Purpose of the Bill

The bill aims to amend the Minnesota Constitution to promote transparency and improve legislative practices by enforcing stricter rules around the content and amendments of legislative bills.

Main Provisions

• Single Subject Rule: Requires each law to address only one subject, which must be clearly stated in the title. All provisions within a law need to be directly and logically related to this single subject.
• Original Purpose Rule: Prevents amendments from changing the original purpose of a bill as it is passed through the legislative process. The original purpose of a bill must be narrowly construed to maintain its integrity.
• Court Involvement: Grants Minnesota residents the right to challenge laws in court without needing to demonstrate direct injury if they believe there is a violation of these stipulations.
• Void Laws: If a law is found unconstitutional under this section, it will be considered void and unenforceable, ensuring that any faulty provisions are treated seriously.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• The bill seeks to eliminate the use of omnibus bills that cover multiple unrelated topics under a single, often vague title.
• It intends to curtail legislative practices that diverge from the initial purpose of a bill, thus decreasing the likelihood of laws being passed with unrelated amendments.

Process and Implementation

• The proposed changes would be presented to voters at the 2026 general election for ratification.
• If approved, the amendment would become effective immediately after ratification.

Relevant Terms

• Single Subject Rule
• Original Purpose Rule
• Omnibus Bills
• Legislative Transparency
• Constitutional Amendment