Bill Summary: SF2987

• Consolidates child care assistance programs under Minnesota Statutes chapter 119B, eliminating separate "basic sliding fee" program categories and streamlining eligibility and administration by counties and the state

• Increases the state working family tax credit to 100 percent of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit for eligible individuals, effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2014

• Extends the minimum wage phase-in schedule beyond 2016, establishing rates reaching $12.50 per hour for large employers and $10.75 per hour for small employers by August 1, 2020, with annual inflation adjustments beginning January 1, 2021

• Creates the Minnesota Emergency Employment Development (MEED) Act providing $200 million per biennium year for temporary employment projects with government and nonprofit agencies and wage subsidies for private sector job creation

• Expands child care eligibility for low-income workers in employment, training, and education programs, including postsecondary education, with maximum assistance duration tied to degree completion timelines