Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature
Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement

Minnesota Secure Choice Retirement Program

Program Website and Contact Information

If you have questions about the Minnesota Secure Choice Retirement Program, please contact Executive Director Chad Roberts at Chad.Roberts@state.mn.us or 651-201-1977.

Program Purpose and Background

The Minnesota Secure Choice Retirement Program (Secure Choice or Program) was established in 2023 to expand access to retirement savings for private-sector workers without access to employer-sponsored plans. The Program is designed to help address Minnesota’s retirement savings gap.

All eligible Minnesota employers must register for the Program by June 30, 2028, or earlier, depending on the number of employees. Employers that already sponsor a retirement plan or have fewer than five employees are exempt from the Program.

Secure Choice provides a state-facilitated option for workers to save for retirement through payroll deductions to a Roth or Traditional Individual Retirement Account (IRA). The IRA accounts are portable. Participation is voluntary for employees, who may change their contribution rate or opt out at any time. Employers that do not sponsor a retirement plan are required to facilitate payroll deductions, but do not manage investments, contribute funds, pay fees, or take on administrative or fiduciary responsibility.

Visit the Secure Choice website for more information on the Program, including resources for employers and employees, program descriptions, and contact information for additional assistance.

Legislative History

The Program was established when Governor Walz signed the Minnesota Secure Choice Retirement Program Act into law on May 19, 2023. You can read the staff summary of the bill here.

The 2024 Pension and Retirement Policy and Supplemental Budget Bill, the 2025 Omnibus Pension and Retirement Bill, and the 2026 Omnibus Pension and Retirement Bill all include provisions that affect Secure Choice.

  • The staff summary of the 2024 Pension and Retirement Policy and Supplemental Budget Bill is available here. See page 7 for the short summary of the changes to the Secure Choice statutes.
  • The staff summary of the 2025 Omnibus Pension and Retirement Bill is available here. See pages 7 through 10 for a summary of the changes to the Secure Choice and related statutes.
  • The staff summary of the 2026 Omnibus Pension and Retirement Bill is available here. See pages 15 through 18 for a summary of the changes to the Secure Choice and related statutes.

Program Administration and Oversight

The Minnesota Secure Choice Retirement Board of Directors (Board) oversees the Program. Vestwell Government Savings, LLC serves as the program administrator. Investment options are selected by the Board and overseen by the State Board of Investment.

The Program is part of a multi-state consortium of state-run retirement programs. The Board website states the following:

“The Partnership for a Dignified Retirement is a multi-state auto enrollment payroll deduction individual retirement account (IRA) program that creates cost efficiencies for its member states. Minnesota currently partners with Colorado, Maine, Vermont, Delaware, and Nevada. Although our program is part of a partnership, the Minnesota program is governed by Minnesota industry experts and administered by Minnesota state employees. Program investments are monitored by the Minnesota State Board of Investment.”

Retrieved on 6/16/2026 from the Minnesota Secure Choice Retirement Program Website

The Board consists of:

  • three members appointed by the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement (Commission),
  • two members appointed by the Governor’s office, and
  • two ex officio members who are the executive directors of the Minnesota State Retirement System and the State Board of Investment.

The two ex officio members serve indefinitely. The rest of the Board members serve two-year terms, which may be renewed for an additional two-year term, except that the initial term of the Commission-appointed retirement plan investments professional and one of the Governor-appointed directors is three years.