Friends,
It’s that time of the year. Much of what we accomplished on the floor of the House during the 2014 session will soon hit home for Minnesotans when new laws take effect on July 1. Here is a quick rundown of what will change when the calendar flips from June to July.
Everything from equity in the workplace for women to additional protections for the victims of domestic abuse to new insurance requirements for limos was addressed.
The most significant of these new laws is the Women’s Economic Security Act. It is landmark legislation that addresses issues like the gender pay gap, workplace protections for pregnant and new moms and the creation of employment opportunities for women in high-wage, high-demand professions.
WESA will:
-
Allow mothers to stay in the workforce by expanding the Minnesota Parental Leave Act from 6 to 12 weeks, allow use of leave under the Parental Leave Act for pregnancy-related needs and require employers to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant and nursing employees.
-
Expand access to high-quality, affordable childcare by removing the $5,000 cap on early learning scholarships.
-
Decrease the gender pay gap by expanding support for employers, workforce organizations and others to recruit, prepare, place and retain women in high-wage, high-demand nontraditional occupations and apprenticeships – especially low income and older women.
-
Support the development of high economic impact women-owned businesses in nontraditional industries.
-
Reduce the gender pay gap through increased enforcement of equal pay laws for state contractors and by allowing employees to discuss pay inequities.
-
Decrease the gender pay gap by providing equal employment opportunities for family caregivers and reducing the “motherhood penalty.”
-
Address economic consequences of domestic violence, stalking and sexual assault by expanding unemployment insurance eligibility currently available to victims of domestic violence to include victims of stalking and sexual assault and allowing employees to use existing earned sick leave to deal with sexual assault, domestic violence or stalking.
-
Enhance retirement security by considering a state retirement savings plan for those without an employer-provided option.
Other big changes will come courtesy of the $283 million supplemental budget we passed. It makes new investments in areas ranging from higher education to corrections. These new investments kick in on July 1. Every corner of the state will be touched.
Agriculture and Environment
Ag and environmental programs received a $10.5 million boost in 2014-15 and an additional $1.6 million bump in 2016-17 biennium.
Approximately $4 million from the Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund will go to the Pollution Control Agency to help counties expand recycling efforts. There will be $2 million in one-time incentives for farmers and other food producers to provide surplus food to food shelves.
The supplemental budget will provide $1.6 million to improve state parks and $2 million to provide shooting sports facilities grants. The University of Minnesota receives nearly $5 million to create the Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center.
E-12 Education
Out of $54 million in new money allotted for E-12 education, $23 million will go to a $25-per-pupil increase in the basic education formula. The formula increase is ongoing. Another $9 million will be used to implement the new teacher evaluation system in school districts that don’t participate in the Q-Comp alternative teacher compensation program.
Thanks to additional investments, the cap on early learning scholarships will be removed and funding for those scholarships, as well early childhood family education scholarships, will be increased by $4.7 million each.
The law also will provide $3.5 million for school lunch and food storage and provides $569,000 so that all kindergartners’ can have a school breakfast.
Health and Human Services
The supplemental budget makes its greatest impact in this area. An additional $104 million is invested in the current biennium and an additional $649 million during the 2016-17 biennium.
Because of action by the legislature, home- and community-based service providers will receive a 5 percent rate increase.
The law also gives nursing homes three annual rate increases over three years so they can absorb the minimum wage increase as it is phased in.
Other health and human service provisions include:
· Providing $10 million for a salary supplement for state-operated services employees – specifically those at the Minnesota Security Hospital in St. Peter.
· Creating the Healthy Housing program at the Department of Health and providing $300,000 a year in permanent funding for local grants to address housing-specific health threats.
· Providing $2.5 million for respite service development grants.
· Providing $1 million in permanent funding to the Health Department for the Safe Harbor for Sexually Exploited Youth program.
· Providing $1 million in permanent funding to the Department of Human Services for the Homeless Youth Act.
· Providing $501,000 in one-time funding to the Health Department for grants to address health equity issues, with a focus on refugee populations.
· Establishing a working group for mentally ill offenders who are arrested or are subject to arrest.
Higher Education
The Office of Higher Education will have the authority to refinance some college loans taken out by students or their families starting on June 1, 2015.
Jobs and Economic Development
Minnesota will make a long overdue investment in its Internet infrastructure by providing $20 million in one-time money for grants to improve broadband connectivity. The budget also will create the Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Program, which will expand services in unserved or underserved parts of the state.
The budget also will allocate $475,000 on a one-time basis to each of the state’s six initiative foundations for revolving loans and other lending programs and another $2.2 million in one-time funding for the Greater Minnesota Business Development Public Infrastructure Grant Program.
Judiciary and Public Safety
The Department of Corrections will receive $16.2 million in base funding for negotiated staff pay increases and will receive $11 million in one-time money to handle unexpected growth in the prison population.
The Office of Justice Programs at the Department of Public Safety will receive $1.3 million, including $500,000 for youth intervention programs and $500,000 for emergency shelter programs for victims of domestic violence and trafficking.
The budget also will create a $3 million Disaster Assistance Contingency Account, which will help local officials pay for the non-federal share of disaster assistance.
Transportation
The budget includes $6.5 million for Greater Minnesota transit, $2 million for railroad crossing safety and $2 million for Capitol security.
This budget bill reflected the priorities and concerns that Minnesotans shared with us. You told us that we need an economic recovery that boosts all areas of the state and invests in education, health care and job creation.
The 2014 session was remarkably productive one. These changes – and many others – that take effect on July 1 will reverberate in a positive way for months and years to come for all Minnesota families.
For a complete list of the new laws that will be taking effect, click on this link: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hinfo/newlaws2014-0.asp.
Have a great week,
Sheldon