1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to human services; modifying use of personal
1.3 	sick leave benefits; establishing an Internet-based
1.4 	caregiver support program; requiring a telehome care
1.5 	study; appropriating money; amending Minnesota
1.6 	Statutes 2004, sections 181.9413; 256B.0917, by adding
1.7 	a subdivision.
1.8 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.9 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 181.9413, is
1.10 	amended to read:
1.11 	181.9413 SICK OR INJURED CHILD CARE LEAVE BENEFITS; USE TO
1.12 	CARE FOR CERTAIN RELATIVES.
1.13 	(a) An employee may use personal sick leave benefits
1.14 	provided by the employer for absences due to an illness of or
1.15 	injury to the employee's child, spouse, sibling, parent,
1.16 	grandparent, or stepparent for such reasonable periods as the
1.17 	employee's attendance with the child may be necessary, on the
1.18 	same terms upon which the employee is able to use sick leave
1.19 	benefits for the employee's own illness or injury.  This section
1.20 	applies only to personal sick leave benefits payable to the
1.21 	employee from the employer's general assets.
1.22 	(b) For purposes of this section, "personal sick leave
1.23 	benefits" means time accrued and available to an employee to be
1.24 	used as a result of absence from work due to personal illness or
1.25 	injury, but does not include short-term or long-term disability
1.26 	or other salary continuation benefits.

2.1 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective August 1, 2005,
2.2 	and applies to sick leave used on or after that date.

2.3 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 256B.0917, is
2.4 	amended by adding a subdivision to read:
2.5 		Subd. 6a.Internet-based caregiver support program. The
2.6 	Minnesota Board on Aging shall develop and implement an
2.7 	Internet-based caregiver support program.  The goal of the
2.8 	program shall be to provide family caregivers with the
2.9 	information and tools needed to self-manage, plan, purchase,
2.10 	coordinate, monitor, and evaluate the day-to-day activities and
2.11 	care outcomes of family members to whom they provide care.  The
2.12 	program must complement Internet-based information services that
2.13 	are currently available.  The program must include the following
2.14 	components:
2.15 	(1) direct connectivity to statewide systems, including,
2.16 	but not limited to, Senior LinkAge Line, MinnesotaHelp.info,
2.17 	RXConnect, and long-term care consultation and to vendors and
2.18 	providers of goods and services, including, but not limited to,
2.19 	respite care, coach services, pharmaceutical vendors, medical
2.20 	supply vendors, grocers, personal care vendors, and electronic
2.21 	assistive technology vendors;
2.22 	(2) access to online resources, including connectivity to
2.23 	daily living and clinical monitoring devices and audio and
2.24 	visual contact between the care recipient, the caregiver,
2.25 	services providers, and others for tracking or conducting
2.26 	service visits, care meetings, and other service provision;
2.27 	(3) message boards related to caregiver news, information,
2.28 	and events;
2.29 	(4) data collection, including surveys, and reporting and
2.30 	registration functions as required by state and federal
2.31 	programs; and 
2.32 	(5) an individual data profile accessible by designated
2.33 	parties to view, add, share, or edit information as needed to
2.34 	support informal caregiving.

2.35 	Sec. 3. TELEHOME CARE STUDY.
 2.36 	(a) The commissioner of human services, in consultation
3.1 	with the commissioner of health, shall convene a work group to
3.2 	study and make recommendations on integrating within the home
3.3 	health care delivery system the delivery of home health care
3.4 	services via an interactive telecommunications system and
3.5 	monitoring technologies to homebound patients with chronic
3.6 	illness or disabilities.  The study shall examine the
3.7 	effectiveness of video conferencing, Internet access, and
3.8 	physiological monitoring within a home health care setting in
3.9 	terms of cost, accessibility, health outcomes, and provider and
3.10 	patient satisfaction.  The study shall:
3.11 	(1) identify limitations and barriers and recommend
3.12 	possible solutions to providing telehome care, including
3.13 	provider reimbursement; patient and provider recruitment and
3.14 	training; equipment and technology access and support; and
3.15 	patient privacy;
3.16 	(2) identify possible populations that may benefit from
3.17 	in-home monitoring and education;
3.18 	(3) identify best-practices guidelines, policies, and
3.19 	standards for telehome care;
3.20 	(4) assess the status of current projects providing
3.21 	telehome care in Minnesota; and 
3.22 	(5) identify partnership models and collaboration potential
3.23 	for delivering quality telehome care delivery system.
3.24 	(b) The work group shall include representatives of health
3.25 	care providers, hospitals, educators, researchers, home health
3.26 	care providers, and home health care recipients.
3.27 	(c) The commissioner shall submit a report to the
3.28 	legislature by January 15, 2006, on the results of the study,
3.29 	including any recommendations on necessary legislative changes
3.30 	in order to incorporate telehome care into the health care
3.31 	delivery system.

3.32 	Sec. 4. APPROPRIATIONS.
 3.33 	$750,000 in fiscal year 2006 and $200,000 in fiscal year
3.34 	2007 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner
3.35 	of human services for the purposes of section 2.