Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: April 3, 2020

The following list is compiled from resources at DEED, MDE, DHS, MDH, DHS, MHFA, the Courts, and the Attorney General’s office.

COVID-19 MN Hotlines

• Health questions (7 am to 7 pm): 651-201-3920 or 1-800-657-3903
• School and child care questions (7 am to 7 pm): 651-297-1304 or 1-800-657-3504
• DHS hotline for child care providers with COVID-19-related questions: 888-234-1268

State Resources

• Child Care
  • Parents/Guardians needing child care resources can call Child Care Aware of MN at 1-888- 291-9811 or go to parentaware.org to search on-line for child care options
  • Communication from state to child care providers on COVID-19
• Courts
  • Information on temporary court operation procedures can be found here
• Discrimination and the MN Dept. of Human Rights
  • Information on mistreatment and discrimination due to COVID-19. To submit a complaint click here or call 651-539-1133.

MDHR and the Department of Labor have a workers protection PDF, which includes info about employment discrimination with respect to COVID-19

• Viruses don’t discriminate and neither should we

• Employers
  • COVID-19 information for employers from Dept. of Employment and Economic Development
• Food
  • Need help getting food right away? See this resource page from Dept. of Human Services
• Housing
  • Need help finding or paying for housing? See this resource page from MN Housing
• Scams and Price Gouging
  • Attorney General’s Office Information on potential COVID-19 scams
    • If you believe you have been the victim of a COVID-19 scam, please contact (651) 296-3353(Metro) or (800) 657-3787(Greater Minnesota) or use this link to File a Complaint
  • Schools
    • Children of health care or emergency workers – school districts are directed to provide care for your children age 12 and under. See list of emergency workers and full guidance to school districts here.
    • For K-12 questions, monitor the Dept. of Education COVID-19 Updates page
    • For Higher Ed questions, see the Coronavirus Updates page by Office of Higher Ed
  • Travel Insurance
    • Commerce Department resource on travel insurance and COVID-19
    • Commerce Dept. Consumer Services Center: 651-539-1600or Complaints
  • Unemployment

• If your employer has reduced your hours or shut down due to COVID-19, apply for Unemployment Insurance
• Options for community services and financial assistance

• Worker Protections
  • For questions on sick leave, FMLA, discrimination, and more see this resource from the Dept. of Labor and Industry

FAQs for Workers from the Dept. of Employment and Economic Development

Federal CARES Act

The Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) provides an estimated $2 trillion to battle the harmful effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is expected Minnesota will receive more than $2.187 billion in funds through the $150 billion Coronavirus Relief Fund — and millions more from a variety of other accounts. Of that total, $1.2 billion goes directly to the state, and $984 million will be distributed to local governments.

The money directed to the state can cover expenses incurred because of the pandemic, including revenue declines that will result from the economic impacts of being shut down. In addition to the Coronavirus Relief Fund, the money will be directly appropriated to most Minnesotans through stimulus checks, colleges, public schools, and several agencies. There are also specific actions in the bill funding emergency management, child welfare services, National Guard, food shelves, and public health agencies.

Stimulus checks

Most households with incomes under $150,000 ($75,000 for singles) will receive $1,200 per adult and $500 per child from the Department of Treasury. Payments will phase out for those with incomes between $150,000 and $198,000 for couples (the phase-out starts at $75,000 for singles). Couples whose incomes exceed $198,000 will not be eligible for payments. The funds are expected to arrive automatically via mail or direct deposit in the coming weeks and will go to those who filed a tax return for tax years 2018 or 2019, according to the U.S. Treasury. For more information about receiving your check, go to the IRS website irs.gov/coronavirus. Just a note of caution, the IRS and Treasury are going to develop online portals to deposit checks, please watch out for scam attempts from bad actors asking for your bank account information to send your stimulus checks to.

Unemployment benefits

Workers receiving unemployment benefits will get the normal weekly benefit plus an additional $600 per week, until the end of July. Together, this is enough to replace 100% of lost wages for a large portion of workers, especially lower-income workers. The length of time workers can receive unemployment benefits is increased by an additional 13 weeks. Although the funds come from the federal government, they are passed on to Minnesota to administer. It’s important to note, the unemployment benefits may take some time to administer, but this additional funding will likely happen as the first component of the federal UI changes.

Unemployment insurance has been expanded to cover part-time workers, the self-employed, and workers who aren’t eligible for traditional unemployment insurance. Congress authorized a new Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program that covers those who do not qualify for regular UI benefits. The program was authorized but must be created by the states (each state must build such a program). The program is based on one that Minnesota has run before, the Disaster Unemployment Assistance program, but we are still waiting for federal guidance on some of the nuance of the program including who will qualify for the benefits and how those benefits will be calculated. Benefits will be backdated to eligibility. This is likely to happen as the second component of the federal UI changes.

For more information on the Federal CARES Act and unemployment benefits, please go here. For more information on unemployment, go to DEED’s website here.

Help for small businesses

The federal stimulus package’s Paycheck Protection Program pays for up to two months of employee wages for small businesses that keep workers employed or rehire those who have been laid off. It also provides funding for rent, utilities, and similar expenses. These funds do not need to be paid back if employees are kept on the payroll or rehired. Under the stimulus package, the Small Business Administration can provide small businesses with up to $10,000 in grants (usually on the day of application) that don’t need to be repaid, plus provide additional access to loans for businesses in need of funding. Small businesses with existing SBA loans will receive up to six months of forgiveness of their current loans, including principal, interest, and fees. This forgiveness is also available for borrowers to take certain new SBA loans in the next six months. For businesses that don’t use the Paycheck Protection Program, the law provides employee retention tax credits to support a portion of an employer’s payroll expenses for certain workers. Small businesses can apply for loans here.

Health care

There will be additional federal funds to support Minnesota’s 17 community health centers deliver care at over 70 sites across the state. It also extends federal funding for Minnesota’s Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers (CCBHCs) and provides regulatory flexibility to expand access to telehealth services, protecting both patients and providers during this period of social distancing.

E-12 Education

Minnesota will receive a total of $365 million for E-12 education. The Governor’s Emergency Education Relief fund receives $43.58 million. An additional $140 million will go to the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief fund to be used for coronavirus-response activities, such as planning for and coordinating during long-term school closures, purchasing educational technology to support online learning for all students served by the local educational agency, and additional activities authorized by federal elementary and secondary education laws.

Help for Higher Education

The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund will receive $181.52 million, of which at least 50% of the funds are targeted to provide emergency financial aid grants to students to cover eligible expenses related to the student’s cost of attendance such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and childcare. Remaining institutional funds may be used to defray expenses for IHEs, such as lost revenue and technology costs associated with a transition to distance education.

Federally held student loan payments are suspended through September 30. No interest will accrue during this time. Borrowers on income-driven repayment plans or those working towards Public Service Loan Forgiveness will still be able to count the suspension time towards progress under those programs.

A few additional highlights of what’s included in the federal package include:

• Funding to pay for the deployment of the National Guard for the next six months to support state and local response efforts.
• Money for transit systems that would be distributed through existing formulas including the Urbanized Area Formula Grants, Formula Grants for Rural Areas, State of Good Repair Formula Grants and Growing and High-Density States Formula Grants using the fiscal year 2020 apportionment formulas.
• Money to ensure our elections are safe, secure, and accessible during the 2020 federal election cycle.

Minnesota should receive the funds within the next 30 days, which could help our state mitigate the expected budgetary deficit as state tax revenues decrease from the expected recession. These federal funds could help Minnesota keep up with expected additional responses Minnesota will face. Minnesota has allocated $550 million so far to respond to the COVID-19 needs since the pandemic began.

Avoiding scams during COVID-19

The MN Department of Commerce is sharing best practices to avoid robocall-type scams during this stay-at-home period of the pandemic. Given the heightened anxieties surrounding the virus right now, scammers are taking advantage by sending out more illegal robocalls. These calls are designed to try and gain personal information from you – social security numbers, bank account information, et cetera. They may also ask you to purchase gift cards or make payments for things like at-home COVID-19 tests or investment protections. The Department of Commerce release the following best practices for avoiding scams:

• DO NOT ANSWER. If you are not familiar with the phone number, have the call go directly to voicemail.
• HANG UP. Do not press any numbers. The recording might say that pressing a number will let you speak to a live operator who will eventually ask you for money or say they will remove you from their call list, but answering will actually lead to MORE robocalls.
• VERIFY. Do not call any telephone number or go directly to a website that you are directed to on the call. You should always look up and verify any number or website using an internet search engine first, rather than relying on any information that you are given.
• REPORT robocalls at ftc.gov/complaint. The more complaints that are filed, the more the FTC can help to stop them and share that information with the public and law enforcement. If you have any other questions, you can call the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s Senior Financial Ombudsman, Marty Fleischhacker at 952-237-7571.
• FIND A CALL-BLOCKING APP OR DEVICE. You also can ask your phone provider if it has call-blocking tools. To learn more, go to ftc.gov/calls.
• SUBSCRIBE to the FTC’s consumer alerts here.

Opportunists may try to take advantage of the vulnerable or anxious during the crisis, but knowledge and preparation will prevent them from being successful. By following these practices, you can avoid common robocall scams and continue to protect your identity and your information during this pandemic.

Attorney General’s office hones in on price gouging

As Minnesota braced for the impending uptick of COVID-19 cases in the state, many individuals rushed to the stores to ensure they had the supplies they needed, with many families buying much more than they needed. As a result, stores across the state have been experiencing an increased demand for staple goods such as toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and face masks. While many stores have continued to restock such items as business as usual, other stores have viewed the high demand as an opportunity to turn a profit. This practice of raising prices on high-demand, essential household and health items is known as price gouging.

In response to reports of price gouging, Governor Walz issued an executive order prohibiting the practice during the peacetime emergency. As a result, stores that sell essential goods necessary for the health, safety, and welfare of the general public at excessive and prohibitive prices will be facing an investigation and potential penalty from Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office.

The attorney general this week announced his office had received 483 complaints of price gouging within the first week of the executive order’s implementation. Several stores have already been warned of their potential violations and have entered into formal agreements to immediately stop the practice. With investigators and “secret shoppers” deployed across the state, Attorney General Ellison is committed to monitoring this situation closely and will be taking action as needed.

Minnesotans are encouraged to report any instances of price gouging they encounter, which can be done using the attorney general’s complaint form, found here.

Minnesota health plans to waive COVID-19-related expenses

Minnesota’s health plans have agreed to waive cost-sharing for treatment of COVID-19. This change will ensure that every Minnesotan will have access to the health care they need while dealing with COVID-19. Under the agreement, Minnesotans with commercial insurance—including individuals, small businesses, and some large businesses—are now eligible for the following benefits:

• Minnesotans will have no cost-sharing charges for COVID testing.
• Minnesotans who are hospitalized will have no cost-sharing charges for in-network hospitalization.
• Minnesotans will have expanded access to telemedicine services. This will help people to stay home and access care if they need it.

The health care plans’ commitment to waive COVID-19-related expenses will help alleviate uncertainty over what is covered by our health insurance plans. This change will ensure no Minnesotan will have to sacrifice paying rent or buying groceries to cover a hospital bill from COVID-19.

The following Minnesota’s non-profit health plans have committed to this framework:

• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
• HealthPartners
• Hennepin Health
• Medica
• PreferredOne
• UCare

Many Minnesotans that receive their coverage through their employer have self-insured plans. The state does not have regulatory authority over these plans but is encouraging employers to work with their plan administrators to implement similar measures.

Department of Administration working to procure PPE

The Minnesota Department of Administration is leading the procurement of critical personal protective equipment (PPE) for Minnesota’s health care workforce, including masks, gloves, and face shields. The department is creating plans to forecast need and develop partnerships with private companies, especially companies that produce these products and call Minnesota home.

Donations of PPE are being accepted at Salvation Armies in Roseville, Duluth, Moorhead, and Rochester that are urgently needed for health care professionals that will have direct contact with COVID-19 patients.

Grants for childcare providers and those seeking care now available

The COVID-19 emergency has created difficulties for families who continue to need childcare as well as childcare providers who may be struggling with lower enrollment numbers or closures. The state has several resources available.

• • Grants for childcare providers: Last week, the legislature passed and Gov. Tim Walz signed new legislation that included $30 million in grants for licensed childcare providers serving essential workers during the public health emergency. That system is now up and running at www.childcareawaremn.org/providers/emergency-child-care-grants. Monthly grants begin at $4,500 and are available to qualified providers who can show they are reserving spaces for children of essential workers.
  •  Other resources for providers: Several state agencies are working together to provide updated resources for childcare providers. They also are maintaining a statewide map of available providers to connect with critical employees who are seeking care for their children. That is continually updated at mn.gov/mmb/childcare/providers.

• Resources for families:Minnesota is committed to maintaining quality childcare options for critical workers that are vital to Minnesota’s economy and health care system during this crisis. A map of available providers and other information is continually updated for families seeking care at this link: gov/mmb/childcare/families

Minnesota Department of Health situation update on COVID-19

Minnesota Update as of 4/2

• Total of 742 confirmed cases in Minnesota – up from 689 yesterday.
• We confirmed one more COVID-19 death, for a total of 18 in the state.
• As of today, 373 patients have recovered enough to be released from isolation.
• Since the start of the outbreak, 138 COVID-19 patients in Minnesota have been hospitalized.
  • There are 75 patients currently hospitalized, 38 in intensive care.
• Age range: 4 months to 104 years, median age is 47 years
• This total of 742 lab-confirmed cases reflects only results from laboratory testing. There are more cases in Minnesota, and the virus is circulating in communities.
• 300 tests by MDH lab yesterday, and 1,203 total in state yesterday combined state and private labs.

Outreach Update as of 4/2

• 722,687 daily visits to MDH COVID-19 website.
•  1,188 calls to MDH public hotline yesterday. Open 7-7. The number is 651-201-3920.
  • DPS hotline for issues associated with community mitigation is open 7-7 daily, # is 1-800-657-3504 or metro 651-297-1304

Global/National Update as of 4/2

• Global total as of this morning was more than 951,900 cases and 48,200 deaths;
• U.S. reporting 216,722 confirmed cases (84,046 in New York; 22,255 in New Jersey)
• U.S. reporting 5,137 deaths (1,374 in New York City)

What the Stay-at-Home Order means for Minnesotans

In an effort to combat and slow down the spread of COVID-19, Governor Walz issued a Stay-at-Home Order that went into effect on Friday, March 27 at 11:59 a.m. and will last until April 10 at 5 p.m.

Minnesotans are being asked to adhere to the Stay-at-Home order for the duration of the allotted period to help buy more time for the health sector to prepare for and mitigate the impact too many sick patients could have. While Minnesotans stay home and assist in flattening the curve, the health care industry can facilitate preparations such as increasing access to ventilators, creating and administering more COVID-19 tests, increasing greater hospital capacity, and planning care for vulnerable populations. According to studies performed by the Minnesota Department of Health and the University of Minnesota, if efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 are not taken, over 70,000 could die in Minnesota alone. Adhering to the Stay-at-Home Order is one of the many steps we can take to save lives.

What activities are deemed permissible under the stay-at-home order?

• Health and safety activities, such as obtaining emergency services or medical supplies
• Outdoor activities, such as walking pets, hiking, running, biking, hunting, or fishing
• Necessary supplies and services, such as getting groceries, gasoline, or carry-out
• Essential and interstate travel, such as returning to home from outside this state
• Care of others, such as caring for a family member, friend, or pet in another household
• Displacement, such as moving between emergency or homeless shelters if you are without a home
• Relocation to ensure safety, such as relocating to a different location if your home has been unsafe due to domestic violence, sanitation, or essential operations reasons
• Tribal activities & lands, such as activities by members within the boundaries of their tribal reservations
• Funerals, provided that the gathering consists of no more than 10 attendees and the space utilized allows for social distancing (six feet spacing between people). Venues should make accommodations for remote attendance, if possible, for others. Individuals who are at high risk from COVID-19 are strongly encouraged to attend remotely.

For more information regarding the Stay-at-Home Order and what it means for day-to-day life in Minnesota, please visit the governor’s new COVID-19 website.

Federal education relief funds

The United States Congress approved a stimulus package last week that will provide $30 billion to states to be allocated for schools and higher education institutions.

Minnesota is slated to receive just over $365 million, about 1.27% of the total federal allocation. The money will be appropriated based on three relief funds as outlined by the federal government. Minnesota agencies expect guidance from the U.S. Treasury Department next week; it could take about 30 days for the money to be allocated from the federal level, but that specific date will be included in the U.S. Treasury guidance.

Minnesota Total: $365.239 million which is 1.27% of total amount appropriated nationally

Minnesota fund allocation: (Information provided by the National Conference of State Legislatures)

• Governor’s Emergency Education Relief fund: $43.581 million (1.48% of total)
  • Each state will receive funds for governors to allocate for emergency support grants to local educational agencies and institutions of higher education that have been most significantly impacted by the coronavirus. Funds will be allocated based on following formula:
    • 60% of the funds are distributed based on the number of 5- to 24-year-olds in the state.
    • 40% of the funds are distributed based on the number of kids younger than 21 defined by ESSA.
  • Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief fund: $140.137 million (1.06% of total)
    • Formula grants to states based on the same proportion that each state receives Title-IA. The state can distribute 90% of funds to school districts based on proportional allocation of Title I-A funds. State education agencies can reserve up to 10% of funds for emergency needs determined by the state.
    • Funds to school districts can be used for coronavirus-response activities, such as planning for and coordinating during long-term school closures; purchasing educational technology to support online learning for all students served by the local educational agency; and additional activities authorized by federal elementary and secondary education laws.
    • Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund $181.521 million (1.45% of total)
    • 90% of funds via a formula base, 75% on its share of Pell grant full-time students and 25% on non-Pell grant full-time students, excluding students who were exclusively enrolled online prior to coronavirus.
    •  At least 50% of institutional funds must provide emergency financial aid grants to students that can cover eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care and childcare.
    • Remaining institutional funds may be used to defray expenses for IHEs, such as lost revenue and technology costs associated with a transition to distance education.

The relief is designed to provide supplementary educational and related services to low achieving and other students attending elementary and secondary schools with relatively high concentrations of students from low-income families.

Election reform during a pandemic

Minnesota avoided postponing or otherwise making changes to our presidential preference primary because our election occurred relatively early in the process on March 3. However, Minnesota’s state primary on August 11 and general election on November 3 will be affected by safety concerns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Discussions and legislative action have already occurred to increase mail-in balloting throughout the state. Minnesota already permits no-excuse absentee voting, but additional costs would be incurred by local election officials and the Secretary of State to greatly expand mail-in voting.

The federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act will provide $400 million to states to help them respond to necessary changes to the 2020 elections, including absentee voting expansion.

Minnesota will need to act quickly to ensure vendors are able to develop more mail-compatible ballots, local election officials may need additional technology to process mail ballots, and accessibility concerns will need to be addressed, especially for voters with disabilities, transient voters, and those without home addresses.

Information and Resources

State Government

Governor
651.201.3400 | http://mn.gov/governor

Attorney General
651.296.3353 | www.ag.state.mn.us

Representative Melissa Hortman (36B)
651.296.4280

Representative Zack Stephenson (36A)
651.296.5513

Driver’s Licenses
651.297.3298 | drivers-license-information.aspx

MN Energy Assistance Program
800.657.3710
https://mn.gov/commerce/eap.jsp

Election Information
651.215.1440 | https://www.sos.state.mn.us/

Emerald Ash Borer Prevention
and Detection
(MN Dept. of Agriculture)
pestmanagement/eab/eabbiocontrol
651.201.6684

Local Government

City of Champlin 763.421.8100City of Brooklyn Park 763.424.8000
City of Coon Rapids 763.755.2880
Anoka County 763.421.4760

Federal Government

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar
612.727.5220 | https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/

U.S. Senator Tina Smith
202.224-5641 | https://www.smith.senate.gov/HomePage

U.S. Congressman Dean Phillips (3rd CD)
202.225.2871 | https://phillips.house.gov/