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HF 13MINNESOTASession 2025-2026State Billdead

Did Not Advance

Minnesota House Bill 13 Eliminates Duty to Retreat Before Using Self-Defense Force

Original title: Duty to retreat before using reasonable force in defense of self or others eliminated.

Last action · March 16, 2026: Author added BakebergSponsors: Matt Bliss and 34 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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What This Bill Proposed

Minnesota House File 13 eliminates any legal requirement for an individual to retreat before using in self-defense or in defense of others, effective August 1, 2025. The legislation amends existing state self-defense statutes to specify that a person may use reasonable force against an offense without considering whether a possibility of safe retreat exists.

Background

Under prior Minnesota common law and jury instructions, individuals generally had a duty to retreat to avoid danger if safely possible before using deadly force in self-defense. context

Who It Would Have Affected

Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Minnesota Residents

Directly affected

Law Enforcement and Prosecutors

Investigative and legal standards for evaluating self-defense claims in criminal cases are modified by the removal of the duty to retreat.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I still have to try to run away before defending myself under this bill?

No. The bill eliminates the legal requirement or before using to resist an offense against the person.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

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Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · passed the House.

Procedural history

19 actions

Mar 16, 2026House
Author added Bakeberg
Mar 6, 2025House
Authors added Scott, Roach, Lawrence, and Schwartz
Mar 6, 2025House
Motion prevailed
Mar 6, 2025House
Motion to lay on the table
Mar 6, 2025House
Motion prevailed pg. 586 vote: 67-65
Mar 6, 2025House
Motion for reconsideration

Show 13 earlier actions

Mar 6, 2025HouseFloor
Bill was not passed pg. 585 vote: 66-66
Mar 6, 2025HouseFloor
Third reading
Mar 5, 2025House
Author added Van Binsbergen
Mar 5, 2025House
House rule 1.21, placed on Calendar for the Day Thursday, March 6, 2025
Mar 3, 2025HouseFloor
Second reading
Mar 3, 2025House
Committee report, to adopt
Feb 27, 2025House
Author added Niska
Feb 24, 2025House
Author added Gillman
Feb 20, 2025House
Author added Altendorf
Feb 17, 2025House
Author added Gander
Feb 13, 2025House
Authors added McDonald, Rymer, Baker, Murphy and Koznick
Feb 10, 2025House
Authors added Schultz; Duran; Engen; Perryman; Zeleznikar; Knudsen; Bennett; Dotseth; Anderson, P. H.; Hudson; Jacob; Robbins; Skraba; Burkel; Harder; Backer; Gordon; Novotny and Warwas
Feb 6, 2025HouseIntroduced
Introduction and first reading, referred to Public Safety Finance and Policy

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift99% confidence

Removal of Duty to Retreat

The bill shifts Minnesota from a legal framework requiring retreat to one allowing the immediate use of reasonable force without an obligation to retreat.

Minnesota Legislature Bliss

Connected Entities

Walter Hudson, Minnesota, Krista Knudsen and 10 more

PersonWalter Hudson“Co-sponsor of House File 13.”Map →

locationMinnesota“State jurisdiction where the bill applies.”Map →

PersonKrista Knudsen“Co-sponsor of House File 13.”Map →

PersonJeff Dotseth“Co-sponsor of House File 13.”Map →

PersonBernie Perryman“Co-sponsor of House File 13.”Map →

PersonIsaac Schultz“Co-sponsor of House File 13.”Map →

PersonBen Bakeberg“Added as an author on March 16, 2026.”Map →

PersonPeggy Bennett“Co-sponsor of House File 13.”Map →

PersonMatt Bliss“Chief sponsor of House File 13 in the Minnesota House of Representatives.”Map →

PersonNatalie Zeleznikar“Co-sponsor of House File 13.”Map →

PersonElliott Engen“Co-sponsor of House File 13.”Map →

PersonAnderson, P. H.“Co-sponsor of House File 13.”Map →

PersonBidal Duran“Co-sponsor of House File 13.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.revisor.mn.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance20
Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 85)
Controversy80
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz65
Current news / social attention level

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