At the Legislature

Legislative Task Force on Aging - 08/24/23
https://www.youtube.com/live/cK74v5cuBqo?si=lsmaBxz4-cC7CXiL

Passed in last legislative session (Updated August 2023)

Paid Family and Medical Leave: MN AFL-CIO advocated for paid family leave to help alleviate family caregivers' stress. Many caregivers aid the elderly. Under the new law, workers can take up to 12 weeks for family leave and up to 12 weeks for one's own medical condition, up to a maximum of 20 weeks annually. Workers can use PFML to care for a relative, a significant other, neighbor, or friend.

Secure Choice: Today 750,000 Minnesota workers lack access to any retirement savings plan on the job. That's why the MN AFL-CIO advocated for a new Secure Choice program. Secure Choice is a public-private partnership Individual Retirement Plan (IRA) with private investments and Minnesota State Board of Investment oversight. Employers with five or more employees who do not offer a retirement plan will be required to enroll their workers in the state's IRA plan in January 2025. The plan is voluntary for workers.

New Investments in Home and Community-Based Services: Lawmakers made significant investments in programs serving older Minnesotans to address the long-term healthcare workforce crisis, including new funding for nursing homes. Lawmakers also increased funding for Senior Nutrition, Age-Friendly community grants, and the Live Well at Home Program. 

Caregiver Work Force Shortage: The Human Services Omnibus bill includes funding to increase payments for direct care workers, in-home services, nursing homes and other programs to address workforce shortages. Senate authors publicly pushed for greater funding increases and this advocacy resulted in an additional $300 million to save nursing homes and support nursing home workers.

Reducing Prescription Drug Costs: Senior advocates led efforts to create the Prescription Drug Affordability Board to help Minnesotans, many of them seniors, forced to choose between prescription drugs and basic needs. The board sets upper payment limits for drugs sold in Minnesota.

Property Tax Relief: The new tax law expands the renter's credit; allows renters to file for the credit at the same time as filing their income taxes; increases the homestead exclusion and homestead credit (including ongoing and one-time relief); expands the senior citizen property tax deferral program and targets relief for homeowners who may have experienced a spike in property taxes.

Increases for Senior Nutrition: Senior nutrition funding of $4.5 million for one year to be available only until June 30, 2025, was provided but the Senate had sought $16 million.

Legislative Task Force on Aging: A Legislative Task Force on Aging was created to report to the 2024 Legislature. Senior groups will advocate for a MN Department of Aging to be one of the Task Force recommendations.

Additional items benefiting seniors include general social security tax relief, public employee relief from social security penalties, and new voter laws including automatic voter registration and the creation of a permanent absentee ballot list.