St. Paul, MN - Today, the Minnesota House passed the frontline worker bonus pay legislation HF 2900, which appropriates $1 billion for bonus payments to at least 667,000 frontline workers, with a vote of 71-61. Rep. Sandra Masin (DFL - Eagan) voted in favor of the bill.
“I am incredibly grateful for every one of these frontline workers and I’m happy that we could finally pass a strong bill which puts them first,” said Rep. Masin. “They eased the burden of the crisis for the rest of us by performing their duties. We must continue to step up and provide support for those who form the backbone of our great state.”
The frontline worker bonus pay legislation builds upon the efforts of last year’s working group on this issue, and invests $1 billion in order to meaningfully recognize the Minnesotans who have worked on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible workers would receive payments of up to $1,500. Workers in the following sectors could be included as frontline workers:
- long-term care and home care;
- health care;
- emergency responders;
- public health, social service, and regulatory service;
- courts and corrections;
- child care;
- schools, including charter schools, state schools, and higher education;
- food service, including production, processing, preparation, sale, and delivery;
- retail, including sales, fulfillment, distribution, and delivery;
- temporary shelters and hotels;
- building services, including maintenance, janitorial, and security;
- public transit;
- ground and air transportation services;
- manufacturing; and
- vocational rehabilitation.
In order to receive a bonus check, workers must meet the following individual eligibility requirements:
- was employed in one of the frontline sectors in MN for at least 120 hours from 3/15/20 to 6/30/21
- was not able to work remotely due to the nature of their work, and worked in close proximity to other individuals (not in the same household);
- meet income restrictions. For workers providing direct care to COVID patients, max income is $350,000 (joint filers) and $175,000 (single). For all other workers, the limits are $185,000 (joint) and $85,000 (single); and
- did not collect more than 20 weeks of unemployment benefits from 3/15/20 to 6/30/21.
Video of today’s floor session is available on the House Public Information Youtube Page. Senate Republicans have yet to introduce a single piece of legislation that delivers bonus checks to frontline workers after the Legislature promised to do so as part of budget negotiations during the June 2021 special session. Republican members of the Frontline Worker Pay Working group recommended a proposal that would leave more than half a million frontline workers with $0 in bonus checks.
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