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Number of Bills Introduced and Laws Enacted in Minnesota, 1849-present

Compiled by the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library

The Legislature introduces many bills every year, but only some bills become law. Bills that pass both houses of the Legislature must be signed by the governor before they are enacted. If a governor vetoes a bill passed by the Legislature, the Legislature may attempt to override the veto in order to enact the law. This page compares the number of bill introductions in the House and Senate with the total number of laws enacted each session. 

Prior to 1989, bills passed by the legislature and sent to the governor were assigned a chapter number when the governor filed them with the Secretary of State. Vetoed bills were not given chapter numbers; generally, the number of "laws enacted" is equivalent to the number of session law chapters prior to 1989. 

Beginning in 1989, vetoed bills were given chapter numbers (see Laws of Minnesota 1988, chapter 479). Therefore, the number of "laws enacted" may be less than the number of session law chapters if there were full vetoes that were not overridden. Consult veto information for further details.

The total number of laws enacted may also vary because chapter numbers were not assigned, and data may be uncertain for some years. Consult footnotes for further explanation.

This data was compiled by the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library from House Index Department statistical summaries, session laws, journals, and other sources. While efforts have been made to verify this information in more than one source, the library cannot guarantee the accuracy of sources; errors are possible. Please report any errors to the Library staff.

 
YearSessionHouse IntroductionsSenate IntroductionsLaws Enacted
2025 94th Legislature, 2025 1st Special Session 1927 15
2025 94th Legislature 33473546 39
2024 93rd Legislature 21462172 52
2023 93rd Legislature 33423363 74
2022 92nd Legislature 22522038 68
2021 92nd Legislature, 2021 1st Special Session 6971 14
2021 92nd Legislature 26532572 31
2020 91st Legislature, 2020 7th Special Session 4531 2
2020 91st Legislature, 2020 6th Special Session 228 0
2020 91st Legislature, 2020 5th Special Session 4540 4
2020 91st Legislature, 2020 4th Special Session 3419 0
2020 91st Legislature, 2020 3rd Special Session 2924 2
2020 91st Legislature, 2020 2nd Special Session 9968 2
2020 91st Legislature, 2020 1st Special Session 170165 10
2020 91st Legislature 17741708 53
2019 91st Legislature, 2019 1st Special Session 1714 13
2019 91st Legislature 29212925 65
2018 90th Legislature 18201673 100
2017 90th Legislature, 2017 1st Special Session 84 7
2017 90th Legislature 27222443 82
2016 89th Legislature 16531415 107
2015 89th Legislature, 2015 1st Special Session 1815 6
2015 89th Legislature 23792226 77
2014 88th Legislature 15341309 168
2013 88th Legislature, 2013 1st Special Session 2033 1
2013 88th Legislature 18621683 144
2012 87th Legislature, 2012 1st Special Session 33 2
2012 87th Legislature 12911148 150
2011 87th Legislature, 2011 1st Special Session 2721 12
2011 87th Legislature 17611477 94
2010 86th Legislature, 2010 2nd Special Session 76 1
2010 86th Legislature, 2010 1st Special Session 22 1
2010 86th Legislature 14571264 201 1
2009 86th Legislature 24072166 157
2008 85th Legislature 17041532 192
2007 85th Legislature, 2007 1st Special Session 33 2
2007 85th Legislature 25522363 138
2006 84th Legislature 16611482 113
2005 84th Legislature, 2005 1st Special Session 141107 8
2005 84th Legislature 25622340 164
2004 83rd Legislature 15541497 159
2003 83rd Legislature, 2003 1st Special Session 7047 23
2003 83rd Legislature 16581576 131
2002 82nd Legislature, 2002 1st Special Session 149 3
2002 82nd Legislature 11761075 183
2001 82nd Legislature, 2001 1st Special Session 3536 12
2001 82nd Legislature 25652407 208
2000 81st Legislature 17061550 244
1999 81st Legislature 24752285 245
1998 80th Legislature, 1998 1st Special Session 68 3
1998 80th Legislature 16291422 145 2
1997 80th Legislature, 1997 3rd Special Session 3626 3
1997 80th Legislature, 1997 2nd Special Session 59 3
1997 80th Legislature, 1997 1st Special Session 19 5
1997 80th Legislature 22552003 235 3
1996 79th Legislature 12941104 187
1995 79th Legislature, 1995 1st Special Session 58 3
1995 79th Legislature 19991788 252
1994 78th Legislature, 1994 1st Special Session 11 1
1994 78th Legislature 14431259 256
1993 78th Legislature, 1993 1st Special Session 37 6
1993 78th Legislature 18011675 350
1992 77th Legislature 13291208 233
1991 77th Legislature 17251595 344
1990 76th Legislature 1032977 255
1989 76th Legislature, 1989 1st Special Session 2511 2
1989 76th Legislature 18011665 353
1988 75th Legislature 11441031 315
1987 75th Legislature, 1987 1st Special Session 67 5
1987 75th Legislature 16881553 405
1986 74th Legislature, 1986 1st Special Session 32 3
1986 74th Legislature 890755 166
1985 74th Legislature, 1985 1st Special Session 1831 18
1985 74th Legislature 16921567 309
1984 73rd Legislature 976901 283
1983 73rd Legislature 13691321 375
1982 72nd Legislature, 1982 3rd Special Session 42 1
1982 72nd Legislature, 1982 2nd Special Session 26 2
1982 72nd Legislature, 1982 1st Special Session 25 3
1982 72nd Legislature 757761 272
1981 72nd Legislature, 1981 3rd Special Session 2428 3
1981 72nd Legislature, 1981 2nd Special Session 1010 6
1981 72nd Legislature, 1981 1st Special Session 42 5
1981 72nd Legislature 15401476 369 4
1980 71st Legislature 859839 278
1979 71st Legislature, 1979 1st Special Session 13 3
1979 71st Legislature 16431600 340
1978 70th Legislature 837843 342
1977 70th Legislature 17011567 454 5
1976 69th Legislature 842812 348
1975 69th Legislature 18611782 437
1974 68th Legislature 11451057 583
1973 68th Legislature 25852528 783
1971 67th Legislature, 1971 Extra Session 287215 48
1971 67th Legislature 31952817 966
1969 66th Legislature 30942682 1159
1967 65th Legislature, 1967 Extra Session 8881 60
1967 65th Legislature 26552360 909
1966 64th Legislature, 1966 Extra Session 117 1
1965 64th Legislature 22492083 903
1963 63rd Legislature 20101893 888
1961 62nd Legislature, 1961 2nd Extra Session 3518 3
1961 62nd Legislature, 1961 Extra Session 294255 100
1961 62nd Legislature 19481801 757
1959 61st Legislature, 1959 Extra Session 211202 90
1959 61st Legislature 18951676 703
1958 60th Legislature, 1958 Extra Session 159 3
1957 60th Legislature, 1957 Extra Session 1220 22
1957 60th Legislature 20971917 964
1955 59th Legislature, 1955 Extra Session 48 6
1955 59th Legislature 18691638 882
1953 58th Legislature 19401739 762
1951 57th Legislature, 1951 Extra Session 40 4
1951 57th Legislature 17511545 725
1949 56th Legislature 18391665 747
1947 55th Legislature 15871422 642
1945 54th Legislature 14121349 615
1944 53rd Legislature, 1944 Extra Session 84 2
1943 53rd Legislature 14621320 666
1941 52nd Legislature 16221435 555
1939 51st Legislature 16231467 447
1937 50th Legislature, 1937 Extra Session 289196 98
1937 50th Legislature 17721535 493
1936 49th Legislature, 1936 2nd Extra Session 1210 3
1936 49th Legislature, 1936 Extra Session 381306 115
1935 49th Legislature 17991690 394
1934 48th Legislature, 1934 Extra Session 290233 83
1933 48th Legislature 20261748 444
1931 47th Legislature 15441372 420
1929 46th Legislature 13531247 434
1927 45th Legislature 13841286 446
1925 44th Legislature 14871310 429
1923 43rd Legislature 13981206 451
1921 42nd Legislature 11891047 529
1919 41st Legislature, 1919 Extra Session 162142 65
1919 41st Legislature 12501059 533
1917 40th Legislature 12851029 515
1916 39th Legislature, 1916 Special Session 23 3
1915 39th Legislature 1183921 386
1913 38th Legislature 1249978 594
1912 37th Legislature, 1912 Special Session 3715 14
1911 37th Legislature 1162926 395
1909 36th Legislature 1194826 511
1907 35th Legislature 1210916 480
1905 34th Legislature 888524 351
1903 33rd Legislature 915583 412
1902 32nd Legislature, 1902 Extra Session 120111 98
1901 32nd Legislature 737553 398
1899 31st Legislature 687677 380
1897 30th Legislature 1033680 396
1895 29th Legislature 886746 410
1893 28th Legislature 909578 257
1891 27th Legislature 1265885 680
1889 26th Legislature 1329662 875
1887 25th Legislature 994680 664
1885 24th Legislature 734578 607
1883 23rd Legislature 538459 499
1881 22nd Legislature, 1881 Extra Session 334207 335
1881 22nd Legislature 688393 605
1879 21st Legislature 558500 489
1878 20th Legislature 484378 385 6
1877 19th Legislature 452382 427
1876 18th Legislature 408439 365
1875 17th Legislature 399381 378
1874 16th Legislature 405369 316
1873 15th Legislature 418265 345
1872 14th Legislature 458285 335
1871 13th Legislature 291204 276
1870 12th Legislature 321247 272
1869 11th Legislature 235271 245
1868 10th Legislature 232274 274
1867 9th Legislature 275253 280
1866 8th Legislature 250206 185
1865 7th Legislature 256140 196
1864 6th Legislature 200177 176
1863 5th Legislature 192126 137
1862 4th Legislature, 1862 Extra Session 4326 31
1862 4th Legislature 213171 170
1861 3rd Legislature 174186 143
1860 2nd Legislature 256186 177
1858 1st Legislature 439373 325 7
1857 8th Territorial Legislature, 1857 Extra Session 9395 100
1857 8th Territorial Legislature 38890 77
1856 7th Territorial Legislature 246137 165 8
1855 6th Territorial Legislature 9051 69
1854 5th Territorial Legislature 5350 53
1853 4th Territorial Legislature 4225 113
1852 3rd Territorial Legislature 5523 44
1851 2nd Territorial Legislature 2921 23
1849 1st Territorial Legislature 5731 73
Footnotes
1 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 did not actually pass.
2 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.
3 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.
4 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.
5 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.
6 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.
7 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.
8 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.
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Historical Information