Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature
Skip Navigation Links

Number of Bills Introduced and Laws Passed in the Minnesota Legislature, 1849-present

Compiled by the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library

Compiled from statistical summaries by House Index Dept., session laws, journals, and other sources. Please report any errors to the library staff.

The number of laws passed is the number of laws passed with or without the governor's signature; it does not include bills that were sent to the governor and vetoed in full. The number Includes bills that contain line item vetoes. Vetoed laws that were overridden are counted. See separate veto information. The number of resolutions passed does not include bills that were sent to the governor and vetoed in full.

Prior to 1989, bills passed by the legislature and sent to the governor were assigned a chapter number by the Secretary of State when filed with the secretary's office. Minnesota Laws 1988 chapter 479 instructs the revisor of statutes to assign a chapter number to each bill at the time of its enrollment for presentment to the governor. Before 1989, the number of chapters in Laws of Minnesota will generally match the number of laws passed in this list. Beginning in 1989, the number of laws passed generally will be the number of chapters in Laws of Minnesota less the number of bills vetoed in full.

Where the number of bills introduced is not given (between 1852 and 1860) it is because this information was not readily available from indexes to the journals.

The total number of laws passed may also vary because chapter numbers were not assigned. In 1856, the total number of laws passed (165) is one less than the last chaptered number in the session laws because one chapter is missing; the missing chapter is either chapter 161 or 162. In 1858, the total number of laws passed (325) is two less than the last chaptered number in the session laws because there were no chapters 125 or 126. In 1878, the total number of laws passed (385) is one less than the last numbered chapter in the session laws because there was no chapter numbered 29. In 1977, the total number of laws passed (454) is one less than the last numbered chapter (455) in the session laws because there was no chapter numbered 357. In 1981, the total number of laws passed (369) is one fewer than the last numbered chapter (370) because there was no chapter numbered 154. In 1997, the total number of laws passed (235) is several less than the last numbered chapter (251) because there was no chapter numbered 14 and because there were 15 full vetoes. In 1998, the total number of laws passed (145) is several fewer than the last numbered chapter (408 less the 251 laws passed in 1997 is 157) because there was no chapter numbered 377 and because there were 11 full vetoes.  In 2010, the total number of laws passed is one less than the last chaptered law less the laws chaptered in 2009 (179) less the 18 full vetoes because chapter 393 didn't actually pass.