1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to health; establishing hearing loss training requirements for housing with 
1.3 	services establishments;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
1.4 	chapter 144D.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [144D.061] TRAINING IN HEARING LOSS CARE REQUIRED.
1.7 	(a) Housing with services establishments that provide assisted living services under 
1.8 	chapter 144G must meet the following training requirements:
1.9 	(1) supervisors of direct care staff must have at least two hours of initial training on 
1.10 	topics specified under paragraph (b) within 120 working hours of the employment start date 
1.11 	and must have at least two hours of training on topics related to age-related hearing loss 
1.12 	care for each 12 months of employment thereafter;
1.13 	(2) direct care employees must have completed at least two hours of initial training on 
1.14 	topics specified under paragraph (b) within 160 working hours of the employment start 
1.15 	date. Until this initial training is complete, an employee must not provide direct care unless 
1.16 	there is another employee on site who has completed the initial two hours of training on 
1.17 	topics related to age-related hearing loss care and who can act as a resource and assist if 
1.18 	issues arise. A trainer of the requirements under paragraph (b) or supervisor meeting the 
1.19 	requirements under paragraph (a), clause (1), must be available for consultation with the 
1.20 	new employee until the training requirement is complete. Direct care employees must have 
1.21 	at least one hour of training on topics related to age-related hearing loss care for each 12 
1.22 	months of employment thereafter;
2.1 	(3) staff who do not provide direct care, including maintenance, housekeeping, and food 
2.2 	service staff, must have at least one hour of initial training on topics specified under paragraph 
2.3 	(b) within 160 working hours of the employment start date and must have at least 30 minutes 
2.4 	of training on topics related to age-related hearing loss care for each 12 months of 
2.5 	employment thereafter; and
2.6 	(4) new employees may satisfy the initial training requirements by producing written 
2.7 	proof of previously completed required training within the past 18 months.
2.8 	(b) Areas of required training include:
2.9 	(1) an explanation of age-related hearing loss and how it manifests itself, its prevalence, 
2.10 	and challenges it poses to communication;
2.11 	(2) health impacts related to untreated age-related hearing loss, such as increased 
2.12 	incidence of dementia, falls, hospitalizations, isolation, and depression; and
2.13 	(3) information about strategies and technology that can enhance communication and 
2.14 	involvement, including communication strategies, assistive listening devices, hearing aids, 
2.15 	visual and tactile alerting devices, communication access in real time, and closed captions.