HF4682
Immunity for agritourism related to off-road vehicle trails modified.
Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026)
Related bill: SF4843
AI Generated Summary
Purpose
- This bill aims to modify the immunity protections related to agritourism activities, specifically including offroad vehicle trails, by amending the definitions used in Minnesota law.
Main Provisions
- Amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 604A.40 subdivision 1 to update definitions used in the immunity framework for agritourism.
- Expands the scope of what counts as an agritourism activity to include offroad vehicle trails, along with other activities such as farming, viticulture, winemaking, ranching, historical or cultural farm stays, gleaning, harvest-your-own, and various natural or educational experiences.
- Provides explicit definitions for:
- Agricultural products: including livestock, aquaculture, poultry, horticultural, floricultural, viticultural, silvicultural, and other farm or ranch products.
- Agritourism activity: an activity on a farm or ranch open to organizations or the general public for recreational, entertainment, charitable, or educational purposes, regardless of whether participants pay.
- Agritourism professional: a person who provides one or more agritourism activities.
- Farm or ranch: land used for producing or processing agricultural products.
- Inherent risks of agritourism activity: natural hazards and conditions related to land, vegetation, waters, animal behavior, and ordinary dangers of structures or equipment used in farming.
- Participant: a person other than an agritourism professional who engages in an agritourism activity and understands the inherent risks.
- Clarifies that these definitions apply to the immunity framework, helping determine when protections apply to agritourism providers and participants.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Introduces and formalizes a set of definitions that expand and clarify what activities are considered agritourism and who is protected under the immunity provisions.
- Specifically includes offroad vehicle trails within the set of activities that may be covered by immunity, signaling a broader scope of protections for agritourism providers who offer these experiences.
- Establishes a clearer framework for understanding who participates and what inherent risks are recognized under the immunity provisions.
Practical Implications
- Farms and ranches offering agritourism activities (especially those with offroad vehicle trails) may benefit from clarified liability protections.
- Participants and providers will have a shared understanding of terms like agritourism activity, agritourism professional, inherent risks, and participant, which can influence how liability and safety considerations are managed.
Relevant Terms - agritourism activity - agritourism professional - farm or ranch - agricultural products - inherent risks - participant - offroad vehicle trails - immunity - Minnesota Statutes 604A.40 subdivision 1
Bill text versions
- Introduction PDF PDF file
Actions
| Date | Chamber | Where | Type | Name | Committee Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 25, 2026 | House | Action | Introduction and first reading, referred to | Judiciary Finance and Civil Law |
Citations
[
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Definitions for Agricultural products",
"Agritourism activity",
"Agritourism professional",
"Farm or ranch",
"Inherent risks of agritourism activity",
"Participant"
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "This bill amends Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 604A.40, subdivision 1, to redefine terms related to agritourism immunity, including adding agritourism activity, agritourism professional, farm or ranch, inherent risks, and participant definitions, and to include offroad vehicle trails within agritourism.",
"modified": [
"Subdivision 1 is amended to replace the definitions with new text, broadening the scope of agritourism to include offroad vehicle trails and related activities."
]
},
"citation": "604A.40",
"subdivision": "subd. 1"
}
]Progress through the legislative process
In Committee