This bill aims to redefine the status of incarcerated individuals in Minnesota by explicitly recognizing them as "employees" under several labor laws, including the Minnesota Fair Labor Standards Act, the Public Employee Labor Relations Act, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973. It mandates that incarcerated persons working in state or local correctional facilities, jails, or secure treatment facilities receive the same protections and rights as other workers, including fair compensation at least equal to the state minimum wage. The bill also addresses the management of their earnings, allowing for deductions for personal savings, gate money, and confinement costs, while emphasizing the importance of meaningful employment and educational training to aid in their reintegration into society.

Additionally, the bill introduces provisions for the establishment of authorized businesses, nonprofits, and cooperatives created by inmates, thereby expanding private industry employment opportunities within correctional facilities. It limits deductions from inmates' wages for confinement costs to a maximum of five percent of gross wages and establishes an "end of slavery implementation task force" to oversee the act's implementation. This task force will include various stakeholders and is responsible for ensuring job availability for incarcerated individuals, focusing on humane and rehabilitative outcomes, and will report annually on progress and challenges, with a final report due by July 1, 2029.

Statutes affected:
Introduction: 177.23, 179A.03, 181.931, 182.651, 241.27, 243.23, 243.88, 363A.03