Minnesota HF 3917: Tenant's rights to contact emergency services clarified.

Bill Text

1.1A bill for an act​
1.2relating to housing; clarifying tenant's rights to contact emergency services;​
1.3amending Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 504B.205, subdivisions 2, 3, 6.​
1.4BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:​
1.5Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 504B.205, subdivision 2, is amended to read:​
1.6Subd. 2.Emergency calls permitted.(a) A landlord may not:​
1.7(1) bar or limit a residential tenant's right to call for police or emergency assistance in​
1.8response to domestic abuse or any other conduct, including but not limited to mental health​
1.9or health crises; or​
1.10(2) impose a penalty on a residential tenant for calling for police or emergency assistance​
1.11in response to domestic abuse or any other conduct, including but not limited to mental​
1.12health or health crises.​
1.13(b) A residential tenant may not waive and a landlord may not require the residential​
1.14tenant to waive the residential tenant's right to call for police or emergency assistance.​
1.15Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 504B.205, subdivision 3, is amended to read:​
1.16Subd. 3.Local preemption.This section preempts any inconsistent local ordinance or​
1.17rule including, without limitation, any ordinance or rule that:​
1.18(1) requires an eviction after a specified number of calls by a residential tenant for police​
1.19or emergency assistance in response to domestic abuse or any other conduct, including but​
1.20not limited to mental health or health crises; or​
1​Sec. 2.​
REVISORJSK/MI24-06824​02/12/24  ​
State of Minnesota​
This Document can be made available​
in alternative formats upon request​
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES​
H. F. No.   3917​
NINETY-THIRD SESSION​
Authored by Hassan, Reyer, Edelson, Fischer and Frazier​02/19/2024​
The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Housing Finance and Policy​
Adoption of Report: Re-referred to the Committee on Judiciary Finance and Civil Law​02/26/2024​

2.1(2) provides that calls by a residential tenant for police or emergency assistance in​
2.2response to domestic abuse or any other conduct, including but not limited to mental health​
2.3or health crises, may be used to penalize or charge a fee to a landlord.​
2.4This subdivision shall not otherwise preempt any local ordinance or rule that penalizes​
2.5a landlord for, or requires a landlord to abate, conduct on the premises that constitutes a​
2.6nuisance or other disorderly conduct as defined by local ordinance or rule.​
2.7Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 504B.205, subdivision 6, is amended to read:​
2.8Subd. 6.Attorney general authority.The attorney general has authority under section​
2.98.31 to investigate and prosecute violations of this section, including situations involving​
2.10local ordinances.​
2​Sec. 3.​
REVISORJSK/MI24-06824​02/12/24  ​