1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to unemployment insurance; authorizing additional unemployment 
1.3 	insurance benefits for certain mining employees.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. MINING AND RELATED INDUSTRY ADDITIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT 
1.6 	BENEFITS PROGRAM.
 1.7 		Subdivision 1.Availability of additional benefits. Notwithstanding any other law to 
1.8 	the contrary, additional unemployment benefits are available from the Minnesota 
1.9 	unemployment insurance trust fund to an applicant who was laid off from:
1.10 	(1) an iron ore mining industry employer; or
1.11 	(2) an employer providing goods or services to an iron mining industry employer if the 
1.12 	applicant was laid off due to the cessation or substantial reduction in operations of an iron 
1.13 	ore mining industry employer.
1.14 		Subd. 2.Eligibility requirements. An applicant is eligible to receive unemployment 
1.15 	benefits under this section for any week through the week ending May 1, 2021, if:
1.16 	(1) the applicant established a benefit account under Minnesota Statutes, section 268.07, 
1.17 	with 50 percent or greater of the wage credits from an iron ore mining industry employer 
1.18 	or an employer providing goods or services to iron ore mining industry employers, and has 
1.19 	exhausted the maximum available amount of state or federal unemployment benefits available 
1.20 	on that benefit account; and
1.21 	(2) the applicant meets the same requirements that an applicant for regular unemployment 
1.22 	benefits must meet under Minnesota Statutes, section 268.069, subdivision 1.
2.1 		Subd. 3.Weekly and maximum amount of additional unemployment benefits. (a) 
2.2 	The weekly benefit amount of additional unemployment benefits is the same as the weekly 
2.3 	benefit amount of regular unemployment benefits on the benefit account established in 
2.4 	subdivision 2, clause (1).
2.5 	(b) The maximum amount of additional unemployment benefits available to an applicant 
2.6 	under this section is an amount equal to 26 weeks of payment at the applicant's weekly 
2.7 	additional unemployment benefit amount.
2.8 	(c) If an applicant qualifies for a new regular benefit account that meets the requirements 
2.9 	of subdivision 4, paragraph (b), before the applicant has been paid additional unemployment 
2.10 	benefits, and that new regular benefit account meets the requirements of subdivision 2, 
2.11 	clause (1), the applicant's weekly additional unemployment benefit amount is equal to the 
2.12 	weekly unemployment benefit amount on the applicant's new regular benefit account.
2.13 		Subd. 4.Qualifying for new regular benefit account. (a) If after exhausting the 
2.14 	maximum amount of regular unemployment benefits available as a result of the layoff under 
2.15 	subdivision 1, an applicant qualifies for the new regular benefit account under Minnesota 
2.16 	Statutes, section 268.07, the applicant must apply for and establish that new regular benefit 
2.17 	account.
2.18 	(b) If the applicant's weekly benefit amount under the new regular benefit account is 
2.19 	equal to or higher than the applicant's weekly additional unemployment benefit amount, the 
2.20 	applicant must request unemployment benefits under the new regular benefit account. An 
2.21 	applicant is ineligible for additional unemployment benefits under this section until the 
2.22 	applicant has exhausted the maximum amount of unemployment benefits available on the 
2.23 	new regular benefit account.
2.24 	(c) If the applicant's weekly unemployment benefit amount on the new regular benefit 
2.25 	account is less than the applicant's weekly benefit amount of additional unemployment 
2.26 	benefits, the applicant must request additional unemployment benefits. An applicant is 
2.27 	ineligible for new regular unemployment benefits until the applicant has exhausted the 
2.28 	maximum amount of additional unemployment benefits available under this section.
2.29 		Subd. 5.Charging benefits. Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 268.047, 
2.30 	subdivision 1, unemployment insurance benefits paid under this section shall not be used 
2.31 	to compute the future unemployment insurance tax rate of a taxpaying employer and shall 
2.32 	not be charged to the reimbursing account of government or nonprofit employers.
2.33 		Subd. 6.Eligibility for federal Trade Readjustment Allowance benefits. An applicant 
2.34 	who has applied and been determined eligible for any federal unemployment benefits, 
3.1 	including any federal unemployment benefit program or Trade Readjustment Assistance, 
3.2 	is not eligible for additional unemployment benefits under this section.

3.3 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.