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Senate committee adopts updated LCC benefit book with insurance, leave and technical changes
Summary
The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration adopted updates to the Legislative Coordinating Commission benefit book that change insurance cost-sharing, clarify dependent definitions, add a voluntary legal benefit, and reorganize leave rules to conform with Minnesota’s new paid-leave law.
The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration on Jan. 6 adopted updates to the Legislative Coordinating Commission (LCC) benefit book that revise insurance provisions, reorganize leave sections to reflect the new paid-leave law and add several technical clarifications.
Darren Hoff, the Senate human resources director, presented the changes and summarized the key areas altered in the book. "I'll read a brief statement that highlights these significant changes to the legislative coordinating commission's plan for employee benefits and policies," Hoff said. He told members the insurance chapter was updated to reflect the legislature’s participation in the state employee group insurance program and to record the coverage adopted effective Jan. 1, 2026.
Hoff outlined several substantive insurance changes: reductions in cost-sharing for mental-health and substance-use office visits (copay reductions of $10 for cost levels 3 and 4, with the deductible still applying), an open-enrollment schedule for dental plans for Jan. 1, 2026 and Jan. 1, 2027, clarified dependent definitions (foster children, children placed by legal guardianship or placement to an employee, grandchildren under certain conditions) and increases in employer-paid basic life and accidental death and dismemberment coverage. Hoff also said a new voluntary employee-paid legal benefit will be offered for 2026. "Medicare premiums are planned to increase by 17% in [2026] for both employers and employees," Hoff said, and noted those premium rates are determined by the Minnesota Management and Budget office and are not negotiated.
The draft also reorganizes leave language to implement Minnesota’s paid-leave law effective Jan. 1. The update creates a new leave section, clarifies which leaves are mandatory, optional, paid or unpaid, establishes a 24-hour vacation leave bank for limited-term LCC employees who convert to full-time positions of nine months or more (prorated for part-time employees), specifies severance payout calculations, permits temporary employees limited emergency earned sick and safe time upon hire, and clarifies documentation rules for sick leave used for more than two consecutive scheduled work dates. The book removes outdated language (including references to house trailers) and aligns expense reimbursement rates with federal/IRS rules.
Madam Chair confirmed the book had been developed through the Legislative Coordinating Commission. Senator Pappas moved to adopt the LCC benefit book with the proposed changes adopted by the LCC on Nov. 10, 2025, and any technical corrections made by staff; the committee approved the motion by voice vote.
The changes will govern legislative employee benefits and internal policy practices; implementation details (for example, exact implementation dates for some provisions and departmental procedures for leave approvals) will be administered by LCC staff and Senate human resources in accordance with applicable statutes and bargaining agreements.
