St. Paul, MN - Today, on the first day of the 2022 legislative session, Rep. Dan Wolgamott’s (DFL - St. Cloud) legislation (HF 2656) extending the COVID-19 workers’ compensation presumption passed the House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy Committee. The law provides a presumption that if public safety or health care workers contract COVID-19, they did so during the course of their employment and are covered by workers’ compensation.
The previous law allowing for this presumption sunsetted on December 31, 2021, leaving 183,000 frontline workers without the guarantee of compensation in the event they contract COVID-19. The new bill would extend the presumption to May 31, 2023, and retroactively cover those impacted during the lapsed time. Since the original law was passed, 22,573 workers have received compensation under the presumption, totaling $20 million. During the lapsed time, over 2,000 frontline workers have contracted COVID-19.
Every day, a projected average of 65 frontline workers will contract COVID-19, leaving them and their families on the hook for between $1000-$9600,” said Rep. Wolgamott. “We need to pass this bill as quickly as possible to have the backs of the heroic men and women who are keeping us safe, taking care of us when we are sick, and caring for our children.
Those workers impacted by this legislation include:
- Firefighters
- Peace and Police officers
- Paramedics
- EMTs
- Health care providers, nurses or assistive employees in a health care, home care or long-term care setting who work with COVID-19 patients
- Nurses, health care workers, correctional officers or security counselors at correctional facilities
- Child care providers who are required to provide child care for the children of first responders and health care workers under the Governor’s Executive Orders
The committee voted to advance the legislation to the General Register on a party-line vote of 8-5. Video of today’s hearing can be found here.