SF241

The bill SF No 241 aims to change how the governor of Minnesota can extend a peacetime emergency declaration. As per the current law, the governor has the authority to declare a peacetime emergency if there's a considerable threat, like a natural disaster or cyber attack, and local government resources are deemed inadequate to handle the situation.

Key changes proposed by this bill include:

1. The initial peacetime emergency can only last for five days. If an extension is needed, the governor can extend it just once more for up to an additional 25 days, totaling no more than 30 days, through a resolution by the Executive Council.

2. Any further extensions beyond these 30 days would require a majority vote from each house of the state legislature. This means after the 30-day period, the governor would need legislative approval to continue the emergency status.

3. The bill also prevents the governor from terminating and immediately redeclaring a peacetime emergency for the same reason to bypass the need for legislative approval.

4. Even if there’s a need for declaring a new peacetime emergency during an existing one, but for a different event, the governor doesn’t need additional legislative approval unless federal aid is being sought.

Overall, this legislation is designed to involve more legislative oversight on the duration and extension of peacetime emergencies declared by the governor.