ST. PAUL — New Minnesota laws taking effect on New Year’s Day will change a number of things including the workplace, ballot box, hunting and more.

The new Minnesota Paid Leave law provides up to 12 weeks of paid leave for things like sick time and taking care of family members including a new baby.

Paid Medical Leave includes caring for your own serious health condition including care related to pregnancy, childbirth and recovery.

Family Leave includes caring for and bonding with a new child through birth, adoptions, or foster placement and Caring Leave for a family member with a serious health condition.

Military Family Leave is available to support a family member called to active duty.

Safety Leave can be used to respond to issues related to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, for yourself or a family member.

Usually conditions must last more than seven days and be certified by a healthcare provider or other professional.

Most Minnesota workers are covered by paid leave no matter the size of your employer, or the hours or days worked. Independent contractors and self-employed individuals are not automatically covered but may opt in. Making a minimum of $3,900 to work in Minnesota last year may qualify for payments.

Individuals may qualify for up to 12 weeks family or medical leave per benefit year. If family and medical leave are needed the same year, individuals may qualify for up to 20 total weeks Paid Leave.

Paid Leave will be up to 90% of your wages, based on income level with a maximum amount set at the state’s average weekly wage that changes each year. The amount is $1,423 for the start of 2026.

Paid Leave is funded by employees and employers. The initial premium rate is 0.88% of covered wages.

New rest break and meal laws mean at least a 15-minute rest break or enough time to use the nearest convenient rest room for every four consecutive hours worked and at least a 30-minute unpaid meal break when working 6 or more consecutive hours.

As part of Minnesota’s employee notice requirement, employers will be required to provide each employee with a written notice of any change before the change takes effect, including a change to the employee’s pay rate.

Voting ballots

A person using an online absentee ballot application ballot as of Thursday will need to provide both a Minnesota driver’s license and state ID card number and their last four Social Security number digits, unless the applicant affirmatively certifies they don’t possess one of those numbers.

Outdoor activities

A “shotgun zone” that restricted deer hunters to using only shotguns, muzzle-loaders and handguns in southern Minnesota is repealed. After Jan. 1, hunters anywhere in the state can use all legal firearms for deer hunting during the regular firearms season unless a county in the former shotgun zone adopts an ordinance restricting their use.

A new law increases the annual watercraft surcharge from $10.60 to between $14-$62 depending on boat size, type and use to fund invasive species control. There will also be increased water-use permit processing fees and water-use permit application fees.

Federal tax changes for individuals and businesses effective Jan. 1 include an interest payment deduction on U.S.-assembled vehicles, no taxes on tips up to $25,000, the end of the new and used Electric Vehicle Credit (As of Sept. 30), the end of solar and energy efficient home improvement credits, according to numbernerds.com.