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

1.5 	Section 1. IRON ORE MINING ADDITIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS 
1.6 	PROGRAM.
 1.7 		Subdivision 1.Availability of additional benefits. Additional unemployment benefits 
1.8 	are available from the Minnesota unemployment insurance trust fund to an applicant who 
1.9 	was laid off due to lack of work between January 15, 2026, and March 15, 2026, from:
1.10 	(1) an employer in the iron ore mining industry that laid off 50 percent or more of the 
1.11 	employer's workforce between January 15, 2026, and March 15, 2026; or
1.12 	(2) an employer that is in the explosive manufacturing industry and providing goods or 
1.13 	services to an employer in the iron ore mining industry, if the applicant was laid off due to 
1.14 	the cessation or substantial reduction in operations of an employer in the iron ore mining 
1.15 	industry as described in clause (1).
1.16 		Subd. 2.Eligibility requirements. An applicant is eligible to receive additional 
1.17 	unemployment benefits under this section for any week through the week ending March 
1.18 	19, 2027, if:
1.19 	(1) the applicant established a benefit account under Minnesota Statutes, section 268.07, 
1.20 	with 50 percent or greater of the wage credits from an employer as described in subdivision 
1.21 	1, and has exhausted the maximum amount of regular unemployment benefits available on 
1.22 	that benefit account; and
2.1 	(2) the applicant meets the same requirements that an applicant for regular unemployment 
2.2 	benefits must meet under Minnesota Statutes, section 268.069, subdivision 1.
2.3 		Subd. 3.Weekly and maximum amount of additional unemployment benefits. (a) 
2.4 	The weekly benefit amount of additional unemployment benefits is the same as the weekly 
2.5 	benefit amount of regular unemployment benefits on the benefit account established in 
2.6 	subdivision 2, clause (1).
2.7 	(b) The maximum amount of additional unemployment benefits available to an applicant 
2.8 	under this section is an amount equal to 26 weeks of payment at the applicant's weekly 
2.9 	additional unemployment benefit amount.
2.10 	(c) If an applicant qualifies for a new regular benefit account that meets the requirements 
2.11 	of subdivision 4, paragraph (b), before the applicant has been paid additional unemployment 
2.12 	benefits, and the new regular benefit account meets the requirements of subdivision 2, clause 
2.13 	(1), the applicant's weekly additional unemployment benefit amount is equal to the weekly 
2.14 	unemployment benefit amount on the applicant's new regular benefit account.
2.15 		Subd. 4.Qualifying for a new regular benefit account. (a) If, after exhausting the 
2.16 	maximum amount of regular unemployment benefits available as a result of the layoff under 
2.17 	subdivision 1, an applicant qualifies for the new regular benefit account under Minnesota 
2.18 	Statutes, section 268.07, the applicant must apply for and establish the new regular benefit 
2.19 	account.
2.20 	(b) If the applicant's weekly benefit amount under the new regular benefit account is 
2.21 	equal to or higher than the applicant's weekly additional unemployment benefit amount, the 
2.22 	applicant must request unemployment benefits under the new regular benefit account. An 
2.23 	applicant is ineligible for additional unemployment benefits under this section until the 
2.24 	applicant has exhausted the maximum amount of unemployment benefits available on the 
2.25 	new regular benefit account.
2.26 	(c) If the applicant's weekly unemployment benefit amount on the new regular benefit 
2.27 	account is less than the applicant's weekly benefit amount of additional unemployment 
2.28 	benefits, the applicant must request additional unemployment benefits. An applicant is 
2.29 	ineligible for new regular unemployment benefits until the applicant has exhausted the 
2.30 	maximum amount of additional unemployment benefits available under this section.
2.31 		Subd. 5.Eligibility for federal Trader Readjustment Allowance benefits. An applicant 
2.32 	who has applied and been determined eligible for federal Trade Readjustment Allowance 
2.33 	benefits is not eligible for additional unemployment benefits under this section.

3.1 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective retroactively from January 15, 2026.