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RELEASE: Gov. Walz signs Rep. Sandstede’s bill providing post-9/11 service bonuses into law

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Today, Governor Tim Walz signed the 2022 Veterans & Military Affairs budget bill into law. The legislation contained a provision authored by Rep. Julie Sandstede (DFL – Hibbing) investing $25 million worth of service bonuses to post-9/11-era veterans and Gold Star families.

“While we can’t thank veterans enough for their service, these bonuses represent a strong token of appreciation for those who have made immeasurable sacrifices for the rest of us,” Rep. Sandstede said. “Minnesota has historically stepped forward to recognize veterans who served during combat periods with financial rewards. Now, as we look back on those who courageously served following September 11 and with a historic budget surplus, it’s time to deliver for the veterans who are deeply deserving of these bonuses.”

Veterans who served between September 11, 2001 and the conclusion of combat operations in the Global War on Terror in August of 2021 would be eligible – approximately 48,000 of them. Over half of them were 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.

Additionally, the bill includes investments to address veterans homelessness, offer enlistment bonuses for members of the Minnesota National Guard, and support the construction of new veterans homes in Bemidji, Preston, and Montevideo.