SF 2051

as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 10/19/2021 04:06pm

A bill for an act
relating to health; establishing requirements for distribution of COVID-19 vaccines;
providing for equitable COVID-19 vaccine distribution; requiring reporting and
provision of certain data; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes,
chapter 144.

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

Section 1.

new text begin [144.066] DISTRIBUTION OF COVID-19 VACCINES.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Definitions. new text end

new text begin (a) The terms defined in this subdivision apply to this section
and sections 144.067 to 144.069.
new text end

new text begin (b) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of health.
new text end

new text begin (c) "COVID-19 vaccine" means a vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome
coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
new text end

new text begin (d) "Department" means the Department of Health.
new text end

new text begin (e) "Director" means the director of COVID-19 vaccination equity and outreach.
new text end

new text begin (f) "Disproportionately impacted community" means a community or population that
has been disproportionately and negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and
includes communities of color; indigenous people; people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, or queer; recent immigrants; people with disabilities; and people with limited
English proficiency.
new text end

new text begin (g) "Local health department" has the meaning given in section 145A.02, subdivision
8b.
new text end

new text begin (h) "Mobile vaccination vehicle" means a vehicle-mounted unit that is either motorized
or trailered, that is readily movable without disassembling, and at which vaccines are
provided in more than one geographic location.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Distribution. new text end

new text begin The commissioner shall immediately enter into partnerships or
agreements with local health departments; local health care providers, including community
health centers and primary care providers; and local pharmacies to administer COVID-19
vaccines throughout the state. COVID-19 vaccines may also be administered via mobile
vaccination vehicles authorized under section 144.068.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Second dose or booster. new text end

new text begin For all COVID-19 vaccines for which a second dose
or booster is required, during the first vaccine appointment the vaccine provider must assist
vaccine recipients with scheduling an appointment for the second dose or booster. This
assistance may be provided during the observation period following vaccine administration.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 2.

new text begin [144.067] EQUITABLE COVID-19 VACCINE DISTRIBUTION.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Director of COVID-19 vaccination equity and outreach. new text end

new text begin The
commissioner shall establish the position of director of COVID-19 vaccination equity and
outreach at the department to plan and implement actions and programs to overcome
disparities in COVID-19 vaccination rates that are rooted in historic and current racism;
biases based on ethnicity, income, primary language, immigration status, or disability;
geography; or transportation access, language access, or Internet access. The duties of the
director shall include but are not limited to those specified in this section. The director shall
serve in a leadership role in the department's COVID-19 response activities and must have:
(1) significant expertise in public health; and (2) experience and knowledge relating to the
ethical and equitable distribution of scarce medical resources, experience with a statewide
campaign in this or another state, or extensive connections with multiple socially and
economically disadvantaged communities in this state.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Vaccine education and outreach campaign; direct delivery of
information. new text end

new text begin (a) The director shall administer a COVID-19 vaccine education and outreach
campaign that engages in direct delivery of information to members of disproportionately
impacted communities. In this campaign, the director shall contract with community-based
organizations including community faith-based organizations, tribal governments, local
health departments, and local health care providers, including community health centers
and primary care providers, to deliver the following information in a culturally relevant and
linguistically appropriate manner:
new text end

new text begin (1) medically and scientifically accurate information on the safety, efficacy, science,
and benefits of vaccines generally and COVID-19 vaccines in particular;
new text end

new text begin (2) information on how members of disproportionately impacted communities may
obtain a COVID-19 vaccine including, if applicable, obtaining a vaccine from a mobile
vaccination vehicle; and
new text end

new text begin (3) measures to prevent transmission of COVID-19, including adequate indoor ventilation,
wearing face coverings, and physical distancing from individuals outside the household.
new text end

new text begin (b) This information must be delivered directly by methods that include phone calls,
text messages, physically distanced door-to-door and street canvassing, and digital
event-based communication involving live and interactive messengers. For purposes of this
subdivision, direct delivery shall not include delivery by television, radio, newspaper, or
other forms of mass media.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Vaccine education and outreach campaign; mass media. new text end

new text begin The director shall
administer a mass media campaign to provide COVID-19 vaccine education and outreach
to members of disproportionately impacted communities. In this campaign, the director
shall contract with media vendors to provide the following information to members of
disproportionately impacted communities in a manner that is culturally relevant and
linguistically appropriate:
new text end

new text begin (1) medically and scientifically accurate information on the safety, efficacy, science,
and benefits of COVID-19 vaccines; and
new text end

new text begin (2) information on how members of disproportionately impacted communities may
obtain a COVID-19 vaccine.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Community assistance. new text end

new text begin The director shall administer a program to help
members of disproportionately impacted communities arrange for and prepare to obtain a
COVID-19 vaccine and to support transportation-limited members of these communities
with transportation to vaccination appointments or otherwise arrange for vaccine providers
to reach members of these communities.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. new text end

new text begin The director shall establish
an equity metric or set of metrics to measure the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines
in the state, and shall set and periodically update goals for COVID-19 vaccine distribution
in the state that are focused on equity.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Expiration of programs. new text end

new text begin The vaccine education and outreach programs in
subdivisions 2 and 3 and the community assistance program in subdivision 4 shall operate
until parity is achieved and maintained between COVID-19 vaccination rates in
disproportionately impacted communities and the statewide average COVID-19 vaccination
rate, or until the peacetime emergency declared under section 12.31, subdivision 2, due to
the COVID-19 pandemic is terminated or rescinded by proper authority, whichever occurs
first.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 3.

new text begin [144.068] MOBILE VACCINATION PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Program established. new text end

new text begin The commissioner, in partnership with local health
departments and the regional health care coalitions, shall establish a mobile vaccination
program in which mobile vaccination vehicles are deployed to communities around the state
to provide COVID-19 vaccines to residents of those communities. At least ... mobile
vaccination vehicles shall be deployed under this program. At least one mobile vaccination
vehicle shall be deployed to the jurisdictions of each of the eight regional health care
coalitions in the state, and within each jurisdiction the commissioner shall deploy the mobile
vaccination vehicle to the communities in the jurisdiction with the highest COVID-19 case
positivity rate for the most recent two-week period for which such data is available. The
commissioner shall deploy the remaining mobile vaccination vehicles to other communities
in the state with high COVID-19 case positivity rates or to locations to serve
disproportionately impacted communities.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Eligibility. new text end

new text begin Notwithstanding the phases and priorities of the state's COVID-19
allocation and prioritization plan or guidance, all residents of a community to which a mobile
vaccination vehicle is deployed shall be eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines from the
vehicle. An individual may establish residency in a community by self-attestation.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Staffing; interpretation services. new text end

new text begin Each mobile vaccination vehicle must be
staffed by at least one health care provider authorized under the provider's license to
administer vaccines and deliver basic life support, one medical assistant, one patient services
coordinator, and two community health workers. A mobile vaccination vehicle providing
vaccines in a community with a large number of residents with limited English proficiency
must also be staffed by interpreters for the needed languages. All mobile vaccination vehicles
must have access to telephonic language interpretation services.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Second doses. new text end

new text begin For vaccine recipients who receive a first dose of a COVID-19
vaccine from a mobile vaccination vehicle, vehicle staff shall provide assistance in scheduling
an appointment with a mobile vaccination vehicle or with another vaccine provider for any
needed second dose or booster. The commissioner shall, to the extent possible, deploy
mobile vaccination vehicles in a manner that allows vaccine recipients to receive second
doses or boosters from a mobile vaccination vehicle.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Expiration. new text end

new text begin The commissioner shall operate the mobile vaccination vehicle
program until a sufficient percentage of state residents have received COVID-19 vaccines
to protect the public from the spread of COVID-19.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 4.

new text begin [144.069] COVID-19 VACCINATION PLAN AND DATA; REPORTS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin COVID-19 vaccination plan; implementation protocols. new text end

new text begin The
commissioner shall:
new text end

new text begin (1) immediately publish updates to the COVID-19 vaccination plan previously submitted
to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reflect the current content of the plan,
and shall publish any subsequent modifications to the plan within 24 hours after the
modification is made;
new text end

new text begin (2) publish the equity metric or set of metrics and goals for equitable COVID-19 vaccine
distribution established by the director under section 144.067, subdivision 5; and
new text end

new text begin (3) publish implementation protocols to address the disparities in COVID-19 vaccination
rates in certain communities and ensure that members of disproportionately impacted
communities are given adequate access to COVID-19 vaccines.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Data on COVID-19 vaccines. new text end

new text begin On at least a weekly basis, the commissioner
shall publish on the department website:
new text end

new text begin (1) the number of unused vaccine doses in the state, an explanation for why the doses
remain unused, and a plan to redistribute the unused doses;
new text end

new text begin (2) the number of vaccine doses throughout the state, broken out by vaccination location;
new text end

new text begin (3) data measuring compliance with the equity metric or set of metrics and goals for
equitable COVID-19 vaccine distribution established by the director under section 144.067,
subdivision 5; and
new text end

new text begin (4) summary data on individuals who have received one or two doses of a COVID-19
vaccine, broken out by race, gender, ethnicity, age within an age range, disability status,
sexual orientation, gender identity, primary language, household income, occupation,
residence in a long-term care facility or other congregate care setting, housing status, and
zip code.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Monthly reports. new text end

new text begin (a) On at least a monthly basis, the commissioner shall report
to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction
over finance, ways and means, and health care:
new text end

new text begin (1) funds expended on COVID-19 vaccination activities, broken out by spending item
and region of the state where the activity took place;
new text end

new text begin (2) a detailed accounting of all funds distributed to local health departments for
COVID-19 response activities and the sources of such funds and a budget plan detailing
planned or anticipated distribution of funds to local health departments for COVID-19
response activities and the sources of funds; and
new text end

new text begin (3) additional financial information relevant to the implementation of sections 144.066
to 144.069.
new text end

new text begin (b) On at least a monthly basis, the governor shall provide a comprehensive report to
the legislature on how disproportionately impacted communities have been and are being
affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this report the governor must at least provide data
on the following topics, broken out by race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability status,
recent immigrant status, and limited English proficiency status, to the extent such data is
available:
new text end

new text begin (1) case and vaccine data, including positive COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations due to
COVID-19, patients admitted to an intensive care unit due to COVID-19, deaths due to
COVID-19, and individuals who have received one or two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine;
new text end

new text begin (2) data related to unemployment, including data on individuals filing for continued
unemployment benefits and persons filing for new or reactivated benefits;
new text end

new text begin (3) workforce data, including data on workers in essential industries, in occupations
placing them at higher risk to COVID-19 exposure, and in occupations vulnerable to layoffs;
and
new text end

new text begin (4) data on students, including data on elementary and secondary school students receiving
instruction in person, through a hybrid learning model, or through distance learning.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 5. new text begin DESIGNATION OF DIRECTOR OF COVID-19 VACCINE EQUITY AND
OUTREACH.
new text end

new text begin The commissioner of health shall designate an individual to serve as director of
COVID-19 vaccination equity and outreach under Minnesota Statutes, section 144.067, no
later than .......
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 6. new text begin ADDITIONAL MEMBER TO COVID-19 VACCINE ALLOCATION
ADVISORY GROUP.
new text end

new text begin The commissioner of health shall appoint an individual who is an expert on vaccine
disinformation to the state COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation Advisory Group no later than
.......
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end