Today, the Minnesota Legislature unanimously passed legislation that provides occupational protections for certain workers who contract COVID-19 on the job. The bill specifies that certain frontline workers, including health care workers, police officers, paramedics, corrections officers, and others are eligible for expedited workers’ compensation benefits for health issues that may arise due to the coronavirus.

“The State of Minnesota recognizes the tremendous job that healthcare workers and first responders are doing during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we recognize the sacrifices that we’re asking these folks to make,” said Senator Bill Ingebrigtsen (R-Alexandria). “To show our support and honor their work, we need to put our best foot forward to make sure that we care for them if they should get sick.”

The legislation guarantees that people in high-risk jobs who contract COVID-19 while performing their occupational duties are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits with a lower burden of having to prove the infection was a direct result of their job. Those Individuals with confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 will be presumed to have an occupational disease, thereby making them eligible for workers’ compensation benefits under state law. Most licensed peace officers, firefighters, paramedics, nurses, health care workers, correction officers, workers at secure state facilities, workers at long-term care facilities, and child care providers are among the classes of workers included in the bill.

The provisions of the bill expire on May 1, 2021.