Neighbors and Friends, The legislative session is well underway, just completing our second week. I am serving on the same committees as last session, including chairing the Housing Finance & Policy Committee and I also serve on the Transportation Finance & Policy Committee. You can learn more about the 2022 legislative session and provide your input by participating in the virtual District 66 Town Hall tomorrow. Sen. Marty, Rep. Hollins, and I look forward to your questions. Register for a zoom link here or tune in to Facebook Live here.  Homework Starts with Home Today, the Housing Finance & Policy Committee, the Early Childhood Finance & Policy Committee, and the Preventing Homelessness Division heard HF 3210, legislation would expand eligibility for the Homework Starts with Home program to children under the age of five and their families. The legislation emphasizes how critical safe and stable housing is for children of all ages. You can watch the hearing on the House of Representatives YouTube channel. Help for Workers Passes House The Minnesota House passed and the governor has signed HF 1203, which extends the law providing a presumption that if public safety or health care workers contracts COVID-19, they did so during the course of their employment and are covered by workers’ compensation. The previous law allowing for this presumption sunsetted on December 31, 2021. The new bill extends the presumption to January 13, 2023. Workers impacted by this legislation include firefighters; peace and police officers; paramedics; EMTs; health care providers, nurses or assistive employees in a health care, home care or long-term care setting who work with COVID-19 patients; correctional officers or security counselors at correctional facilities; and childcare providers who are required to provide childcare for the children of first responders and health care workers under the Governor’s Executive Orders. House DFL Frontline Worker Bonus Pay and the UITF Proposals Advance This week, two key pieces of legislation advanced, making up part of the House DFL’s overall proposal on Economic Security. HF 2900, which appropriates $1 billion for bonus payments to thousands of frontline workers. HF 1035, which would appropriate $1.2 billion to settle the state’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund (UITF) debt. The frontline worker bonus pay legislation builds upon the efforts of last year’s working group and invests $1 billion to recognize Minnesotans who have worked on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Depending on the number of accepted applications, eligible workers would receive payments of up to $1,500. The Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund (UITF) legislation would pay back the UITF’s $1.2 billion debt, owed to the federal government, while also providing for no additional assessments in 2022, making hourly school workers eligible for UI in the summer months, and increasing the period from 20 days to 60 days for UI applicants and employers to appeal when the Department of Employment and Economic Development decides on UI eligibility. The UITF legislation would be largely funded with the remaining American Rescue Plan funds, about $1.15 billion, with the remainder coming from the General Fund. With the enormous amount of UI benefits paid to laid-off workers due to the pandemic, the balance in the state’s UITF went from $1.6 billion in February 2020 to -$1.2 billion as of Feb. 1, 2022. Video of the hearing is available on the House Public Information Youtube Page. COVID-19 Update Getting the COVID-19 vaccination and booster can keep you and your family safe. If you’re not feeling well, get tested. You can still order up to 4 free COVID tests from the government. Go to https://www.covidtests.gov/ to get your test kits and many more resources.  __________ Staying Connected You can watch legislative sessions and committee hearings by going to this link on the Minnesota House of Representatives website. The Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services also offers nonpartisan recaps of high-profile bills, committee hearings, and floor sessions with their Session Daily publication. Subscribe to receive these here. To track bills of interest through the legislative process, you can utilize the MyBills feature on the Minnesota House of Representatives website. I welcome your questions and comments anytime. You can call me at (651) 296-3824 or email me at rep.alice.hausman@house.mn. Thank you for the privilege of representing you in the legislature. Sincerely, Alice |