Walz Signs AI Nude Image Ban, Gift Card Fraud Bill, 8 Other MN Laws

ST. PAUL, MN — Gov. Tim Walz signed 10 bills into law Thursday, including a measure that bans access to so-called "nudification technology."

The bill comes as lawmakers and law enforcement agencies across the country grapple with the spread of AI-generated sexual images, including fake nude images created without a person’s consent.

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"Technology is moving fast, but our responsibility to protect Minnesotans, especially kids and families, moves faster," Walz said in a statement.

"This bill makes clear that using technology to create fake, non-consensual intimate images is unacceptable and puts Minnesota at the forefront of addressing the harms of AI while protecting people from exploitation and abuse."

The 10 bills signed Thursday include:

HF 3875: The Minnesota Judicial Branch policy bill clarifies how court notices are published and changes several court-related procedures, including rules tied to restitution, conciliation court, juror data, no-fault arbitration, dissolution cases, and the Supreme Court Council on Child Protection.

HF 1606: Prohibits access to nudification technology, a term used for tools that can create fake nude or sexual images of people without their consent.

HF 4052: Changes several rules for telephone companies, including provisions tied to regulation, infrastructure, railroad crossings, pricing plans, service classification, and telecommunications reporting requirements.

HF 3155: Adds gift card fraud to Minnesota’s organized retail theft law, targeting scams that use stolen or fraudulently obtained gift cards.

HF 4075: Creates a uniform process for imposing, carrying out, and reviewing firearm restrictions that result from certain criminal convictions and court orders.

HF 2358: Increases criminal penalties for certain coercion offenses when the coercion leads to great bodily harm or death.

SF 2971: Kayla’s HOPE Act requires MnDOT and the Minnesota Department of Health to create criteria and best practices for adding suicide prevention measures to bridge projects. The goal is to make it harder for someone considering suicide to jump from a bridge.

SF 3888: Allows tow trucks to use variable message signs, giving operators another way to alert drivers and communicate on the road.

HF 4224: Changes notice requirements tied to water discharges.

HF 3970: Creates a legal remedy to remove a domestic abuse or sexual assault perpetrator’s joint interest in a contract for deed.