Minnesota House File 146

Minnesota House File 146
Minnesota Legislature
  • A bill for an act relating to children; preventing the use of subpoenas to gather information for out-of-state laws interfering in the use of gender-affirming health care; amending child custody and child welfare provisions related to out-of-state laws interfering in the use of gender-affirming health care; amending provisions related to warrants, arrests, and extraditions related to out-of-state laws on gender-affirming health care; amending Minnesota Statutes 2022, sections 518D.201; 518D.204; 518D.207; 629.02; 629.05; 629.06; 629.13; 629.14; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapters 260; 543.
Citation[1]
Territorial extent Minnesota
Enacted byMinnesota House of Representatives
EnactedMarch 23, 2023
Enacted byMinnesota Senate
EnactedApril 21, 2023
Signed byTim Walz
SignedApril 27, 2023
EffectiveApril 27, 2023
Legislative history
First chamber: Minnesota House of Representatives
Bill titleHouse File 146
Introduced byLeigh Finke
IntroducedJanuary 9, 2023
First readingJanuary 9, 2023
Second readingFebruary 27, 2023
Third readingMarch 23, 2023
Voting summary
  • 68 voted for
  • 62 voted against
Second chamber: Minnesota Senate
Received from the Minnesota House of RepresentativesMarch 27, 2023
Member(s) in chargeErin Maye Quade
First readingMarch 27, 2023
Second readingApril 12, 2023
Third readingApril 21, 2023
Voting summary
  • 34 voted for
  • 30 voted against
  • 6 absent
Summary
Prohibits the enforcement of out-of-state laws regarding gender-affirming medical care in Minnesota and adds other protections to access of gender-affirming care.
Status: In force
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Minnesota House File 146 (HF 146) is a 2023 law in the state of Minnesota that protects access to gender-affirming care for minors. Governor Tim Walz signed it on April 27, 2023, and it became effective immediately. HF 146 is commonly referred to as a "shield" or "sanctuary" law due to its protections from out-of-state law enforcement, thereby making Minnesota a trans refuge state. Around the time this law was passed, Minnesota's neighboring state passed laws limiting access to gender-affirming care.

HF 146 was introduced by Leigh Finke, Minnesota's first openly transgender lawmaker. The bill passed in the Minnesota House of Representatives by a vote of 68-62 and in the Minnesota Senate by a vote of 34-30. The law followed an executive order signed by Walz that protected gender-affirming medical care and prohibited the enforcement of out-of-state laws regarding such care, similar to HF 146. Following the 2025 Annunciation Catholic Church shooting, U.S. representative Tom Emmer called for the repeal of HF 146.