SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Today, Rep. Julie Sandstede (DFL – Hibbing) presented a bill to the House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee to provide bonuses to veterans who served in the armed forces following 9/11 and through the Global War on Terror, as well as Gold Star families.
“We can never fully thank our veterans for their service to our country, but bonus amounts like those under this bill can sure help demonstrate our appreciation for their service and sacrifice,” Rep. Sandstede said. “Minnesota has offered service bonuses for those who served during previous combat missions, and now – especially with a historic budget surplus – it’s time to offer them to veterans who served in the post-9/11 era.”
Historically, Minnesota has recognized Veterans’ service in major wars—including World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam War, and the Persian Gulf War. In each of these five major wars, recognition has primarily been in the form of a monetary bonus to qualifying individuals.
Rep. Sandstede’s bill invests $40 million in service bonuses for the veterans who served between September 11, 2001 and the conclusion of combat operations in the Global War on Terror in August of 2021. There would be more than 48,000 eligible veterans, over half of whom deployed to participate in combat operations.
Bonus amounts under the bill will be $600 for those who did not serve in the Afghanistan or Iraq campaigns, $1,200 for those who served in Afghanistan or Iraq, and $2,000 for Gold Star families of veterans serving in Afghanistan or Iraq who died as a direct result of their service.
The application period for the bonus program would run from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2024. Beyond just offering the payments, the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs has used the service bonus program to develop a more comprehensive list of Minnesotans who have served, broadening outreach efforts to share information about benefits veterans have earned.
The committee laid the bill over for possible inclusion in a future package of veterans-related legislation. Documents from the hearing are available on the committee webpage. Video of the hearing will be available on House Public Information Services’ YouTube channel.