Summary of HF 3119 (Minnesota 2025-2026)
This summary provides a concise overview of HF 3119, focusing on its purposes, key provisions, who is affected, and notable timing.
Purpose and intent
- Establish minimum compensation standards for teachers and certain unlicensed school staff.
- Create aid programs to support base teacher compensation and wages for unlicensed staff.
- Require a report on hourly workers in K-12 education (hourly workers) and related data.
- Codify new requirements in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 122A.
Key provisions and changes
1) Minimum compensation framework (Section 122A.418)
Definitions
- Base teacher compensation: annual base salary, excluding fringe benefits.
- Covered unlicensed staff member: non-licensed school employees in specified Minnesota education entities who work at least 14 hours/week for 100 days/year and regularly interact with students.
- Full-time equivalence (FTE) for teachers follows standard district/agency definitions.
- Teacher compensation thresholds for 2026-2027:
- $80,000 per FTE for teachers with a master’s degree who have been licensed teachers in Minnesota (and at least 10 years of licensure for the higher tier).
- $100,000 per FTE for teachers with a master’s degree who have been licensed for at least 10 years.
- $60,000 per FTE for teachers who do not meet the above criteria.
- Unlicensed staff wage threshold: $25 per hour for 2026-2027; will be adjusted over time.
Inflationary adjustments
- Thresholds (both base compensation and unlicensed staff wages) are subject to periodic inflation adjustments.
- Adjustments effective July 1 after publication of each adjustment.
- A formal adjustment must be published on January 15, 2030 and every four years thereafter, using the greater of zero or the change in CPI (as described).
Implementation timing
- Beginning July 1, 2026, base compensation for each FTE teacher must not be less than the applicable threshold for that year.
Bargaining
- The bill does not alter districts’ obligation to collectively bargain with the exclusive representative for teachers and other educators.
Base teacher compensation aid (Section 1, Subd. 5)
- Starting fiscal year 2027, districts/charter schools/intermediate districts/cooperatives are eligible for “base teacher compensation aid.”
- Aid equals the sum of amounts calculated under a specified formula.
- For each teacher employed on Sept 1, 2025, the commissioner must calculate the difference between the 2026-2027 threshold for that teacher and the teacher’s base compensation as of Sept 1, 2025; positive differences are eligible for aid.
- Aid must be reserved to pay teacher compensation.
- The commissioner must recalculate aid after each inflationary adjustment of the thresholds.
Unlicensed staff wages (Section 1, Subd. 6 and 7)
- Minimum wage requirement for covered unlicensed staff begins July 1, 2026.
- Beginning fiscal year 2027, districts/schools are eligible for aid for unlicensed staff wages.
- For each covered unlicensed staff member employed Sept 1, 2025, the commissioner calculates the difference between the 2026-2027 wage threshold ($25/hour) and the staff member’s wage as of Sept 1, 2025; nonnegative differences are eligible for aid.
- Aid recalculated with each inflationary adjustment.
Effective date
- Section 1: July 1, 2025 (various provisions apply thereafter, with 2026-2027 thresholds and 2027 aid phases).
2) Report on school hourly workers (Section 2)
- The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) must submit a report to relevant legislative committees by January 15, 2026.
- Report scope covers hourly workers in K-12 settings and includes:
Definitions
- Hourly worker: non-licensed, works at least 14 hours/week for 100 days/year, interacts with students.
Major job classes
- Includes: special education paraprofessionals, other paraprofessionals, food services, transportation, clerical, operating/maintenance, and all other hourly classifications.
Data to be included (for 2024-2025 year)
- Number of hourly workers per school employer.
- Average hourly wage by major job class.
- Vacancies advertised and positions filled, by job class.
- Health insurance contributions by the employer and by hourly workers; number of hourly workers on the employer’s health plan.
Effective date
- July 1, 2025.
Who is affected
- School districts, charter schools, intermediate school districts, and cooperative units under Minn. Stat. 123A.24 (subdivision 2).
- Covered unlicensed staff members (non-licensed employees who interact with students).
- Licensed teachers (through thresholds and potential eligibility for base compensation aid).
- Hourly workers in major job classes (for reporting purposes and potential wage data).
Procedural and timeline notes
- Minimum compensation thresholds apply starting July 1, 2026.
- Inflation adjustments for thresholds occur periodically; formal CPI-based adjustments published Jan 15, 2030 and every four years thereafter.
- Base teacher compensation aid and unlicensed staff wages aid begin in fiscal year 2027, with calculations based on September 1, 2025 data and subsequent inflationary adjustments.
- A PELSB report on hourly workers is due January 15, 2026.
Sponsors
- Includes a broad slate of House members and co-sponsors.
This bill would significantly tie district funding to meeting or approaching defined minimum compensation levels for both licensed teachers and certain unlicensed staff, with accompanying inflation-adjusted aid and a data-reporting requirement to inform ongoing policy decisions.
