HF 4579

2nd Engrossment - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 05/12/2020 04:52pm

A bill for an act
relating to health; establishing contact tracing, case investigations, and follow-up
services for persons with COVID-19; requiring reports; appropriating money.

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

Section 1. new text begin CONTACT TRACING, CASE INVESTIGATION, AND FOLLOW-UP
SERVICES PROGRAM FOR PERSONS WITH COVID-19.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Definitions. new text end

new text begin (a) The definitions in this subdivision apply to this section.
new text end

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

new text begin (c) "Contact tracing" means a program to identify persons who may be at risk of
contracting COVID-19 through contact, in a manner consistent with known or suspected
modes of COVID-19 transmission, with a person with COVID-19.
new text end

new text begin (d) "Employee" means any person who performs health care services for hire in Minnesota
for an employer.
new text end

new text begin (e) "Employer" means any person having one or more employees in Minnesota and
includes the state and political or other governmental subdivisions of the state.
new text end

new text begin (f) "Person with COVID-19" means a person who has received a positive diagnostic test
for COVID-19 and is currently contagious.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Program established. new text end

new text begin In order to control the spread of COVID-19 in the state,
the commissioner shall establish a contact tracing, case investigation, and follow-up services
program for persons with COVID-19 who are in Minnesota. This program must operate to
accurately and efficiently perform the following functions regarding persons with COVID-19
who are in Minnesota: (1) identify contacts; (2) perform case investigations; (3) provide
follow-up services; and (4) coordinate these services as necessary with border states. In
carrying out the purposes of this section, the commissioner shall partner with local health
departments, community health boards, and tribal health departments as much as feasible
and shall use information provided by these entities on local conditions and communities.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Uses of funds. new text end

new text begin The commissioner shall use available funds for purposes of this
section, including but not limited to the following purposes:
new text end

new text begin (1) contact tracing, case investigation, follow-up services, and information technology
necessary to support these activities;
new text end

new text begin (2) hiring, training, and managing staff and volunteers to perform contact tracing, case
investigation, and follow-up services;
new text end

new text begin (3) the provision of essential services, including but not limited to the provision of
alternate housing, food delivery, and delivery of medications, to persons with COVID-19
who are in Minnesota and are subject to isolation or quarantine;
new text end

new text begin (4) community education;
new text end

new text begin (5) interpreter services;
new text end

new text begin (6) community outreach through statewide or local media or other methods of
communication;
new text end

new text begin (7) the purchase of personal protective equipment necessary for staff and volunteers to
perform contact tracing, case investigation, and follow-up services;
new text end

new text begin (8) providing grants to local health departments, community health boards, and tribal
health departments for purposes of this section;
new text end

new text begin (9) contracting with a vendor or organization to hire, train, and manage program staff
and volunteers;
new text end

new text begin (10) transferring funds to other state agencies as necessary to establish and operate the
program; and
new text end

new text begin (11) compliance with the reporting requirements in subdivision 5.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Health care workers who are furloughed or on unpaid leave. new text end

new text begin (a)
Notwithstanding any law or rule to the contrary, no employer shall prohibit an employee
from performing contact tracing, case investigation, and follow-up services for hire under
the program established under this section, during a period of two days or more that the
employee is furloughed or on unpaid leave of absence, provided such work for hire does
not violate the terms of the employee's collective bargaining agreement. An employee who
performs contact tracing, case investigation, and follow-up services under the program
established under this section shall notify the employer from which the employee has been
furloughed or placed on unpaid leave of absence, and shall be available to return to work
with that employer upon one week's notice from that employer.
new text end

new text begin (b) An employer shall not terminate, retaliate against, or alter the terms, conditions, or
benefits of employment of an employee who performs contact tracing, case investigation,
and follow-up services under the program established under this section.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Reporting. new text end

new text begin By the 15th and last day of each month, the commissioner must
report to the members of the legislative committees governing the Department of Health,
on expenditures made under this section to date and current program staffing levels. The
report must include:
new text end

new text begin (1) the amount of each expenditure;
new text end

new text begin (2) the purpose of each expenditure;
new text end

new text begin (3) the number of staff engaged in contact tracing, case investigation, and follow-up
services under the program, broken out by state staff; local health department, community
health board, and tribal health department staff; and volunteers; and
new text end

new text begin (4) any additional information that the commissioner determines may assist the legislature
in understanding the progress of these efforts.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Expiration. new text end

new text begin This section expires February 1, 2021.
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 APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $300,000,000 in fiscal year 2020 is appropriated from the coronavirus relief federal fund
to the commissioner of health for purposes of section 1. This is a onetime appropriation.
Of this amount:
new text end

new text begin (1) up to $3,000,000 is for short-term staffing to support the current case investigation
and contact tracing strategy;
new text end

new text begin (2) up to $4,000,000 is for transfer to tribal nations in Minnesota to support contact
tracing, case investigation, and follow-up efforts;
new text end

new text begin (3) up to $30,000,000 is for transfer to local health departments and community health
boards to support contact tracing, case investigation, and follow-up efforts conducted in
coordination with the Department of Health and to support community education, outreach,
and case management efforts within communities;
new text end

new text begin (4) up to $5,000,000 is for a public information campaign;
new text end

new text begin (5) up to $30,000,000 is for information technology needed to support the new case
investigation and contact tracing strategy; and
new text end

new text begin (6) up to $228,000,000 is to contract for or to hire, train, and support temporary employees
and volunteers for purposes of this section.
new text end

new text begin The commissioner may move appropriation amounts among the uses authorized in clauses
(1) to (6), provided the commissioner reports on any such changes under section 1,
subdivision 5.
new text end