The Minnesota legislature passed a $216.8 million business relief package on Monday evening. The Senate voted 62-4 to approve the bill and the House passed it 117-13. The package has been sent to the governor for his signature. A summary of the package is below –
- $88 million to businesses closed to the public under Executive Order 20-99 and experiencing at least a 30% sales decline (compared to 2019) that provide on-site food and beverages including bars, restaurants, caterers/food trucks, breweries and wineries as well as bowling alleys and fitness or sports recreation centers. Relief amounts ($10,000 – $45,000) will be based on number of workers and be administered directly by the Minnesota Department of Revenue with distribution as soon as possible.
- Requirements include: physical location in MN, active sales tax account, taxable retails sales over $10,000 in 2019.
- Payments based on # of employees (full, part, season all count same).
- Zero employees $10,000
- 1-20 employees $15,000
- 20-100 employees $25,000
- 101-300 employees $35,000
- 301+ employees $45,000
- $114.8 million directly to Minnesota counties for grants to eligible businesses and nonprofits impacted by any executive order related to COVID-19. Each county would receive a minimum of $256,250 or $19.25 per capita amount based on its 2019 population. Each Minnesota county will administer these relief funds including making eligibility decisions and can add their own eligibility requirements with disbursement of funds by March 13, 2021.
- $14 million for movie theaters and multipurpose convention centers with a capacity of at least 1,500 people. A per screen formula will be used to help movie theaters and several factors would be considered for convention center allocations. This relief will be administered by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.
Monday night’s action also included important unemployment support for Minnesota’s workers, including:
- An extension of unemployment benefits for individuals who exhaust their regular or pandemic unemployment benefits between December 19, 2020 and April 3, 2021 if an individual is eligible to receive additional unemployment benefits.
- Eligibility includes Minnesotans unemployed, partially unemployed, or unable to work due to lack of work and meet the requirements for regular unemployment benefits established in Minnesota Statutes.
Governor Tim Walz applauded the bipartisan passage of a $216 million economic relief package that includes direct support for small businesses and a 13-week extension of unemployment benefits.
“Our small businesses have made enormous sacrifices to their own bottom lines for the good of our state. This is a critical lifeline for those businesses, and for the Minnesotans whose livelihoods depend on them,” said Governor Walz. “This bipartisan bill will provide direct, targeted aid to keep our small businesses afloat, support workers struggling to get by, and help families put food on the table while we work to get the virus under control.”
The bill includes $88 million in direct payments to restaurants, bars, and gyms; $14 million for convention centers and movie theaters; and $114.8 million for local economically significant businesses and organizations, including non-profits, that will be distributed by counties.
The Governor is expected to sign the bill soon.
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF31&version=latest&session=ls91&session_year=2020&session_number=7
