SF 378

2nd Engrossment - 84th Legislature (2005 - 2006) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to human services; modifying use of personal
sick leave benefits; establishing an Internet-based
caregiver support program; requiring a telehome care
study; appropriating money; amending Minnesota
Statutes 2004, sections 181.9413; 256B.0917, by adding
a subdivision.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 181.9413, is
amended to read:

181.9413 SICK deleted text begin OR INJURED CHILD CARE deleted text end LEAVE new text begin BENEFITS; USE TO
CARE FOR CERTAIN RELATIVES new text end .

(a) An employee may use personal sick leave benefits
provided by the employer for absences due to an illness of or
injury to the employee's child new text begin , spouse, sibling, parent,
grandparent, or stepparent new text end for such reasonable periods as the
employee's attendance deleted text begin with the child deleted text end may be necessary, on the
same terms new text begin upon which new text end the employee is able to use sick leave
benefits for the employee's own illness or injury. This section
applies only to personal sick leave benefits payable to the
employee from the employer's general assets.

(b) For purposes of this section, "personal sick leave
benefits" means time accrued and available to an employee to be
used as a result of absence from work due to personal illness or
injury, but does not include short-term or long-term disability
or other salary continuation benefits.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective August 1, 2005,
and applies to sick leave used on or after that date.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 256B.0917, is
amended by adding a subdivision to read:

new text begin Subd. 6a. new text end

new text begin Internet-based caregiver support program. new text end

new text begin The
Minnesota Board on Aging shall develop and implement an
Internet-based caregiver support program. The goal of the
program shall be to provide family caregivers with the
information and tools needed to self-manage, plan, purchase,
coordinate, monitor, and evaluate the day-to-day activities and
care outcomes of family members to whom they provide care. The
program must complement Internet-based information services that
are currently available. The program must include the following
components:
new text end

new text begin (1) direct connectivity to statewide systems, including,
but not limited to, Senior LinkAge Line, MinnesotaHelp.info,
RXConnect, and long-term care consultation and to vendors and
providers of goods and services, including, but not limited to,
respite care, coach services, pharmaceutical vendors, medical
supply vendors, grocers, personal care vendors, and electronic
assistive technology vendors;
new text end

new text begin (2) access to online resources, including connectivity to
daily living and clinical monitoring devices and audio and
visual contact between the care recipient, the caregiver,
services providers, and others for tracking or conducting
service visits, care meetings, and other service provision;
new text end

new text begin (3) message boards related to caregiver news, information,
and events;
new text end

new text begin (4) data collection, including surveys, and reporting and
registration functions as required by state and federal
programs; and
new text end

new text begin (5) an individual data profile accessible by designated
parties to view, add, share, or edit information as needed to
support informal caregiving.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin TELEHOME CARE STUDY.
new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner of human services, in consultation
with the commissioner of health, shall convene a work group to
study and make recommendations on integrating within the home
health care delivery system the delivery of home health care
services via an interactive telecommunications system and
monitoring technologies to homebound patients with chronic
illness or disabilities. The study shall examine the
effectiveness of video conferencing, Internet access, and
physiological monitoring within a home health care setting in
terms of cost, accessibility, health outcomes, and provider and
patient satisfaction. The study shall:
new text end

new text begin (1) identify limitations and barriers and recommend
possible solutions to providing telehome care, including
provider reimbursement; patient and provider recruitment and
training; equipment and technology access and support; and
patient privacy;
new text end

new text begin (2) identify possible populations that may benefit from
in-home monitoring and education;
new text end

new text begin (3) identify best-practices guidelines, policies, and
standards for telehome care;
new text end

new text begin (4) assess the status of current projects providing
telehome care in Minnesota; and
new text end

new text begin (5) identify partnership models and collaboration potential
for delivering quality telehome care delivery system.
new text end

new text begin (b) The work group shall include representatives of health
care providers, hospitals, educators, researchers, home health
care providers, and home health care recipients.
new text end

new text begin (c) The commissioner shall submit a report to the
legislature by January 15, 2006, on the results of the study,
including any recommendations on necessary legislative changes
in order to incorporate telehome care into the health care
delivery system.
new text end

Sec. 4. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS.
new text end

new text begin $750,000 in fiscal year 2006 and $200,000 in fiscal year
2007 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner
of human services for the purposes of section 2.
new text end