Committee approves exemption for very small family farms from earned sick-and-safe mandate and sends bill to the floor

The Senate Agriculture and Rural Development Committee on Friday voted to send Senate File 310 to the full Senate without recommendation after testimony supporting an exemption for very small family farms from Minnesota’s earned sick-and-safe time law.

Sen. Sarah Doernick, the bill’s author, described SF 310 as an exemption for "a farmer, family farm, or family farm corporation employing five or fewer employees" from the statute enacted in 2023. Doernick said the committee previously considered related seasonal exemptions and that this bill would help small family operations that operate with tightly integrated family labor and face unique operating constraints.

Support came from a range of farm and small‑business groups. Darren Bridal, executive director of Minnesota Agri Growth, told senators that family farms are different from other employers and that "the collaborative and intergenerational nature of family farms sets them apart" from standard employer models. He argued that short‑term absences for illness can be particularly disruptive to operations that require daily tasks such as milking and livestock care.

Groups including the Minnesota Farm Bureau, Minnesota Farmers Union and the National Federation of Independent Business also testified in favor. Hunter Peterson of the Farm Bureau said the exemption is more useful for livestock and dairy operations that cannot readily pause daily animal care. John Beshey of NFIB said the organization opposes the underlying earned-sick mandate generally but supports this narrow exemption as a first step.

The Department of Labor and Industry testified with concerns about public-health and worker protections. Legislative director Josiah Moore described the statute’s floor — "1 hour of earned sick and safe time for every 30 hours worked up to 48 hours of earned sick and safe time in a year" — and urged caution about broad exemptions because agricultural work can involve occupational hazards and communicable‑disease exposure.

Other testimony described the current farm economy, with witnesses citing roughly 65,000 farms in Minnesota and economic pressures on net farm income. Darren Bridal said net farm income in Minnesota had fallen nearly 24% over the previous two years and framed SF 310 as a modest change to reduce regulatory pressure on small family operations.

Committee action and disposition: Senator Doernick moved to pass SF 310 to the Senate floor without recommendation; the committee voted in favor of that procedural motion. No floor recommendation was given; the bill will proceed to the full Senate under normal referral rules.

Why it matters: Backers said the measure acknowledges operational differences on small family farms (daily animal care, blended family‑work dynamics and thin margins) and reduces regulatory burdens that they say can exacerbate financial stress. Opponents and the labor department urged caution, noting that earned sick‑and‑safe leave also protects public health and farm workers from communicable disease exposure.

What’s next: The committee approved the motion to advance SF 310 without recommendation; the bill will move to the Senate floor for further consideration and possible amendment.