A US state is advancing a bill that would allocate $200 million to give to residents with no strings attached.
Representative Athena Hollins co-authored bill HF 2666, which seeks to create a guaranteed income program in Minnesota.
The bill has already advanced through a House committee, reports Minnesota Public Radio.
If the bill passes, $100 million would be allocated this year with an additional $100 million in 2025 to fund the program.
All households living at or below 300% of the federal poverty level would be eligible to apply.
Depending on demand, each household is expected to receive $350 to $1,200 every 30 days for 12 to 24 months.
Hollins says she expects the program to significantly impact the lives of participants while also benefiting communities across the state.
“So we’ve seen across the country, the studies that have been done on this, it shows that people end up having better jobs. They have better mental health outcomes. Studies done with people with young children, their children have better performances on testing and in daycares.
Just across the board, we see an increase in health, well-being, economic development across the board.
And then the reality is, that money also flows back into local communities. And so, that’s what we’re really trying to do, is make sure that the communities where this help is needed across the state get to have access to it, and then hopefully bolster those local communities.”
Funding for the program would come from the state’s general fund.
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