SF4807

Purpose

The bill aims to change how the state pays Minnesota military members who are on state active service. It seeks to ensure pay and allowances for officers and enlisted personnel match the rates paid to similar U.S. armed forces personnel, with a guaranteed minimum daily pay of $130 (based on an E-5 pay grade) and to repeal an older provision that applied specifically to enlisted personnel.

Main Provisions

• Pay alignment: Every commissioned officer and enlisted member on state active service shall receive pay and allowances at the rate now or hereafter paid by law to U.S. armed forces personnel of the same grade and length of service.
• Minimum pay floor: Basic pay must not be less than $130 per day, corresponding to the basic pay of an E-5 according to the federal pay tables maintained by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS).
• Repeal of an old provision: Subdivision 2 of Minnesota Statutes 192.49, which set a separate enlisted-pay rule (including an “enlisted pay—130 per day or more, whichever is greater” standard) when called into state active service by the governor (excluding encampment or maneuvers), is repealed.
• Definitions: The bill continues to reference and define “state active service” as described in section 190.05, subdivision 5a.
• Scope and funding: The payment framework is tied to the state’s obligation to pay pay and allowances in the same manner as federal rates for equivalent ranks and service lengths.

Changes to Existing Law

• Consolidation: Replaces a separate enlisted-pay provision with a unified standard that applies to both officers and enlisted members.
• Parity with federal pay: Establishes that state active service pay will mirror federal pay for the same grade and length of service, with a federal minimum, rather than a potentially different state-specific rate.
• Elimination of the “whichever is more” approach: Removes the previous rule that could result in higher of two specific calculations for enlisted pay; instead, the rate is based on federal pay tables with a $130/day floor.

Implications

• For personnel: Provides consistent, federally aligned compensation for those on state active service and guarantees a minimum daily basic pay.
• For budgeting and payroll: May affect state payroll costs by aligning with federal pay scales; the exact impact depends on federal rates and the number of personnel on state active service.
• For administration: Simplifies pay determinations by using federal-grade-and-length-of-service rates and a clear minimum, reducing reliance on separate state calculations.

Relevant Terms state active service; pay and allowances; commissioned officer; enlisted member; same grade and length of service; basic pay; $130 per day; E-5; DFAS (Defense Finance and Accounting Service); Minnesota Statutes 192.49 subdivision 1; Minnesota Statutes 192.49 subdivision 2; repeal; governor; encampment; maneuvers; 190.05 subdivision 5a.