Minnesota Human Rights Act to provide protection for veterans

Minnesota Senate Bill 4056 aims to add "veteran or military status" to the list of protected classes under the Minnesota Human Rights Act. This means that individuals cannot be discriminated against based on their military service in areas such as employment, housing, public accommodations, public services, and education. The bill defines "veteran or military status" to include members of the armed forces, both active and reserve, as well as veterans as defined by federal law. Additionally, the bill clarifies that it does not override any existing laws that provide preferential treatment to veterans. ([assets.senate.mn](https://assets.senate.mn/summ/bill/2026/0/SF4056/SF%204056%20Bill%20Summary.pdf?utm_source=openai))

MN SF4056 is a senate bill in the Minnesota 94th Legislature 2025-2026, sponsored by Mary Kunesh-Podein (D), currently “Introduced” since March 2, 2026.

We track 10,590 Minnesota bills this session, 106 of them sponsored by Mary Kunesh-Podein.

The bill has received support from various stakeholders. For instance, Nicholas Slade, deputy general counsel at the Department of Military Affairs, spoke in favor of HF3540, a companion bill to SF4056, highlighting the importance of adding "veteran and military status" to the state's Human Rights Act. ([house.mn.gov](https://www.house.mn.gov/sessiondaily/Story/18902?utm_source=openai)) This support suggests a positive reception among those advocating for veterans' rights.

As of now, there is no significant media coverage indicating opposition to the bill. The absence of reported dissent suggests that the bill is viewed favorably by the public and stakeholders.