By Kathleen Schuler, MPHState Policy Director, HPHC
5 min. read | Policy and advocacy | Minnesota legislature
The 2024 Minnesota legislative session wrapped up in mid-May and brought several wins for climate action.
As you might recall, 2023 was a celebratory year for climate action with the passage of the 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040 bill and extensive investments in solar, weatherization, public transit, electric school buses, electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, consumer EV rebates, and more. While the 2024 agenda was not quite as ambitious, there were still critical climate investments and policies that made it through the legislature.
Although the legislative session has ended, the work to build a healthy, sustainable, and equitable future continues — and understanding what happened at the state policy level is one way to work towards that vision.
Read on to better understand which climate health bills passed, which ones didn’t, how your voice made a difference, and what’s next.
Which key climate and health bills passed in 2024?
Electric equipment investments: $1 million in grants will be allocated to transition to electric lawn and snow removal equipment.
Environmental investments: Composting grants for multi-family buildings, a Critical Materials Recovery Advisory Task Force, and climate resilience and water infrastructure grants.
Geothermal investments: $6 million will be allocated to install geothermal at Sabathani Community Center in Minneapolis, plus $1.2 million for geothermal local government planning grants.
Minnesota Energy Infrastructure Permitting Act: This bill helps reach Minnesota’s goal of 100% carbon free energy by 2040 by streamlining permitting of large energy infrastructure projects, while also ensuring that potential adverse ecosystem effects are considered. The bill includes mandatory Environmental Impact Statements for carbon capture pipelines.
Packaging Waste and Cost Reduction Act: This legislation will address problematic, unnecessary packaging that burdens our landfills, recycling systems, and creates air pollution when burned via local trash incinerators. This bill created a statewide extended producer responsibility program that requires a packaging producer to work through a producer responsibility organization to develop a stewardship program and pay fees that cover most packaging waste costs. After January 2032, no producer may introduce covered materials that are not reusable, recyclable, or compostable. Read on to learn how health professionals took action and helped this bill pass.
Solar investments: $1.5 million will be allocated for a program to automate residential solar applications, plus $5 million for a solar energy production incentive program.
Zero-emission bus transition planning: Requires public transit agencies in cities of the first-class to develop plans to transition to zero-emission transit buses, that all buses purchased after 2035 be zero-emission, and requires prioritized deployment of buses in environmental justice areas with poor air quality and along bus rapid transit routes.
Which bills didn’t pass, and what are the impacts?
Amortization bill (HF4231/SF4316): HPHC supported the advocacy of Community Members for Environmental Justice (CMEJ) and community members who live, work, and learn in the East Phillips neighborhood of south Minneapolis who are in close proximity to polluting facilities like Smith Foundry. This bill would have allowed local governments to amortize, or phase out, polluting facilities that no longer conform to current zoning laws. It would have given local governments the tools needed to protect their residents’ health and reduce pollution.
The key takeaway: Community-led groups like the East Phillips Health Team and Community Members for Environmental Justice, and other Minnesotans affected by pollution guided this effort. HPHC will continue to listen and support these community efforts to protect health and advance environmental justice.
Climate Change and Mental Health Advisory Task Force bill (HF4821/SF4846): HPHC Climate and Health Equity Leaders Fellow, Jocelyn Leung, MPH, championed this bill that aimed to fund a statewide task force to study the negative impacts of climate change upon Minnesotans’ mental health, produce a comprehensive report, and use those findings to guide tangible community-led solutions.
The key takeaway: Although this bill didn’t get the hearings it needed to progress, it started a needed conversation in our state. That’s because the links between climate change and mental health are severely understudied. Thanks to Jocelyn’s efforts and vision, this issue is is receiving more attention — and Jocelyn aims to continue this crucial conversation during the 2024-25 legislative session.
Clean Transportation Standard (HF2602/SF2584): HPHC opposed the establishment of a Low Carbon Fuel Standard in Minnesota, because it incentivizes ethanol production and the building of CO2 pipelines. In February, HPHC and organizational partners CURE, COPAL, and Sierra Club released a report that asserts a Low Carbon Fuel Standard will have negative environmental and health impacts by incentivizing both increased ethanol production and a carbon pipeline proposed to run through Minnesota to North Dakota.
The key takeaway: Although this bill received a hearing in the Senate, it ultimately did not move ahead thanks to opposition from twelve environmental groups. HPHC ensured that the potential public health harms were communicated to legislators, particularly the health threats this policy posed to agricultural workers and their families along with rural and BIPOC communities living near oil and gas extraction facilities.
Repeal of local plastic bag prohibition: The current law prohibits local governments from enacting plastic bag bans, and this bill would have repealed that preemption.
Extended producer responsibility program for electronic waste: This bill was championed by members of the Minnesota Zero Waste coalition, which HPHC is a proud supporting member of. If passed, this bill would have made recycling electronics free for all Minnesotans and would have expanded the types of electronic items that the public could recycle.
HPHC members like you made a difference in three crucial ways.
Contacting your legislators: Dozens of health professionals responded to our email action alert and asked their legislators to support a strong version of the Packaging Waste & Cost Reduction Act — and that version passed! Several health professionals also made phone calls to legislators about supporting community health through the amortization bill.
Sharing your clinical knowledge and experiences: Mental health professionals supported Jocelyn Leung’s efforts to establish a state mental health and climate change taskforce. To learn more about these efforts, you can listen to Jocelyn talk about the process and work ahead via her conversation on NAMI Minnesota’s podcast.
Adding a health lens to coalition events: Health professionals added a health perspective to HPHC’s involvement in the Minnesota Zero Waste Coalition’s Lobby Day and the Rise & Repair Coalition’s Lobby and Rally Day for climate justice and Indigenous rights (pictured below).
The legislative session ended, but the momentum continues.
While the legislative session ended a few months ago, we know the work to address the climate crisis from a health perspective is a year-round endeavor.
Thank you for participating in our action alerts, joining a legislative event, or simply learning more about a proposed bill and asking good questions.
Each and every action has impact, especially when we combine our actions together as a network of health voices allied with community and environmental justice voices.
Interested in participating in HPHC’s policy advocacy?
Join an upcoming Policy and Advocacy Committee meeting.
The committee typically meets online from 6:00-7:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month.
