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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 19 27 15
2025 94th Legislature 3347 3546 39
2024 93rd Legislature 2146 2172 52
2023 93rd Legislature 3342 3363 74 1
2022 92nd Legislature 2252 2038 68
2021 92nd Legislature, 2021 1st Special Session 69 71 14
2021 92nd Legislature 2653 2572 31
2020 91st Legislature, 2020 7th Special Session 45 31 2
2020 91st Legislature, 2020 6th Special Session 22 8 0
2020 91st Legislature, 2020 5th Special Session 45 40 4
2020 91st Legislature, 2020 4th Special Session 34 19 0
2020 91st Legislature, 2020 3rd Special Session 29 24 2
2020 91st Legislature, 2020 2nd Special Session 99 68 2
2020 91st Legislature, 2020 1st Special Session 170 165 10
2020 91st Legislature 1774 1708 53
2019 91st Legislature, 2019 1st Special Session 17 14 13
2019 91st Legislature 2921 2925 65
2018 90th Legislature 1820 1673 100 1
2017 90th Legislature, 2017 1st Special Session 8 4 7 1
2017 90th Legislature 2722 2443 82 1
2016 89th Legislature 1653 1415 107 1
2015 89th Legislature, 2015 1st Special Session 18 15 6
2015 89th Legislature 2379 2226 77 1
2014 88th Legislature 1534 1309 168 1
2013 88th Legislature, 2013 1st Special Session 20 33 1
2013 88th Legislature 1862 1683 144
2012 87th Legislature, 2012 1st Special Session 3 3 2
2012 87th Legislature 1291 1148 150 1
2011 87th Legislature, 2011 1st Special Session 27 21 12
2011 87th Legislature 1761 1477 94 1
2010 86th Legislature, 2010 2nd Special Session 7 6 1
2010 86th Legislature, 2010 1st Special Session 2 2 1
2010 86th Legislature 1457 1264 201 2
2009 86th Legislature 2407 2166 157 1
2008 85th Legislature 1704 1532 192 1
2007 85th Legislature, 2007 1st Special Session 3 3 2
2007 85th Legislature 2552 2363 138 1
2006 84th Legislature 1661 1482 113 1
2005 84th Legislature, 2005 1st Special Session 141 107 8
2005 84th Legislature 2562 2340 164 1
2004 83rd Legislature 1554 1497 159 1
2003 83rd Legislature, 2003 1st Special Session 70 47 23
2003 83rd Legislature 1658 1576 131 1
2002 82nd Legislature, 2002 1st Special Session 14 9 3
2002 82nd Legislature 1176 1075 183 1
2001 82nd Legislature, 2001 1st Special Session 35 36 12 1
2001 82nd Legislature 2565 2407 208 1
2000 81st Legislature 1706 1550 244 1
1999 81st Legislature 2475 2285 245 1
1998 80th Legislature, 1998 1st Special Session 6 8 3
1998 80th Legislature 1629 1422 145 3
1997 80th Legislature, 1997 3rd Special Session 36 26 3
1997 80th Legislature, 1997 2nd Special Session 5 9 3
1997 80th Legislature, 1997 1st Special Session 1 9 5
1997 80th Legislature 2255 2003 235 4
1996 79th Legislature 1294 1104 187 1
1995 79th Legislature, 1995 1st Special Session 5 8 3
1995 79th Legislature 1999 1788 252 1
1994 78th Legislature, 1994 1st Special Session 1 1 1
1994 78th Legislature 1443 1259 256 1
1993 78th Legislature, 1993 1st Special Session 3 7 6
1993 78th Legislature 1801 1675 350 1
1992 77th Legislature 1329 1208 233 1
1991 77th Legislature 1725 1595 344 1
1990 76th Legislature 1032 977 255 1
1989 76th Legislature, 1989 1st Special Session 25 11 2
1989 76th Legislature 1801 1665 353 1
1988 75th Legislature 1144 1031 315
1987 75th Legislature, 1987 1st Special Session 6 7 5
1987 75th Legislature 1688 1553 405
1986 74th Legislature, 1986 1st Special Session 3 2 3
1986 74th Legislature 890 755 166
1985 74th Legislature, 1985 1st Special Session 18 31 18
1985 74th Legislature 1692 1567 309
1984 73rd Legislature 976 901 283
1983 73rd Legislature 1369 1321 375
1982 72nd Legislature, 1982 3rd Special Session 4 2 1
1982 72nd Legislature, 1982 2nd Special Session 2 6 2
1982 72nd Legislature, 1982 1st Special Session 2 5 3
1982 72nd Legislature 757 761 272
1981 72nd Legislature, 1981 3rd Special Session 24 28 3
1981 72nd Legislature, 1981 2nd Special Session 10 10 6
1981 72nd Legislature, 1981 1st Special Session 4 2 5
1981 72nd Legislature 1540 1476 369 5
1980 71st Legislature 859 839 278
1979 71st Legislature, 1979 1st Special Session 1 3 3
1979 71st Legislature 1643 1600 340
1978 70th Legislature 837 843 342
1977 70th Legislature 1701 1567 454 6
1976 69th Legislature 842 812 348
1975 69th Legislature 1861 1782 437
1974 68th Legislature 1145 1057 583
1973 68th Legislature 2585 2528 783
1971 67th Legislature, 1971 Extra Session 287 215 48
1971 67th Legislature 3195 2817 966
1969 66th Legislature 3094 2682 1159
1967 65th Legislature, 1967 Extra Session 88 81 60
1967 65th Legislature 2655 2360 909
1966 64th Legislature, 1966 Extra Session 11 7 1
1965 64th Legislature 2249 2083 903
1963 63rd Legislature 2010 1893 888
1961 62nd Legislature, 1961 2nd Extra Session 35 18 3
1961 62nd Legislature, 1961 Extra Session 294 255 100
1961 62nd Legislature 1948 1801 757
1959 61st Legislature, 1959 Extra Session 211 202 90
1959 61st Legislature 1895 1676 703
1958 60th Legislature, 1958 Extra Session 15 9 3
1957 60th Legislature, 1957 Extra Session 12 20 22
1957 60th Legislature 2097 1917 964
1955 59th Legislature, 1955 Extra Session 4 8 6
1955 59th Legislature 1869 1638 882
1953 58th Legislature 1940 1739 762
1951 57th Legislature, 1951 Extra Session 4 0 4
1951 57th Legislature 1751 1545 725
1949 56th Legislature 1839 1665 747
1947 55th Legislature 1587 1422 642
1945 54th Legislature 1412 1349 615
1944 53rd Legislature, 1944 Extra Session 8 4 2
1943 53rd Legislature 1462 1320 666
1941 52nd Legislature 1622 1435 555
1939 51st Legislature 1623 1467 447
1937 50th Legislature, 1937 Extra Session 289 196 98
1937 50th Legislature 1772 1535 493
1936 49th Legislature, 1936 2nd Extra Session 12 10 3
1936 49th Legislature, 1936 Extra Session 381 306 115
1935 49th Legislature 1799 1690 394
1934 48th Legislature, 1934 Extra Session 290 233 83
1933 48th Legislature 2026 1748 444
1931 47th Legislature 1544 1372 420
1929 46th Legislature 1353 1247 434
1927 45th Legislature 1384 1286 446
1925 44th Legislature 1487 1310 429
1923 43rd Legislature 1398 1206 451
1921 42nd Legislature 1189 1047 529
1919 41st Legislature, 1919 Extra Session 162 142 65
1919 41st Legislature 1250 1059 533
1917 40th Legislature 1285 1029 515
1916 39th Legislature, 1916 Special Session 2 3 3
1915 39th Legislature 1183 921 386
1913 38th Legislature 1249 978 594
1912 37th Legislature, 1912 Special Session 37 15 14
1911 37th Legislature 1162 926 395
1909 36th Legislature 1194 826 511
1907 35th Legislature 1210 916 480
1905 34th Legislature 888 524 351
1903 33rd Legislature 915 583 412
1902 32nd Legislature, 1902 Extra Session 120 111 98
1901 32nd Legislature 737 553 398
1899 31st Legislature 687 677 380
1897 30th Legislature 1033 680 396
1895 29th Legislature 886 746 410
1893 28th Legislature 909 578 257
1891 27th Legislature 1265 885 680
1889 26th Legislature 1329 662 875
1887 25th Legislature 994 680 664
1885 24th Legislature 734 578 607
1883 23rd Legislature 538 459 499
1881 22nd Legislature, 1881 Extra Session 334 207 335
1881 22nd Legislature 688 393 605
1879 21st Legislature 558 500 489
1878 20th Legislature 484 378 385 7
1877 19th Legislature 452 382 427
1876 18th Legislature 408 439 365
1875 17th Legislature 399 381 378
1874 16th Legislature 405 369 316
1873 15th Legislature 418 265 345
1872 14th Legislature 458 285 335
1871 13th Legislature 291 204 276
1870 12th Legislature 321 247 272
1869 11th Legislature 235 271 245
1868 10th Legislature 232 274 274
1867 9th Legislature 275 253 280
1866 8th Legislature 250 206 185
1865 7th Legislature 256 140 196
1864 6th Legislature 200 177 176
1863 5th Legislature 192 126 137
1862 4th Legislature, 1862 Extra Session 43 26 31
1862 4th Legislature 213 171 170
1861 3rd Legislature 174 186 143
1860 2nd Legislature 256 186 10 177
1858 1st Legislature 439 10 373 10 325 8
1857 8th Territorial Legislature, 1857 Extra Session 93 10 95 10 100
1857 8th Territorial Legislature 388 10 90 10 77
1856 7th Territorial Legislature 246 10 137 10 165 9
1855 6th Territorial Legislature 90 10 51 10 69
1854 5th Territorial Legislature 53 50 53
1853 4th Territorial Legislature 42 25 113
1852 3rd Territorial Legislature 55 10 23 44
1851 2nd Territorial Legislature 29 21 23
1849 1st Territorial Legislature 57 31 73
Footnotes
1 Beginning in 1989, vetoed bills were given chapter numbers. Because there were vetoes this session, the number of laws enacted is less than the number of session law chapters. See vetoes for more details.
2 Beginning in 1989, vetoed bills were given chapter numbers. Because there were vetoes in 2010, the number of laws enacted is less than the number of session law chapters. See vetoes for more details. Additionally, chapter 393 did not actually pass the Legislature this year, which also affects the total number of laws enacted.
3 Beginning in 1989, vetoed bills were given chapter numbers. Because there were vetoes in 1998, the number of laws enacted is less than the number of session law chapters. See vetoes for more details. Additionally, there was no chapter numbered 377 this year, which also affects the total number of laws enacted.
4 Beginning in 1989, vetoed bills were given chapter numbers. Because there were vetoes in 1997, the number of laws enacted is less than the number of session law chapters. See vetoes for more details. Additionally, there was no chapter numbered 14 this year, which also affects the total number of laws enacted.
5 There was no chapter numbered 154 in 1981, so the number of laws enacted is less than the highest session law chapter number.
6 There was no chapter numbered 357 in 1977, so the number of laws enacted is less than the highest session law chapter number.
7 There was no chapter numbered 29 in 1878, so the number of laws enacted is less than the highest session law chapter number.
8 There were no chapters numbered 125 or 126 in 1858, so the number of laws enacted is less than the highest session law chapter number.
9 One chapter is missing from session laws in 1856, so the number of laws enacted is less than the highest session law chapter number. The missing chapter is either chapter 161 or 162.
10 The exact number of bill introductions is difficult to determine this year. This number represents the highest bill number found in the Journals of the House and Senate.
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Historical Information