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The Mounds View Vision <br />A Thriving Desirable Community <br /> <br />Item No : 07A <br />Meeting Date April 13, 2020 <br />Type of Business: Special Guest <br />City Administrator Review: _____ <br />City of Mounds View Staff Report <br />To: Honorable Mayor and City Council <br />From: Nyle Zikmund, City Administrator <br />Item Title/Subject: Workers Compensation Fund <br /> <br />Introduction: <br />The COVID 19 Pandemic has resulted in numerous issues, one of primary concern – <br />Presumptive Workers Compensation for COVID 19 claims filed by First Responders. <br />On Tuesday April 7, 2020 the Legislature passed a bill covering police, fire, EMS, <br />nurses, corrections but does not fund. Below is the correspondence from the Metro <br />Cities ED, Patty Nauman. LMC sent out an almost identical email. <br /> <br />Discussion: <br />Good afternoon: <br /> <br />I am writing to provide an update on the worke rs’ compensation legislation for first <br />responders, House File 4537, and to ask cities for additional contact with your local <br />legislators on this issue. The House and Senate today passed this legislation, which <br />provides a presumption for COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims for public health <br />and safety employees. The bill does not provide a funding source for these costs. <br /> <br />Metro Cities has been working with the League of MN Cities (LMC) to support a <br />separate state fund to address costs for first responders resulting from the COVID-19 <br />pandemic. The legislation that passed today does not include a funding <br />mechanism. Cost estimates provided by the LMC indicate a potential for these costs to <br />be between $100 and $500 million. The LMC has asked that a working group <br />consisting of labor, business, self-insured entities and local government, be appointed <br />to address a funding source to address these costs. Metro Cities supports the creation <br />of a work group. <br /> <br />Please contact your local legislators and the office of Governor Walz, as soon as <br />possible, to express support for a state fund to address COVID-19 costs for first <br />responders. The workers compensation system is not equipped to cover the needs of a <br />pandemic of this scope and a separate funding source to address these costs is crucial <br />and urgent. State support is necessary to avoid severe financial implications and <br />instability in the workers’ compensation system. <br /> <br />Attached is a link to a summary of the bill prepared by Senate legislative staff, for your <br />information: https://www.senate.mn/departments/scr/billsumm/summary_display_from_ <br />db.php?ls=91&id=7303 <br /> <br />If you could follow up to let me know if you are able to contact your legislators and the <br />Governor, that would be greatly appreciated. Please let me know if you have any <br />questions, or need additional information. <br /> <br />Thank you!