1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to health; requiring an audit of COVID-19 deaths; requiring a report.
1.3 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.4 	Section 1. AUDIT OF COVID-19 DEATHS.
 1.5 		Subdivision 1.Audit. (a) The state registrar with the Office of Vital Records shall 
1.6 	contract with an independent third-party entity that includes epidemiologists and forensic 
1.7 	pathologists to conduct an audit of all deaths attributed to COVID-19 to ascertain the medical 
1.8 	and nonmedical causes of death. The audit entity shall frame guidelines for the audit of 
1.9 	COVID-19 deaths and related deaths to identify overreported and underreported cases of 
1.10 	COVID-19 deaths. The audit entity shall have access to all government reports on COVID-19 
1.11 	deaths and the factors that led to the deaths and any predisposing factors for the deaths.  
1.12 	Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, chapter 13, and sections 144.221, 144.225, and 144.291, 
1.13 	the contracted audit entity shall have the authority to review the death certificates, certificates 
1.14 	of removal under Minnesota Statutes, section 149A.90, medical records, coroner records, 
1.15 	and medical examiner records of persons certified to have died from COVID-19.
1.16 	(b) The audit entity shall determine whether PCR testing used to detect the presence of 
1.17 	the SARS CoV-2 coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 was done and, if so, when the 
1.18 	testing was done.
1.19 		Subd. 2.Report. No later than 30 days after completion of the audit, the state registrar 
1.20 	with the Office of Vital Records must provide an audit report to the chairs and ranking 
1.21 	minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over health policy and 
1.22 	data practices, the Legislative Commission on Data Practices and Personal Data, and the 
2.1 	commissioner of health. Results of the audit shall be public data. The audit entity shall 
2.2 	de-identify any information used in the report. The report must be submitted as required 
2.3 	under Minnesota Statutes, section 3.195. Findings from the audit shall help in developing 
2.4 	strategies for more accurate reporting and for improving prevention and control measures 
2.5 	for COVID-19.