Bill > HF3393

This bill establishes an "Iron Ore Mining Additional Unemployment Benefits Program" to provide extra financial support to certain workers who lost their jobs. Specifically, it makes additional unemployment benefits available from the Minnesota unemployment insurance trust fund to individuals laid off due to lack of work between January 15, 2026, and March 15, 2026, if they worked for an iron ore mining company that experienced a significant workforce reduction (50% or more) during that period, or for a company supplying the iron ore mining industry if that industry's operations were substantially reduced. To be eligible, applicants must have already established a benefit account with a significant portion of their wages from such an employer, exhausted their regular unemployment benefits, and meet the same requirements as those seeking regular unemployment benefits. The weekly amount of these additional benefits will match their regular benefit amount, and they can receive these benefits for up to 26 weeks, or until March 19, 2027, whichever comes first. The bill also outlines how these additional benefits interact with new regular unemployment benefit accounts, prioritizing the exhaustion of benefits from the higher-paying account. Importantly, individuals eligible for federal Trade Readjustment Allowance benefits are not eligible for these additional state benefits, and the program is effective retroactively from January 15, 2026.

Budget and Finance, Labor and Employment

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/94/2026/0/HF/3393/