Tech Policy Download: February 14, 2023

This legislative session has gotten off to a fast start, with major pieces of legislation on pressing issues like federal conformity, energy and abortion already making it into law. Other major issues like paid family leave and paid sick leave are being actively debated in both chambers, while the Governor’s Budget Recommendations have laid out Governor Walz’s priorities for this coming legislative session. This bi-weekly newsletter will provide updates on legislation MnTech is actively engaging on in support of Minnesota’s tech ecosystem, and look forward to working with any interested parties on advancing or voicing concern over any of the following pieces of legislation.

This session MnTech is focused on legislation to get Minnesota out of last place in the nation in access to foundation computer science courses – we’re currently ranked 50th out of 50 states. We are also focused on expanding successful experiential learning opportunities like the SciTech program which increase the diversity of our tech talent pipeline. With average annual median tech wage at $94,715, 106% higher than the median state wage, we must ensure that education and training pathways into tech are accessible for all Minnesota students.

Computer Science Education Advancement Act

HF 727(Lee) / SF 757 (Gustafson) – This legislation aims to help Minnesota get out of last place in the nation in access to foundational computer science courses at the high school level by creating an Advisory Committee on computer science education expansion and providing annual funding for training computer science teachers.
Status: MnTech supports this legislation. This past week the Senate Education Policy Committee heard testimony from a variety of stakeholders in support of the legislation, including Jeff Tollefson, MnTech’s President & CEO, as well as representatives from the Minnesota School Board Association, Project Lead the Way, the Bloomington Public Schools, and code.org. The legislation passed unanimously out of committee and is heading to the Senate State and Local Government and Veterans Committee.

SciTech Legislation

HF 1107(Kotyza-Witthuhn) / SF 1284 (Mohamed) – This legislation provides expanded funding to the SciTech Internship program, which has placed over 2,000 interns in STEM related internships at small businesses across the state.
Status: MnTech supports this legislation. This week the Senate Jobs and Economic Development Committee will hear this legislation at 12:30 pm on Wednesday, February 15. If you are interested in submitting a letter of support, please email tom.melton@senate.mn.

MnTech supports legislation advancing the Governor’s Task Force on Broadband’s outstanding recommendations for the state’s border-to-border broadband program, ensuring all Minnesotans have access to reliable broadband. This includes ensuring that schools have access to reliable, high-speed broadband. We are actively monitoring policy issues such as privacy, net neutrality and a national broadband funding framework, which we believe should be addressed at the federal level to avoid a patchwork of regulations from state-to-state.

SF 1408 (Wesenberg) / HF 1441 (Wiener) – This legislation expands the Broadband grant program to include fixed wireless.
Status: MnTech supports this legislation. No committee action at this time.

SF 1523 (Putnam) / HF 1564 (Brand) – This legislation expands the broadband tax exemption to include fiber and conduit used in broadband and Internet access services
Status: MnTech supports this legislation. No committee action at this time.

HF 295 (Elkins) / SF 405 (Mann) – This legislation ensures that covenants not to compete are void and unenforceable.
Status: MnTech opposes this legislation and recommends Minnesota wait to take any action until the FTC issues their final rule on noncompete clauses. This legislation was heard and amended the first week of February at the House Labor and Industry Finance and Policy Committee and referred to the Commerce Finance and Policy Committee, and last week was heard and amended at the Senate Labor Committee and referred to the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee.

HF 468 (Noor) – This legislation modifies sales and use tax provisions modified to include taxation of transfers of prewritten computer software.
Status: MnTech opposes this legislation as drafted as it creates an additional tax on individuals and businesses, often small businesses, in a state with one of the highest corporate tax rates in the country. No committee action at this time.

HF 790 (Robbins) – This legislation allows an annual rather than amortized state subtraction for research and experimental expenditures.
Status: MnTech supports this legislation. No committee action at this time.

MnTech opposes efforts such as right to repair legislation that allow uncertified repairs to electronic equipment and other devices with sensitive intellectual property, as doing so increases the introduction of cybersecurity risks. This not only impacts the protection of the intellectual property, it adds greater risk to system failures resulting in increased property damage and potential human harm. We are actively monitoring the pending introduction of legislation related to data privacy, which in previous legislation sessions have been drafted to have a much broader than intended scope and a wide variety of unintended consequences.

HF 1337 (Fischer) / SF 1598 (Kupec) – This legislation allows for expanded digital repair services and authorizes the Attorney General to issue penalties for noncompliance.
Status: MnTech opposes this legislation as it impacts consumer safety and proprietary information. If you are interested in voicing your concern over this legislation, please email simon.brown@house.mn.gov.

HF 1503 (Robbins) – Prohibiting social media algorithms that target children.
Status: MnTech opposes this legislation as written due to the large number of non-social media platforms the legislation unintentionally includes and lack of clarity on compliance and enforcement. No committee action at this time

Don’t see a bill or article listed here that you think MnTech should be following, or want to get more involved in tech advocacy? Let Katie McClelland, Director of Public Policy & Research, know at katie@mntech.org.