4) this subdivision contains no independent requirement for the publication of any
public notice.
new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end
new text begin
This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end
Sec. 3.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 331A.01, subdivision 12, is amended to read:
Subd. 12.
Publish.
"Publish" means dissemination in the print edition of a qualified
newspaper, and in the e-edition of the qualified newspaper if applicablenew text begin , or publication on
a political subdivision's website pursuant to section 331A.04, subdivision 4new text end .
new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end
new text begin
This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end
Sec. 4.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 331A.01, is amended by adding a subdivision to
read:
new text begin Subd. 15. new text end
new text begin Website. new text end
new text begin
"Website" means a specific, addressable location provided on a
server connected to the Internet and hosting World Wide Web pages and other files that are
generally accessible on the Internet all or most of the day.
new text end
new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end
new text begin
This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end
Sec. 5.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 331A.03, is amended to read:
331A.03 WHERE NOTICE PUBLISHED.
Subdivision 1.
Generally.
Except as provided in subdivision 2, a public notice shall be
published in a qualified newspaperdeleted text begin , anddeleted text end new text begin or on the political subdivision's website pursuant
to section 331A.04, subdivision 4.new text end Except as otherwise provided by law, new text begin publication in a
qualified newspaper must be made new text end in one that is likely to give notice in the affected area
or to whom it is directed. When a statute or other law requires publication in a newspaper
located in a designated political subdivision or area and no qualified newspaper is located
there, publication shall be made deleted text begin in a qualified newspaper likely to give noticedeleted text end new text begin pursuant to
section 331A.04, subdivision 4, new text end unless the particular statute or law expressly provides
otherwise. deleted text begin If no qualified newspaper exists, then publication is not required.
deleted text end
Subd. 2.
Exception; certain cities of the fourth class.
A public notice required to be
published by a statutory or home rule charter city of the fourth class located in the
metropolitan area defined in section 473.121, subdivision 2, is not required to be published
in a qualified newspaper if there is no qualified nondaily newspaper of general circulation
in the city, providednew text begin :
new text end
new text begin (1)new text end the notice is printed in a newsletter or similar printed means of giving notice that is
prepared by the city and either mailed or delivered to each household in the citydeleted text begin .deleted text end new text begin ; or
new text end
new text begin
(2) publication occurs pursuant to section 331A.04, subdivision 4.
new text end
Subd. 3.
Alternative dissemination of bids and requests.
(a) new text begin For a political subdivision
that designates publication in a qualified newspaper as its means of dissemination, new text end in addition
to or as an alternative to the statutory requirements for newspaper publication, a political
subdivision may disseminate solicitations of bids, requests for information, and requests
for proposals by a means authorized in paragraph (b), if the political subdivision
simultaneously publishes, either as part of the minutes of a regular meeting of the governing
body or in a separate notice published in the official newspaper, a description of all
solicitations or requests so disseminated, along with the means by which the dissemination
occurred.
(b) A political subdivision may use its website or recognized industry trade journals as
an alternative means of dissemination. A dissemination by alternative means must be in
substantially the same format and for the same period of time as a publication required by
this chapter.
(c) For the first six months after a political subdivision designates an alternative means
of disseminationnew text begin under this subdivisionnew text end , it must continue to publish solicitation of bids,
requests for information, and requests for proposals in the official newspaper in addition to
the alternative method. The publication in the official newspaper must indicate where to
find the designated alternative method. After the expiration of the six-month period, an
alternative means of dissemination satisfies the publication requirements of law for
solicitation of bids, requests for information, and requests for proposals.
new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end
new text begin
This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end
Sec. 6.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 331A.04, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
Subd. 4.
deleted text begin General circulationdeleted text end new text begin When no newspaper officenew text end in locality.
new text begin (a) new text end When no
qualified newspaper has its known office of issue or a secondary office located within the
political subdivision, then a qualified newspaper deleted text begin of general circulation theredeleted text end shall be
designateddeleted text begin .deleted text end new text begin , provided that the newspaper can certify upon request:
new text end
new text begin
(1) that its print and online circulation reaches residential households in the political
subdivision; and
new text end
new text begin
(2) that it provides news coverage of the activities in the political subdivision, including
those of its governing body.
new text end
new text begin
(b) When no qualified newspaper is available that meets the criteria in paragraph (a),
the political subdivision must post the information required to be published on the political
subdivision's website and on the Minnesota Newspaper Association's statewide public notice
website. The political subdivision may continue to publish notices in this manner until a
qualified newspaper that meets the criteria in paragraph (a) is available to be designated.
new text end
new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end
new text begin
This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end
Sec. 7.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 331A.06, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
Subdivision 1.
Maximum rate.
The maximum rate charged for publication of a public
noticenew text begin in a qualified newspapernew text end shall not exceed the lowest classified rate paid by commercial
users for comparable space in the newspapers in which the public notice appears, and shall
include all cash discounts, multiple insertion discounts, and similar benefits extended to the
newspaper's regular customers.
new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end
new text begin
This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end
Sec. 8.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 331A.08, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
Subd. 3.
Publication of proceedings.
Notwithstanding other statutory publication
requirements, if the governing body of a political subdivision conducts regular meetings
not more than once every 30 days, the governing body need not publish the meeting minutes
in the official newspaper new text begin or on the political subdivision's website new text end until ten days after the
proceedings have been approved by the governing body.
new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end
new text begin
This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end
Sec. 9.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 331A.09, is amended to read:
331A.09 PUBLICATION ON SUNDAY OR HOLIDAY.
Any public notice may lawfully be deleted text begin printed in a newspaperdeleted text end published on a Sunday or
holiday. Any notice that, by law or the order of any court, is required to be published for
any given number of weeks may be published on any day in each week of the term, and if
published as many weeks and as many times in each week as required by the law or order,
it is a lawful publication.
new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end
new text begin
This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end
Sec. 10.
Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 331A.10, subdivision 2, is amended
to read:
Subd. 2.
Discontinuance.
(a) When a newspaper ceases to be published before the
publication of a public notice is commenced, or when commenced ceases before the
publication is completed, the following procedures apply: (1) when the publication is required
by court order, the order for publication may be amended by order of the court or judge, to
designate another newspaper, as may be necessary; or (2) when the publication is required
by law, rule, or ordinance, the publication may be made or completed in any other qualified
newspaper.
(b) If no qualified newspaper is available for publication of a public notice after the
discontinuance of a newspaper, the political subdivision must deleted text begin post the information required
to be published on the political subdivision's website until another qualified newspaper is
identified, which shall then be designated. During the time when no qualified newspaper is
deleted text end deleted text begin available, the political subdivision must also post the public notice on the Minnesota
Newspaper Association's statewide public notice website, at no additional cost to the political
subdivisiondeleted text end new text begin publish pursuant to section 331A.04, subdivision 4new text end .
(c) Any time during which the notice is published in a newspaper prior to the newspaper's
discontinuance shall be calculated as a part of the time required for the publication, proof
of which may be made by affidavit of any person acquainted with the facts.
new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end
new text begin
This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end
Sec. 11. new text begin REPEALER.
new text end
new text begin
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 331A.12, subdivision 1,
new text end
new text begin
is repealed.
new text end
APPENDIX
Repealed Minnesota Statutes: 26-08273
331A.12 WEBSITE ADVERTISEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION PROJECT BIDS.
Subdivision 1.
Definitions.
(a) The terms defined in this subdivision and section 331A.01 apply to this section.
(b) "Website" means a specific, addressable location provided on a server connected to the Internet and hosting World Wide Web pages and other files that are generally accessible on the Internet all or most of the day.