The 2024 legislative session began on Monday, February 12th. The DFL had a trifecta with a large majority in the house, a one-seat majority in the Minnesota Senate, and the Governor’s mansion.
Last year they passed universal background checks and red flag gun confiscation orders. This year they came back pushing for “safe” storage, lost & stolen reporting, magazine bans, a ban on semi-automatic firearms, restrictions on carry permits, and more.
Despite a DFL trifecta, only a single gun control bill got through the legislature, a ban on binary triggers, which included an increase in the penalty for straw purchases.
This page will recap everything that happened during the legislative session.
Last updated: May 26th, 2024
Note: We’re still in the process of updating the details below as of 5/21/2024.
Bills from 2023 that had hearings
Minnesota House
- HF 396: “Safe” Storage
- This bill was heard and passed in House Public Safety Committee on 2/3/2023.
- This bill is currently pending before the House Ways & Means Committee.
- We expect this bill will be a significant focus in 2024.
- We OPPOSE this bill.
- NOTE: This bill is dead. It is now moving as HF 4300, a new version. See below for details.
- HF 601: Mandatory Lost & Stolen Reporting
- This bill was heard and passed in House Public Safety Committee on 2/3/2023.
- We expect this bill will be a significant focus in 2024.
- We OPPOSE this bill.
- NOTE: This bill has started to move in 2024. See below for details.
Minnesota Senate
- No other gun control bills were heard in 2023 beyond red flags and universal background checks.
What moved in the 2024 Session?
Minnesota House
- HF 601: Mandatory Lost & Stolen Reporting
- STATUS: DEAD
- What it does
- This bill creates a “duty to report” the theft or loss of a firearm to law enforcement as soon as “practicable” but not later than 48 hours of when you knew or “should have reasonably known” of the loss or theft.
- Violations
- First violation is a fine (petty misdemeanor)
- A second violation is a misdemeanor.
- A third or subsequent violation is a gross misdemeanor.
- Reporting a firearm lost or stolen creates an immunity from criminal prosecution for safe storage laws in Minnesota (i.e. you cannot be prosecuted for those)
- Read the Bill Text
- Current Bill Status
- This bill was heard in the Minnesota House Public Safety Committee on Thursday, February 29th and passed on a voice vote.
- This bill was heard in House Ways and Means on April 24th, 2024 and passed on a party-line vote.
- This bill passed the House on a 68-63 vote on April 29th, 2024.
- We believe this bill is DEAD in the Senate as of May 9th, 2024 due to a lack of DFL votes to move it forward.
- Where does the MN Gun Owner Caucus stand on this bill?
- We OPPOSE this bill.
- Written & Committee Testimony
- Read our 2023 Press Release on the House Public Safety Hearings
- Read our Written Testimony on HF601 from last year
- Read our Written Testimony on HF601 from 2024 from House Public Safety.
- Read our Written Testimony on HF601 from the April 24th, 2024 House Ways and Means Committee Hearing.
- No testimony was allowed on HF601 in 2024 as it had been heard in 2023.
- HF 2609: Ban on Binary Triggers – Straw Purchase Penalty Increase
- STATUS: PASSED BOTH HOUSES AS A PART OF 2800+ PAGE OMNIBUS TAX BILL. SEE HF 4257 FOR FINAL LANGUAGE. SIGNED INTO LAW BY GOVERNOR WALZ.
- What it does
- This bill is intended to ban “binary triggers”
- Increases the penalties for transferring firearms to prohibited persons
- Requires a report from the BCA on gun trafficking investigations
- Read the Bill Text
- Current Bill Status
- This bill was heard in House Public Safety in early April 2024.
- This bill received a rules waiver for being past the deadline for committee hearings from the Rules Committee on April 11th, 2024.
- This bill was to be heard on the House Floor on April 29th, 2024, but was TABLED at the last minute.
- This bill was debated on the House Floor on May 2nd, 2024, and was passed on a 71-59 vote.
- This bill was debated on the Senate Floor on May 9th, 2024, and passed on a party-line vote of 34-33.
- The bill went to a conference committee during the week of May 13th.
- The conference committee version of the bill passed the House on the evening of Friday, May 17th with bi-partisan opposition. No Republicans voted for this bill.
- In the last 90 minutes of session, the bill was folded into HF 5247, the Omnibus Tax Bill, and ramrodded through both houses.
- The bill currently is pending the Governor’s signature.
- Where does the MN Gun Owners Caucus stand on this bill?
- We OPPOSE this bill.
- HF 2828 – Ban on Carry in Government Buildings and Land
- STATUS: DEAD
- What it does
- This bill allows local government (cities, counties, townships, and others) to restrict the carry of firearms in government-owned or leased buildings or land.
- This would allow local government entities to ban firearms in libraries, parks, recreation centers, government offices, and any other land or buildings that they own or lease.
- It would create a patchwork of laws across the state that would be impossible to follow.
- Read the Bill Text
- Current Bill Status
- This bill was heard in House Public Safety on March 12th, 2024. It was laid over for future consideration. No votes have been taken yet.
- We believe this bill is DEAD as of May 9th, 2024 due to a lack of support to move forward.
- Where does the MN Gun Owners Caucus stand on this bill?
- We OPPOSE this bill.
- Written & Committee Testimony
- HF 3672 – State Firearms Preemption Repeal
- STATUS: DEAD
- What it does
- This bill removes all statewide firearms preemption laws in Minnesota.
- This bill would allow local units of government to make up their own permit laws and requirements, ban firearms & magazines, restrict carry however they choose to, and more.
- Cities could pass whatever gun control they want, change where you can carry, decide how you store firearms in your homes, and BAN AR-15s and other commonly owned firearms.
- It would create a patchwork of laws across the state that would be impossible to follow.
- Read the Bill Text
- Current BIll Status
- This bill was heard in House Public Safety on March 12th, 2024. It was laid over for future consideration. No votes have been taken yet.
- We believe this bill is DEAD as of May 9th, 2024 due to a lack of support to move forward.
- Where does the MN Gun Owners Caucus stand on this bill?
- We OPPOSE this bill.
- Written & Committee Testimony
- HF 4300: “Safe” Storage
- STATUS: DEAD
- What it does
- This revised “safe storage” bill is different than the bill heard in 2023. This will creates a requirement to store firearms when they are outside of one’s direct physical control by securing them with a locking device or in a “locked firearm storage unit”.
- Unlike the 2023 bill, this bill does not require firearms to be stored unloaded and separate from their ammunition.
- Violations range from a gross misdemeanor to a felony – and can result in one becoming a prohibited person who is not allowed to possess firearms or ammunition.
- Read the Bill Text
- Current Bill Status
- This bill was heard in the Minnesota House Public Safety Committee on Thursday, February 29th and passed on a voice vote.
- This bill was heard in House Ways and Means on April 24th, 2024 and passed on a party-line vote.
- This bill was to be heard on the House Floor on April 29th, 2024, but was TABLED at the last minute.
- This bill was debated on the House Floor on May 2nd, 2024, and was passed on a 68-64 vote.
- We believe this bill is DEAD as of May 9th, 2024 due to a lack of support to move forward in the Senate.
- Where does the MN Gun Owners Caucus stand on this bill?
- We OPPOSE this bill.
- Written & Committee Testimony
- Other Bills
- All bills from 2023 and those introduced so far this session are still alive.
- We generally get around 72 hours’ notice of a hearing’s agenda – things can move very quickly.
- However, we do not believe any other bills will move forward in 2024.
Minnesota Senate
- SF 4312 – “Safe” Storage
- STATUS: DEAD
- What it does
- This revised “safe storage” bill is different than the bill heard in 2023. This will creates a requirement to store firearms when they are outside of one’s direct physical control by securing them with a locking device or in a “locked firearm storage unit”.
- Unlike the 2023 bill, this bill does not require firearms to be stored unloaded and separate from their ammunition.
- Violations range from a misdemeanor to a felony – and can result in one becoming a prohibited person who is not allowed to possess firearms or ammunition.
- Read the Bill Text
- Current Bill Status
- This bill was heard in the MN Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee on March 22nd, 2024 and passed on a voice vote.
- This bill was heard in MN Senate Finance on April 18th, 2024 and passed on a voice vote.
- We believe this bill is DEAD as of May 9th, 2024 due to a lack of support to move forward.
- Where does the MN Gun Owners Caucus stand on this bill?
- We OPPOSE this bill.
- SF 5153 – Ban on Binary Triggers
- STATUS: PASSED INTO LAW/SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR – See HF 2609 above for final details
- What it does
- Bans binary triggers from possession or sale in Minnesota using broad language that may also ban other trigger devices
- Increases the penalties for transferring firearms to prohibited persons
- Requires a report from the BCA on gun trafficking investigations
- Read the Bill Text
- Current Bill Status
- This will was heard in the MN Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee on March 22nd, 2024 and passed on a voice vote.
- This bill was heard in MN Senate Finance on April 18th, 2024 and passed on a voice vote.
- Rather than move forward with this version of the bill, on May 9th, 2024, the Senate adopted the House version of this bill (HF 2609) and passed it with amendments. See our HF 2609 section above for details.
- Where does the MN Gun Owners Caucus stand on this bill?
- We OPPOSE this bill.
- Other Bills
- All bills from 2023 and those introduced so far this session are still alive.
- We generally get around 72 hours’ notice of a hearing’s agenda – things can move very quickly.
- However, we believe all other gun bills are DEAD for 2024 and will not be moving forward.
MN Gun Owners Caucus Bill Tracker & Action Center
Bill Tracker
- For a complete list of bills we are monitoring, visit the MN Gun Owners Caucus Bill Tracker.
Action Center
- To contact your legislators and let them know where you stand on a bill, visit the MN Gun Owners Caucus Action Center.
SIGN OUR PETITION TO STOP GUN CONTROL IN SAINT PAUL
AS A LAW-ABIDING GUN OWNER AND SUPPORTER OF THE SECOND AMENDMENT, I CALL UPON ALL MEMBERS OF THE MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE TO OPPOSE ANY AND ALL GUN CONTROL BILLS.