Legislative Update
COVID-19 Response Legislation
On Tuesday, we passed another bill to help Minnesotans during the COVID-19 crisis. HF 4556, which passed overwhelmingly, helps protect struggling farmers by extending dates for farmer/lender mediation, expands access to telemedicine, and ensures that Minnesotans are covered as they normally would be if they receive care at an alternate treatment site.
It also allows people to apply for a marriage license remotely, and allows public officials to participate in remote meetings or hearings, which is similar to current law for military members. The bill will also ensure Commercial Drivers Licenses and out-of-state licenses will continue to be valid while in-person appointments are restricted.
In addition, it implements several provisions of the federal CARES Act including coverage of COVID-19 testing as part of our ongoing response to the pandemic.
The bill includes one important appropriation to provide $1.25 million dollars to Second Harvest Food Bank, which will provide needed funding for our food shelves and allow them to purchase milk and other protein products from our state’s farmers.
Unemployment Insurance
The Department of Employment and Economic Development is continuing to implement the federal CARES Act, and has now fully implemented the additional 13 weeks of Unemployment Insurance (UI) passed at the federal level. If you are nearing the end of your benefits, all you need to do is log in to Minnesota's UI system and indicate that you remain unemployed.
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