SF5004
Minor League baseball players exemption from minimum wage and overtime requirements provision
Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026)
Related bill: HF4952
AI Generated Summary
Purpose
This bill changes who is considered an “employee” under Minnesota wage and hour laws. It adds a specific exemption for minor league baseball players who sign a contract to play at the minor league level and are paid under a collective bargaining agreement that sets wages and working conditions. In short, it aims to exclude those players from minimum wage and overtime protections, by updating the statute that defines “employee.”
Main Provisions
- Amends Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 177.23, subdivision 7 to redefine “Employee.” The definition now includes a broad list of exemptions—groups of people who are not treated as employees for wage-and-hour purposes.
- Key new exemption: any individual who has entered into a contract to play baseball at the minor league level and who is compensated under a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that expressly provides for wages and working conditions.
- The bill retains many other exemptions from the employee definition, such as:
- Certain farm workers and agricultural workers
- Executives, administrators, professionals, or certain on-premises sales staff
- Volunteers for nonprofit organizations
- Elected officials and certain government workers
- Police or fire protection staff for political subdivisions
- Taxi drivers, babysitters (solos), and certain seasonal workers (e.g., carnival, circus, ski facility)
- Seafarers and other specific categories outlined in the list
- Overall effect: the bill broadens and codifies exemptions, with the minor league baseball exemption focusing on players under a CBA that sets wages and working conditions.
Effects and Implications
- Creates a specific carve-out that removes minimum wage and overtime protections for minor league baseball players who are paid under a CBA that defines wages and working conditions.
- May reduce wage protections for that group, while leaving other workers’ protections intact or subject to other exemptions.
- The change is limited to those players meeting the CBA condition; other workers, including minor leaguers not covered by such an agreement, may still be subject to minimum wage and overtime rules.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Rewrites the definition of “Employee” in Minn. Stat. § 177.23, subd. 7 to include the minor league baseball players exemption.
- Aligns with other listed exemptions by creating a comprehensive, explicit roster of categories that are not treated as employees for wage-and-hour purposes.
Relevant Terms - minor league baseball players - collective bargaining agreement (CBA) - wages and working conditions - minimum wage - overtime - employee (as defined by Minnesota law) - Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 177.23 subdivision 7 - exemptions (to the employee definition) - contract to play baseball at the minor league level
Bill text versions
- Introduction PDF PDF file
Past committee meetings
- Labor on: April 14, 2026 12:30
Actions
| Date | Chamber | Where | Type | Name | Committee Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 09, 2026 | Senate | Action | Introduction and first reading | ||
| April 09, 2026 | Senate | Action | Referred to | Labor |
Citations
[
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Adds an exemption for individuals contracted to play baseball at the minor league level under the exemptions in Minn. Stat. 177.23, subd. 7."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "This bill amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 177.23, subdivision 7, to exempt minor league baseball players from minimum wage and overtime requirements by including them in the exempt categories governing who is considered an employee.",
"modified": [
"Revises the enumeration of exemptions within Minn. Stat. 177.23, subd. 7 to include minor league baseball players under a collective bargaining agreement that expressly provides wages and working conditions."
]
},
"citation": "177.23",
"subdivision": "7"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"No direct change to Minn. Stat. 177.24; cross-reference included to apply exemptions to younger workers in agriculture."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "The bill references Minn. Stat. 177.24 in the context of determining exemptions for certain under-18 workers (e.g., in agriculture) as part of the broader exemptions list.",
"modified": [
"Uses 177.24 to delineate conditions under which under-18 agricultural workers may be exempt from standard wage and hour requirements."
]
},
"citation": "177.24",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "The bill references Minnesota Statutes 353.01, subdivision 2b, clauses 1, 2, 4, or 9, item i, regarding membership eligibility in certain public employee retirement systems as part of the broad set of exemptions.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "353.01",
"subdivision": "2b, clause 1, 2, 4 or 9, item i"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "The bill references Minn. Stat. 260B.060 concerning county home schools, specifically when the residence is an extension facility of that county home school.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "260B.060",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "The bill references Minn. Stat. 144.72 regarding permits, as part of the exemption framework.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "144.72",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "The bill references Minn. Stat. 260C.007, subdivision 4, in definitions related to religious orders and other organizations within the exemption framework.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "260C.007",
"subdivision": "4"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "The bill cites federal law (49 U.S.C. § 31502) concerning the Department of Transportation’s authority to establish qualifications and maximum hours of service for certain transportation workers, to support the exemption framework.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "49 U.S.C. § 31502",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "The bill cites federal overtime exemptions for seafarers under 29 U.S.C. § 213(b)(6), used to justify exemptions for certain employment categories within the bill.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "29 U.S.C. § 213(b)(6)",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "The bill references Minn. Stat. 177.25 regarding seasonal employment exemptions (e.g., in carnival, circus, fair, or ski facility contexts) as part of the broader exemptions list.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "177.25",
"subdivision": ""
}
]Progress through the legislative process
In Committee