With the halfway point of the year come and gone, new state laws have gone into effect. Highlights include:
Free water at big events
Ticketed venues and entertainment spots with over 100 attendees will need to provide free water to the audience.
The law also states that these venues will need to allow attendees to bring their own factory-sealed water bottles or empty water bottles they can fill at the location.
Motorcycles and traffic
When traffic is slow, motorcyclists can go between lanes, but only up to 25 mph. They won’t be allowed to go more than 15 mph over the speed of traffic. This is a process called “lane splitting.”
The second part of the law allows for “lane filtering,” which deals with stopped traffic. Motorcyclists will be able to move through the jam, whether it be because of congestion, a stoplight or anything else, at no more than 15 mph.
There are restrictions to these as well. For instance, each of the above must have at least two lanes of traffic going in the same direction. Specialized zones, like school or work zones, will not allow for lane filtering or splitting.
Motorboat permits
Previously, boaters needed a permit to drive a motorized watercraft if they were under the age of 18. That limit has bumped up to 21.
The law will also gradually increase the age groups needing a permit by 2028. Any business that leases or rents motorboats will be prohibited from doing so if the person is under 18 or not in possession of a permit if under 21.
Homeowners and HOAs
The department of Commerce has created a new position that will now mediate disputes between homeowner associations (HOAs) and the homeowners.
The position is meant to not only solve the arguments, but to help both sides understand their rights to curb future disagreements.
Content creators under 18
Platforms like TikTok and YouTube, along with any social media sites, will require trusts to be created for content that earns money and features a minor aged 14 to 18 as more than 30% of the content.
The money generated by these videos will go into a trust account for the minor that they can access at the age of 18. Minnesota is the third state to bring this to law, with California and Utah passing it earlier.
Pollution Control Agency loosens restrictions
A previous law restricted entities from intentionally using PFAs, commonly called “forever chemicals.” Some of those restrictions have been modified.
The relaxations include internal components of products that contain PFAs, children’s recreational vehicles and a temporary exemption for firefighting foam, mostly used at airports.
For more information on these laws and other changes, go to https://www.house.mn.gov/hinfo/leginfo/06012025NewLaws.pdf