Senate DFL Leader Melisa López Franzen(DFL-Edina) said today that more than 667,000 Minnesota frontline workers are eligible for one-time bonus checks of up to $750 and she encouraged workers to sign up for updates about eligibility and the application process at frontlinepay.mn.gov. The legislation authorizing the checks passed the Senate recently and was signed into law by Governor Walz.
The measure, which rewards the states’s frontline workers who got the Minnesota through more than two years of a deadly pandemic, will help workers who are still dealing with the health and economic fallout that hit them hard, said Sen. López Franzen. Minnesotans, including workers in health care or long-term care facilities, child-care workers, grocery store staff, and retail employees, are eligible. These workers had to report for work in the darkest days of the pandemic, without the option of staying home, she said, and they got Minnesotans through a very tough time.
“I regret the delays in getting these bonuses to our frontline heroes – we should have gotten them out the door last. year. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Minnesota has benefitted from their effort and sacrifices, when they put their own health and safety on the line to keep our state running,”said Sen. López Franzen. “They provided health care when we’ve needed it, kept older Minnesotans safe in long-term care facilities, kept groceries and retail stores open and kept public transportation running. And – importantly – they provided the safe childcare that has allowed families to get back to work and businesses to stay open.Without them, the health and economic crisis caused by the pandemic would have been much worse.”
The legislation invests $500 million in bonus pay for pay for 667,000 frontline workers, including health care workers, first responders, child care providers, food service and retail workers, and more. The legislation also included a measure to replenish the state’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, preventing businesses from facing a tax increase.
Workers will have 45 days to apply once the application process opens.
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