Visitor carrying of firearms on campuses of public postsecondary institutions regulation
Summary
SF4589 amends Minnesota’s firearms law to expressly allow public postsecondary institutions to adopt policies restricting visitors from carrying or possessing firearms on campus property. If a visitor violates a campus policy, the institution may order the person to leave; refusal to leave after being directed to do so would be a petty misdemeanor, with a first-offense fine capped at $500. The bill also states that a firearm carried in violation of these campus policies is not subject to forfeiture.
The bill preserves existing authority for employers and public colleges and universities to restrict firearms carried by employees in the course and scope of employment and by students on campus. It also keeps the current limitation that neither employers nor postsecondary institutions may prohibit lawful firearm carry or possession in parking facilities or parking areas. In effect, the bill clarifies and expands campus authority specifically over visitors, while maintaining a parking-lot exception.
Impact
The bill would amend Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 624.714, subdivision 18, by adding explicit statutory authority for public postsecondary institutions regulated under chapters 136F and 137 to regulate visitor firearm carry on institutional property. It would create a new enforcement mechanism for violations of campus visitor policies, including removal from the premises and petty misdemeanor liability for refusing to leave, while also limiting penalties by barring forfeiture of the firearm. The measure would not change the existing protections for lawful carry in parking facilities or parking areas.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and available context, the bill appears to be a public-safety and campus-policy measure with a generally regulatory rather than punitive tone. There is no recorded committee testimony or vote history in the provided materials, so no formal support or opposition is documented here. The structure of the bill suggests an intent to give colleges and universities clearer authority over campus safety rules without broadly banning lawful firearm possession.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the balance between campus safety and firearm-carry rights. Supporters are likely to favor giving public colleges and universities explicit authority to restrict visitors carrying firearms on campus, while opponents may view the measure as an infringement on lawful carry rights or as creating uneven rules for visitors versus employees, students, and parking areas. The parking-facility exception and the decision not to allow forfeiture may also be areas of debate, since they limit how far institutions can go in enforcing campus firearm restrictions.