SEIU members believe that every Minnesotan – no matter our race, job, gender, zip code or wealth – should have what we need to thrive. But we know that a small handful of CEOs & big corporations want to divide us stop us from coming together to win real change for our families, trying to hoard even more wealth for themselves. That is why SEIU members made tens of thousands of voter contacts in the 2022 election to elect pro-worker majorities in the Minnesota House and Senate & to re-elect Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan. We know our work doesn’t end with elections, and that’s why SEIU members joined countless Minnesotans in advocating at the capitol to ensure the people we elected deliver on their promises.
The result of the 2023 legislative session has been widely seen across the country as an example of what is possible when workers and every day people are centered in our politics. Longtime SEIU priorities passed alongside life-changing improvements for workers, families and communities in our work to make MN the #BestState for working families. Below you can find a list of some of the amazing things we won together. Each section will say a bit about the issue, and when applicable will have links on how to find our if you’re eligible or how to apply if needed.
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If you have any questions, want to get involved in making sure these new laws get utilized or want to make sure we re-elect the champions who made these bills a reality, reach out to Laura at lcarpenter@seiumn.org.
We're hosting a virtual series to break down the things we won at the Capitol that you can take advantage of! Sign up here to say you're interested and we'll send you the details.
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- Grant money must go to workers earning $30/hour or less, up to $1000 per worker per year
- Ergonomics Requirements for Nursing Homes
- Employers must develop plan to reduce risk of musculoskeletal disorders
- Plan must be developed in conjunction with worksite OSHA Safety Committee and evaluated annually
- Workers must be trained at hire and annually on the plan and on identifying and reporting injuries
- Employers who conduct an on-site safety survey may be eligible for matching grants
- Board must investigate market conditions, wages, benefits, and working conditions
- Board must hold public hearing(s) and take written testimony
- Minimum Wage Increase to $19/hour on 1/1/2024
- $50mil for $1000 Worker Retention Bonuses
- Minimum 6 months service
- Workers must request bonus by 5/31/2025
- 3 new paid holidays - Independence Day, Veterans Day, and Juneteenth
- PCA Pay for Travel with Client
- Effective 90 days following federal approval
- Driving the client
- Accompanying the client in the client's chosen mode of transportation
- Staffing ratios as mandatory subject of bargaining
- Effective 8/1/2023
- May also include deduction to union political funds
- Using public employer email addresses, ''consistent with the employer's generally applicable technology use policies.''
- In public facilities, as long as
- ''the use does not interfere with governmental operations''
- the union ''complies with worksite security protocols established by the public employer'' and
- for a group meeting, the union pays any costs ''that would not otherwise be incurred by the government entity.''
- Allowed topics include, ''collective bargaining, the administration of collective bargaining agreements, grievances and other workplace-related complaints and issues, and internal matters involving the governance or business of the exclusive representative''
- Unemployment Insurance for Hourly School Employees
- Effective 5/28/2023
- Applies to all school employees, other than licensed teachers and administrators, who are unemployed over the summer
- $135mil is appropriated to reimburse schools through the 2026-2027 school year
- If a worker is unsure whether they qualify, they should apply at https://uimn.org/applicants/
- Even if a worker who has applied has not yet received confirmation of their eligibility, they should still submit a request for a benefit payment every week they are unemployed
- Workers who are offered summer work but turn it down may not be eligible
- For more information, please go to the MN Unemployment Insurance website
- Pay for E-Learning Days
- Effective 5/25/2023
- Schools must pay workers for scheduled work hours when an e-learning day is declared
- Paid Paraprofessional Training
- Effective 7/1/2023
- Schools must provide 8 hours of paid training per year to all paraprofessionals, Title I aides, and other instructional support staff.
- 6 hours of the training must happen before the start of the school year, or within 30 days of hire
- Training may include, but is not limited to:
- Collaboration time with classroom teachers
- Planning for the school year
- Emergency procedures
- Confidentiality
- Vulnerability
- Reporting obligations
- Discipline policies
- Roles and responsibilities
- Building orientation
- Temporary school employees in bargaining units
- Eliminates bargaining unit requirement of 67 working days per calendar year for school employees
- Effective 8/1/2023
- Employers prohibited from asking applicants about their compensation history (incl. benefits)
- Effective 1/1/2024 or at the implementation of next collective bargaining agreement covering the position, whichever is later
- Non-compete Clauses Banned
- Effective 7/1/2023
- Does not invalidate earlier non-compete clauses
- Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST)
- Effective 1/1/2024
- Applies to everyone who can reasonably be expected to work for at least 80 hours in MN for a single employer (other than themself), regardless of worker residency or location of the employer
- 1 hour accrues for every 30 hours worked, up to 48 hours per year (when the year starts is determined by the employer, but must be communicated to workers)
- 80 hours maximum accrual of unused hours (ie: sick and safe time bank)
- At the start of each year, employers may alternately opt to
- Refresh workers' banks to 80 hours with no further accrual, or
- Pay out any unused hours and give workers 48 hours with no further accrual
- All accrued hours can be used as soon as they accrue
- No waiting period or minimum accrual
- Employer must allow workers to use ESST in the same increments on which they track time worked (ie: 15 minute increments if paid by the quarter-hour), but no more than 4 hours at a time, even if paid by the day
- ESST can only be used for time a worker is scheduled to work in Minnesota for the employer where the time is accrued
- ESST can be used for
- Care of oneself or a family member due to physical or mental health needs, domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking, or
- Business closure or closure of a family member's school or place of care due to weather or public emergency,
- The need to quarantine without the ability to telework.
- Very broad family definition, including anyone related by blood or whose close association is the equivalent of a family relationship, and any one person annually designated by the worker
- Employers can only require advance notice for foreseeable uses, like preventive care appointments, but of not more than 7 days
- Employers can only require documentation starting on the 4th consecutive day of leave, but may not require details of medical conditions or assault, and must keep any documentation confidential
- Acceptable forms of documentation include
- A note from a health care provider, victim services organization, attorney, police officer, or anti-violence counselor, or
- A written statement from the worker if they did not interact with any of the above.
- Employers may not
- Require a worker to find their replacement, or
- Retaliate against a worker, including reporting to ICE or counting ESST toward attendance point systems, for trying to use ESST for an allowed purpose, for asking about their accrual, or participating in an investigation
- Employers may convert existing paid time off to ESST without providing additional hours, as long as the hours meet all of the requirements of ESST accrual, conditions, and uses
- Banked hours are not paid out on termination, but must be maintained by the employer for 180 days and made available if a worker is rehired in that period
- Workers do not lose banked hours if their employer changes ownership but retains the workers or rehires them within 30 days
- DLI will be issuing worker outreach grants of $300,000 after 7/1/2023 and again after 7/1/2024
- Grantees selected based on experience, capacity, and relationships in high-violation industries
- Grant may include the creation and administration of a statewide worker hotline
- Captive audience meetings banned
- Effective 8/1/2023
- Employers may not retaliate against any employee that refuses to attend employer-sponsored meetings or receive employer communication with religious or political content, including whether or not to join a religious, political, labor, or civic organization or political party, and supporting or opposing a party, candidate, or public policy proposal
- This does not apply to communication required to direct workers in the performance of their job
- Employers may still hold voluntary meetings with religious or political content
- Employers must post notice of this new law by 8/31/2023
- Private Sector Payroll Deduction
- Effective 7/1/2023
- Private sector employers only
- At request of 5 workers to contribute to a single non-labor organization, the employer must facilitate payroll deduction to that organization by any worker who requests
- Allowed organizations must agree to accept contributions via payroll deduction, and include
- Community chests (ie: United Way)
- Local arts and/or science councils
- Minnesota benefit associations,
- Federally or state political action committees
- Volunteer firefighter relief associations
- 501(c)3 charities, foundations, and educational organizations
- 501(c)4 social welfare and advocacy organizations
- 501(c)6 business and professional associations
- Other non-labor 501(c) organizations, including social clubs and veterans organizations
- Payroll deductions to labor organizations requires mutual agreement of employer and workers/their union
- Secure Choice Retirement Program
- Effective no earlier than 1/1/2025 with 2 year phase-in period to full enrollment
- Covered employers:
- Employ at least 5 workers, age 18+, who are not part of a Taft-Hartley Pension Plan
- Have been in business for at least 1 year
- Are not sponsoring or contributing to a retirement savings plan for all of its workers (with limited exceptions)
- Include only private-sector employers
- Roth and Traditional IRAs only
- Automatic employee enrollment and ramp up with option to reduce or opt out of contributions
- No employer contribution
- Employees can direct investments within provided options, or accept the default option
- Automatic Rebate Checks
- No application required
- Anyone who met the income requirements in 2021, and filed any of the following 12/31/2022 will automatically receive the rebate
- Minnesota Income Taxes
- Homestead Credit
- Renter Property Tax Refund
- The size of the rebate will be
- $520 for married couples filing jointly with adjusted gross income of $150,000 or less
- $260 for all other individuals with adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less
- Another $260 for each dependent claimed on the return, up to 3
- If your bank or address have changed since you filed for 2021 (in 2022), watch the link above for details on how to update your information
- Strengthening Protections for Pregnant and Lactating Workers and New Parents
- Effective 7/1/2023
- Employers must allow breaks for workers to express milk
- Employers must ''make reasonable efforts'' provide a location other than a bathroom
- NEW - Employers cannot claim breaks disrupt business operations in order to deny them
- NEW - Breaks are available regardless of the child's age (previously 12 months)
- NEW - Breaks can now be in addition to existing breaks if necessary
- NEW - Effort must be made to have the location be ''clean, private, and secure''
- Employers must make reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers at a worker's request, including more frequent breaks, seating, lifting restrictions, or temporary transfer to a less strenuous or hazardous position
- NEW - Employers must now accommodate longer breaks, temporary leave, and modified work schedules for pregnant workers
- Employers cannot require a health provider note to provide pregnancy accommodations
- Employers must provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for:
- A parent to bond with a new child
- A pregnant worker for health care or conditions related to the pregnancy
- NEW - All employees covered regardless of employer size, length of employment, or part-time status
- Worker determines the start date of leave, but an employer may require advance notice for foreseeable leave and may request an estimate of the duration
- Unpaid bonding leave must begin within 12 months of the birth or adoption
- New Child Tax Credit
- Effective for tax year 2023 (filed in 2024)
- Up to $1750 per Child Tax Credit for Low-Wage Filers, pegged to inflation
- Eligibility for the full credit up to $35,000 for married filing jointly and $29,500 for others
- Credit is reduced by 12% of adjusted gross income above the applicable threshold
- No limit on the number of qualifying children
- School Lunches for All Children
- On Friday, March 17, 2023, Governor Walz signed the Free School Meals bill into law
- The Free School Meals Program is a permanent program that began July 1, 2023
- Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) Subsidy Increases
- Effective 10/30/2023
- Increasing to the 75th percentile of the 2021 child care provider rate survey (previously 40th for infants/toddlers and 30th for others)
- Automatic increases every 3 years starting 1/1/2025
- North Star Promise Free College Tuition
- Last-dollar scholarships to cover remaining tuition and fees after other grants and scholarships
- Effective 2024-2025 Academic Year
- Available at any MN Public Postsecondary Institution & Tribal Colleges
- Eligibility
- Resident Student (ie: in-state)
- Family adjusted gross income of less than $80k
- No previous Bachelor's/Baccalaureate Degree
- Restore the Vote and Pre-registration of 16 & 17 year olds effective 6/1/2023
- To register to vote, go to the MN Secretary of State Voter Registration Portal
- Paid Absence from Work Extended to Both Absentee and Early Voting (starting 46 days before election)
- Multilingual Voter Instructions and Interpretation
- 3 most commonly spoken non-English languages in the state
- Voting instructions and sample ballots in electronic and audio/visual format on the Secretary of State website
- Printed voting instructions and sample ballots in precincts with at least 1 census tract where 3% or more of the total population speak English "less than very well" according to census data, or ''if interested citizens or organizations provide information that gives the secretary of state or county auditor sufficient reason to believe a need exists.''
- Interpreters, appointed by local election administrator, in precincts
- With at least 1 census tract where 20% or more of the total population speak English "less than very well" according to census data, or ''if interested citizens or organizations provide information that gives the secretary of state or county auditor sufficient reason to believe a need exists.''
- When requested by at least 10 registered voters at least 30 days before the election
- Driver's Licenses for All
- Effective 10/1/2023
- Equitable Tax Benefits for Filers using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
- Homeowners who use an ITIN can file for homestead classification, retroactive to 1/1/2023
- Renters who use an ITIN can receive the Renter's Credit effective for rent paid in 2023 and after
- ITIN Filers can receive the new Child Tax Credit
- ITIN Filers can receive the Working Families Credit
- Legal Assistance Grants for New Americans
- Effective 7/1/2023
- $14mil grants to governmental units and private organizations, administered by DHS
- Legal aid to help New Americans obtain citizenship or legal documentation to work, including
- Legal advice and/or representation
- Social services and navigation
- Education and course fees
- Long-Term Care Workforce Grants for New Americans
- Effective 7/1/2023
- $28.3mil grants to governmental units and private organizations, with a priority on joint labor-management programs, administered by DHS
- Provide support for New Americans to work in long-term care, including
- Recruitment, training, guidance, and mentorship
- Career education and job skills training, including the costs of providing the training and repaying any incurred student loan debt
- Support services, including transportation, child care, financial coaching, and mental health supports
- Uniform costs
- Non-citizens eligible to participate in party caucuses
- Undocumented Immigrant Access to MN Care
- Effective 1/1/2025
- Adults and Children
- ''Bring It Home'' Rent Assistance Program
- 5000 Vouchers available
- Families 50% or less of Median Income who spend >30% of their household income on rent
- Priority to Families with Children at 30% or less Median Income
- HUD Income Limits (''extr low income'' = 30%, ''very low income'' = 50%)
- Pays landlords the difference between 30% of renters' household income and cost of rent, up to 120% of the Section 8 Payment Standard for the area, plus utilities (Metro Area Payment Standards)
- Not considered income for purposes of other public assistance programs
- Simplified Renter's Credit
- Effective for tax year 2024 (income taxes filed in 2025)
- Added to income tax filing, instead of the current standalone August property tax filing
- Uses Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) like other tax calculations
- Phases out at $75,389 household income
- Household income and credit amounts are pegged to inflation
- Renter Protections
- Effective 1/1/2024
- 14-day notice required before filing eviction for non-payment of rent
- Automatic expungement of evictions after three years
- 24-hour notice requirement for landlord to enter property
- Landlords must disclose all fees as part of total monthly rent
- Tenants moving into a medical facility may terminate their lease early with two month's notice
- First-Generation Homebuyers
- Self and parents have either never owned a home or owned a home but lost it to foreclosure
- MN Housing Finance Agency (MHFA) Program
- Forgivable or Deferred Loans up to the larger of 10% of the purchase price or $35k
- 115% or less household median income (Metro Area Chart)
- Buyer must pay at least $1000 toward down payment or closing costs
- Can be used for closing costs, down payment, mortgage insurance, interest rate buy-down, and principal reduction
- Community-Based Program through Midwest MN Community Development Corp (MMCDC)
- Forgivable Loans (20% per year) up to $32k for Down Payment
- 100% or less household median income (Metro Area Chart)
- Buyer must be pre-approved for mortgage and complete a homebuyer class
- First-Time Homebuyer Fee-Based (interest free) Financing
- Managed by NeighborWorks Home Partners
- First-time homebuyers at 130% or less household median income (Metro Area Chart)
- Buyer must pay at least $1000 toward down payment or closing costs
- Buyer must complete homebuyer class