HF 1507

3rd Engrossment - 84th Legislature (2005 - 2006) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to health; modifying provisions for isolation 
  1.3             and quarantine of persons exposed to or infected with 
  1.4             a communicable disease; amending Minnesota Statutes 
  1.5             2004, sections 144.419, subdivision 1; 144.4195, 
  1.6             subdivisions 1, 2, 5; Laws 2002, chapter 402, section 
  1.7             21, as amended; proposing coding for new law in 
  1.8             Minnesota Statutes, chapter 144. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 144.419, 
  1.11  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.12     Subdivision 1.  [DEFINITIONS.] For purposes of this section 
  1.13  and section 144.4195 sections 144.419 to 144.4196, the following 
  1.14  definitions apply: 
  1.15     (1) "bioterrorism" means the intentional use of any 
  1.16  microorganism, virus, infectious substance, or biological 
  1.17  product that may be engineered as a result of biotechnology, or 
  1.18  any naturally occurring or bioengineered component of any such 
  1.19  microorganism, virus, infectious substance, or biological 
  1.20  product, to cause death, disease, or other biological 
  1.21  malfunction in a human, an animal, a plant, or another living 
  1.22  organism in order to influence the conduct of government or to 
  1.23  intimidate or coerce a civilian population; 
  1.24     (2) "communicable disease" means a disease caused by a 
  1.25  living organism or virus and believed to be caused by 
  1.26  bioterrorism or a new or novel or previously controlled or 
  1.27  eradicated infectious agent or biological toxin that can be 
  2.1   transmitted person to person and for which isolation or 
  2.2   quarantine is an effective control strategy, excluding a disease 
  2.3   that is directly transmitted as defined under section 144.4172, 
  2.4   subdivision 5; 
  2.5      (3) "isolation" means separation, during the period of 
  2.6   communicability, of a person infected with a communicable 
  2.7   disease, in a place and under conditions so as to prevent direct 
  2.8   or indirect transmission of an infectious agent to others; and 
  2.9      (4) "quarantine" means restriction, during a period of 
  2.10  communicability, of activities or travel of an otherwise healthy 
  2.11  person who likely has been exposed to a communicable disease to 
  2.12  prevent disease transmission during the period of 
  2.13  communicability in the event the person is infected. 
  2.14     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 144.4195, 
  2.15  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  2.16     Subdivision 1.  [EX PARTE ORDER FOR ISOLATION OR 
  2.17  QUARANTINE.] (a) Before isolating or quarantining a person or 
  2.18  group of persons, the commissioner of health shall obtain a 
  2.19  written, ex parte order authorizing the isolation or quarantine 
  2.20  from the District Court of Ramsey County, the county where the 
  2.21  person or group of persons is located, or a county adjoining the 
  2.22  county where the person or group of persons is located.  The 
  2.23  evidence or testimony in support of an application may be made 
  2.24  or taken by telephone, facsimile transmission, video equipment, 
  2.25  or other electronic communication.  The court shall grant the 
  2.26  order upon a finding that probable cause exists to believe 
  2.27  isolation or quarantine is warranted to protect the public 
  2.28  health. 
  2.29     (b) The order must state the specific facts justifying 
  2.30  isolation or quarantine, must state that the person being 
  2.31  isolated or quarantined has a right to a court hearing under 
  2.32  this section and a right to be represented by counsel during any 
  2.33  proceeding under this section, and must be provided immediately 
  2.34  to each person isolated or quarantined.  The commissioner of 
  2.35  health shall provide a copy of the authorizing order to the 
  2.36  commissioner of public safety and other peace officers known to 
  3.1   the commissioner to have jurisdiction over the site of the 
  3.2   isolation or quarantine.  If feasible, the commissioner of 
  3.3   health shall give each person being isolated or quarantined an 
  3.4   estimate of the expected period of the person's isolation or 
  3.5   quarantine. 
  3.6      (c) If it is impracticable to provide individual orders to 
  3.7   a group of persons isolated or quarantined, one order shall 
  3.8   suffice to isolate or quarantine a group of persons believed to 
  3.9   have been commonly infected with or exposed to a communicable 
  3.10  disease.  A copy of the order and notice shall be posted in a 
  3.11  conspicuous place: 
  3.12     (1) in the isolation or quarantine premises, but only if 
  3.13  the persons to be isolated or quarantined are already at the 
  3.14  isolation or quarantine premises and have adequate access to the 
  3.15  order posted there; or 
  3.16     (2) in another location where the group of persons to be 
  3.17  isolated or quarantined is located, such that the persons have 
  3.18  adequate access to the order posted there. 
  3.19  If the court determines that posting the order according to 
  3.20  clause (1) or (2) is impractical due to the number of persons to 
  3.21  be isolated or quarantined or the geographical area affected, 
  3.22  the court must use the best means available to ensure that the 
  3.23  affected persons are fully informed of the order and notice. 
  3.24     (d) Any peace officer, as defined in section 144.4803, 
  3.25  subdivision 16, shall enforce an order under this section and 
  3.26  may use all necessary and lawful means to apprehend, hold, 
  3.27  transport, quarantine, or isolate a person subject to the 
  3.28  order.  "Necessary and lawful means" include reasonable force 
  3.29  but not deadly force as defined in section 609.066, subdivision 
  3.30  1.  The commissioner or an agent of a local board of health 
  3.31  authorized under section 145A.04 shall advise the peace officer 
  3.32  on request of protective measures recommended to protect the 
  3.33  officer from possible transmission of the communicable disease.  
  3.34  The peace officer may act upon telephone, facsimile, or other 
  3.35  electronic notification of the order from the court, 
  3.36  commissioner of health, agent of a local board of health, or 
  4.1   commissioner of public safety. 
  4.2      (e) No person may be isolated or quarantined pursuant to an 
  4.3   order issued under this subdivision for longer than 21 days 
  4.4   without a court hearing under subdivision 3 to determine whether 
  4.5   isolation or quarantine should continue.  A person who is 
  4.6   isolated or quarantined may request a court hearing under 
  4.7   subdivision 3 at any time before the expiration of the order.  
  4.8      Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 144.4195, 
  4.9   subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  4.10     Subd. 2.  [TEMPORARY HOLD UPON COMMISSIONER'S DIRECTIVE.] 
  4.11  (a) Notwithstanding subdivision 1, the commissioner of health 
  4.12  may by directive isolate or quarantine a person or group of 
  4.13  persons without first obtaining a written, ex parte order from 
  4.14  the court if a delay in isolating or quarantining the person or 
  4.15  group of persons would significantly jeopardize the commissioner 
  4.16  of health's ability to prevent or limit the transmission of a 
  4.17  communicable or potentially communicable life threatening 
  4.18  disease to others.  The directive shall specify the known period 
  4.19  of incubation or communicability or the estimated period under 
  4.20  the commissioner's best medical judgment when the disease is 
  4.21  unknown.  The directive remains in effect for the period 
  4.22  specified unless amended by the commissioner or superseded by a 
  4.23  court order.  The commissioner must provide the person or group 
  4.24  of persons subject to the temporary hold with notice that the 
  4.25  person has a right to request a court hearing under this section 
  4.26  and a right to be represented by counsel during a proceeding 
  4.27  under this section.  If it is impracticable to provide 
  4.28  individual notice to each person subject to the temporary hold, 
  4.29  notice of these rights may be posted in the same manner as the 
  4.30  posting of orders under subdivision 1, paragraph (c).  Following 
  4.31  the imposition of isolation or quarantine under this subdivision 
  4.32  Immediately upon executing the directive and initiating notice 
  4.33  of the parties subject to it, the commissioner of health shall 
  4.34  within 24 hours initiate the process to apply for a written, ex 
  4.35  parte order pursuant to subdivision 1 authorizing the isolation 
  4.36  or quarantine.  The court must rule within 24 hours of receipt 
  5.1   of the application.  If the person is under a temporary hold, 
  5.2   the person may not be held in isolation or quarantine after the 
  5.3   temporary hold expires unless the court issues an ex parte order 
  5.4   under subdivision 1.  If the court does not rule within 36 hours 
  5.5   after the execution of the directive, the directive shall expire.
  5.6      (b) At the same time the commissioner initiates the process 
  5.7   to apply for a written, ex parte order under paragraph (a), the 
  5.8   commissioner shall notify the governor, the president of the 
  5.9   senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the 
  5.10  chairs of the senate and house committees having jurisdiction 
  5.11  over health policy that a directive for a temporary hold has 
  5.12  been issued under this subdivision.  Notice under this paragraph 
  5.13  is governed by the data privacy provisions of section 144.4195, 
  5.14  subdivision 6. 
  5.15     (c) Any peace officer, as defined in section 144.4803, 
  5.16  subdivision 16, shall enforce a commissioner's directive under 
  5.17  paragraph (a), and may use all necessary and lawful means to 
  5.18  apprehend, hold, transport, quarantine, or isolate a person 
  5.19  subject to the order.  "Necessary and lawful means" include 
  5.20  reasonable force but not deadly force as defined in section 
  5.21  609.066, subdivision 1.  The commissioner or an agent of a local 
  5.22  board of health authorized under section 145A.04 shall advise 
  5.23  the peace officer on request of protective measures recommended 
  5.24  to protect the officer from possible transmission of the 
  5.25  communicable disease.  The peace officer may act upon telephone, 
  5.26  facsimile, or other electronic notification of the order from 
  5.27  the court, commissioner of health, agent of a local board of 
  5.28  health, or commissioner of public safety. 
  5.29     (d) If a person subject to a commissioner's directive under 
  5.30  paragraph (a) is already institutionalized in an appropriate 
  5.31  health care facility, the commissioner of health may direct the 
  5.32  facility to continue to hold the person.  The facility shall 
  5.33  take all reasonable measures to prevent the person from exposing 
  5.34  others to the communicable disease. 
  5.35     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 144.4195, 
  5.36  subdivision 5, is amended to read: 
  6.1      Subd. 5.  [JUDICIAL PROCEDURES AND DECISIONS.] (a) Court 
  6.2   orders issued pursuant to subdivision 3 or 4 shall be based upon 
  6.3   clear and convincing evidence and a written record of the 
  6.4   disposition of the case shall be made and retained.  
  6.5      (b) Any person subject to isolation or quarantine has the 
  6.6   right to be represented by counsel or other lawful 
  6.7   representative.  Persons not otherwise represented may request 
  6.8   the court to appoint counsel at the expense of the Department of 
  6.9   Health or of a local public health board that has entered into a 
  6.10  written delegation agreement with the commissioner under 
  6.11  subdivision 7.  The court shall appoint counsel when so 
  6.12  requested and may have one counsel represent a group of persons 
  6.13  similarly situated.  The appointments shall be only for 
  6.14  representation under subdivisions 3 and 4 and for appeals of 
  6.15  orders under subdivisions 3 and 4.  On counsel's request, the 
  6.16  commissioner or an agent of a local board of health authorized 
  6.17  under section 145A.04 shall advise counsel of protective 
  6.18  measures recommended to protect counsel from possible 
  6.19  transmission of the communicable disease.  Appointments shall be 
  6.20  made and counsel compensated according to procedures developed 
  6.21  by the Supreme Court.  Counsel appointed for a respondent is not 
  6.22  required to pursue an appeal if, in the opinion of counsel, 
  6.23  there is insufficient basis for proceeding. 
  6.24     (c) The court may choose to conduct a hearing under 
  6.25  subdivision 3 or 4 by telephonic, interactive video, or other 
  6.26  electronic means to maintain isolation or quarantine precautions 
  6.27  and reduce the risk of spread of a communicable disease.  
  6.28  Otherwise, the manner in which the request for a hearing is 
  6.29  filed and acted upon shall be in accordance with the existing 
  6.30  laws and rules of the courts of this state or, if the isolation 
  6.31  or quarantine occurs during a national security or peacetime 
  6.32  emergency, any rules that are developed by the courts for use 
  6.33  during a national security or peacetime emergency. 
  6.34     Sec. 5.  [144.4196] [EMPLOYEE PROTECTION.] 
  6.35     Subdivision 1.  [DEFINITIONS.] For purposes of this section:
  6.36     (1) "qualifying employee" means a person who performs 
  7.1   services for hire in Minnesota and who has been subject to 
  7.2   isolation or quarantine for a communicable disease as defined in 
  7.3   section 144.419, subdivision 1, clause (2).  The term applies to 
  7.4   persons who comply with isolation or quarantine restrictions 
  7.5   because of: 
  7.6      (i) a commissioner's directive; 
  7.7      (ii) an order of a federal quarantine officer; 
  7.8      (iii) a state or federal court order; or 
  7.9      (iv) a written recommendation of the commissioner or 
  7.10  designee that the person enter isolation or quarantine; and 
  7.11     (2) "employer" means any person having one or more 
  7.12  employees in Minnesota and includes the state and any political 
  7.13  subdivision of the state. 
  7.14     Subd. 2.  [PROTECTIONS.] (a) An employer shall not 
  7.15  discharge, discipline, threaten, or penalize a qualifying 
  7.16  employee, or otherwise discriminate in the work terms, 
  7.17  conditions, location, or privileges of the employee, because the 
  7.18  employee has been in isolation or quarantine. 
  7.19     (b) A qualifying employee claiming a violation of paragraph 
  7.20  (a) may bring a civil action for recovery of lost wages or 
  7.21  benefits, for reinstatement, or for other relief within 180 days 
  7.22  of the claimed violation or 180 days of the end of the isolation 
  7.23  or quarantine, whichever is later.  A qualifying employee who 
  7.24  prevails shall be allowed reasonable attorney fees fixed by the 
  7.25  court. 
  7.26     (c) Nothing in this subdivision is intended to alter sick 
  7.27  leave or sick pay terms of the employment relationship. 
  7.28     Subd. 3.  [LIMITATIONS.] The protections of subdivision 2 
  7.29  do not apply to work absences due to isolation or quarantine for 
  7.30  periods longer than 21 consecutive work days.  However, absences 
  7.31  due to isolation or quarantine for periods longer than 21 
  7.32  consecutive work days resulting in loss of employment shall be 
  7.33  treated for purposes of unemployment compensation in the same 
  7.34  manner as loss of employment due to a serious illness. 
  7.35     Sec. 6.  [144.4197] [EMERGENCY VACCINE ADMINISTRATION AND 
  7.36  LEGEND DRUG DISPENSING.] 
  8.1      When a mayor, county board chair, or legal successor to 
  8.2   such official has declared a local emergency under section 12.29 
  8.3   or the governor has declared an emergency under section 12.31, 
  8.4   subdivision 1 or 2, the commissioner of health may authorize any 
  8.5   person, including, but not limited to, any person licensed or 
  8.6   otherwise credentialed under chapters 144E, 147 to 148, 150A, 
  8.7   151, 153, or 156, to administer vaccinations or dispense legend 
  8.8   drugs if the commissioner determines that such action is 
  8.9   necessary to protect the health and safety of the public.  The 
  8.10  authorization shall be in writing and shall contain the 
  8.11  categories of persons included in the authorization, any 
  8.12  additional training required before performance of the 
  8.13  vaccination or drug dispensing by such persons, any supervision 
  8.14  required for performance of the vaccination or drug dispensing, 
  8.15  and the duration of the authorization.  The commissioner may, in 
  8.16  writing, extend the scope and duration of the authorization as 
  8.17  the emergency warrants.  Any person authorized by the 
  8.18  commissioner under this section shall not be subject to criminal 
  8.19  liability, administrative penalty, professional discipline, or 
  8.20  other administrative sanction for good faith performance of the 
  8.21  vaccination or drug dispensing duties assigned according to this 
  8.22  section. 
  8.23     Sec. 7.  Laws 2002, chapter 402, section 21, as amended by 
  8.24  Laws 2004, chapter 279, article 11, section 7, is amended to 
  8.25  read: 
  8.26     Sec. 21.  [SUNSET.] 
  8.27     Sections 1 to 19, 2, 5, 8, 10, and 11 expire August 1, 2005.
  8.28  Section 19, subdivision 2, expires August 1, 2009.  
  8.29     Sec. 8.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  8.30     Section 7 is effective the day following final enactment.