Minnesota Lawmakers to Ensure Workers’ Comp Coverage to Responders with COVID-19

The Minnesota Legislature is reconvening to pass a bill to ensure that first responders and health care workers who contract COVID-19 qualify for workers’ compensation without having to prove that they contracted the disease on the job.

Legislative leaders announced the agreement late Sunday night. The new rules will apply to a range of emergency and health care workers, including police officers, firefighters, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, correctional officers, nurses, home health care workers and people who provide childcare to first responders and health care workers.

“We hope it’s not needed, but it is vitally important for these heroes on the front lines to know that this policy is in place to help protect their health and safety during this difficult and uncertain time,” Republican Senate President Jeremy Miller, who helped broker the agreement, said in a statement.

The House will convene at noon today while the Senate will meet at 2 p.m. to pass the bill, using some of the same social distancing rules they used when they met for a day March 26 to pass a $330 million COVID-19 relief package.