Dear Neighbors,
As we enter the second half of March, the House is hard at work to ensure bills are heard in their respective committees. I want to take this time to update you on my recent legislation at the Capitol.
Women’s History Month
March is Women’s History Month, and this session there are multiple bills proposed to improve the lives of women across the state. They include:
Reforming Structured Settlement Payouts
This week, my bill to reform structured settlement payouts was heard in the Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee. This bill would address the business of purchasing structured settlement payments of accident victims, regulating how such transactions are approved.
Existing laws are vague, and allow the opportunity for predatory bad actors to take advantage of accident victims. Victims of accidents deserve to be treated fairly, and through passing this law, we will protect consumers by ensuring there is more discretion to review and halt the sale of structured settlements.
This legislation would widen the variety of factors judges can use in determining whether a deal is in a seller's best interest. Judges would also be allowed to assess if the seller understands the transaction, and determine whether the sale is fair. Last fall, the Star Tribune examined this predatory practice, with vulnerable Minnesotans often falling prey to the scams.
The materials on this bill and more can be found on the committee's website.
Creating a New Child Care Worker Premium Assistance Program
We also saw action this week on my bill to help child care workers afford their health insurance. The legislation creates a new child care worker premium assistance program for child care workers.
I’m proud to sponsor legislation, and it now goes to the Health Finance and Policy Committee.
Hometown Heroes Assistance
Last year, I was proud to support the Hometown Heroes bill, providing our firefighters access to education, prevention, and care to address cardiac conditions, emotional trauma, or cancer diagnoses.
Previously, Minnesota ranked 45th out of 50 states when it comes to investing in the fire service, with firefighters facing alarmingly high incidences of cancer, cardiac issues, and emotional trauma,
Last week, the House passed an update to the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program, providing firefighters with free access to emotional trauma resources, up to $20,000 from critical illness insurance policies, and ongoing health and wellness training. We all have a responsibility to be there for our heroes.
Keep in Touch
You can contact me at rep.erin.koegel@house.mn or (651) 296-5369. You can now follow me on Facebook as well! I appreciate the opportunity to serve our district in the legislature and look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Erin Koegel
State Representative