On Thursday of last week, the Legislature passed a bill extending the sunset date allowing frontline workers (firefighters, police officers, nurses, etc.) to file a workers compensation claim without having to prove they became ill with COVID-19 while at work (presumption). Instead, it is up to the employer to rebut the claim and show the illness happened away from the worksite.
With COVID-19 still impacting our daily life, the extension of this sunset is a big win for frontline workers, who will now continue to have an easier ability to get claim approval to cover medical and wage losses due to being sick. 180,000 – 220,000 workers in Minnesota are expected to be positively impacted by this extension. Gov. Walz has since signed the legislation into law.
However, a gap in coverage for these frontline workers exists between January 1st to the enactment date. Senate DFLers remain committed to eliminating this coverage gap and supporting these workers. (HF 1203)
