Injured paramedics and emergency medical technicians made eligible for continued health insurance coverage.

A bill for an act

relating to public safety; making certain injured paramedics and emergency medical

technicians eligible for continued health insurance coverage; amending Minnesota

Statutes 2024, section 299A.465, subdivision 5; Minnesota Statutes 2025

Supplement, section 299A.465, subdivision 1.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 299A.465, subdivision 1, is

amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

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Officer or firefighter
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Covered individual
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disabled in line of duty.

(a)

This subdivision applies to any
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peace officer or firefighter
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covered individual
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:

(1) who the Public Employees Retirement Association or the Minnesota State Retirement

System determines is eligible to receive a duty disability benefit pursuant to section
353.656

or
352B.10, subdivision 1
, respectively;
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or
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(2) who is a member of a local police or salaried firefighters relief association and

qualifies for a duty disability benefit under the terms of plans of the relief associations, and

the peace officer or firefighter has discontinued public service as a peace officer or firefighter

as a result of a disabling injury and has been determined, by the Public Employees Retirement

Association, to have otherwise met the duty disability criteria set forth in section
353.01,

subdivision 41
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; or
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(3) who is described in section 353.64, subdivision 10, and is eligible to receive a duty

disability benefit under section 353.656
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.

(b) Determinations made in accordance with paragraph (a) are binding on the
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peace

officer or firefighter
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covered individual
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, employer, and state. The determination must be

made by the executive director of the Public Employees Retirement Association or by the

executive director of the Minnesota State Retirement System, whichever applies, and is not

subject to section
356.96, subdivision 2
. Upon making a determination, the executive director

must provide written notice to the
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peace officer or firefighter
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covered individual
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and the

employer. The notice must include a written statement of the reasons for the determination.

If the notice is from the executive director of the Minnesota State Retirement System, the

notice must also include:

(1) a notice that the person may petition for a review of the determination by requesting

that a contested case be initiated before the Office of Administrative Hearings, the cost of

which must be borne by the peace officer or firefighter and the employer; and

(2) a statement that any person who does not petition for a review within 60 days is

precluded from contesting issues determined by the executive director in any other

administrative review or court procedure.

If, prior to the contested case hearing, additional information is provided to support the

claim for duty disability as defined in section
352B.011, subdivision 7
, the executive director

may reverse the determination without the requested hearing. If a hearing is held before the

Office of Administrative Hearings, the determination rendered by the judge conducting the

fact-finding hearing is a final decision and order under section
14.62, subdivision 2a
, and

is binding on the applicable executive director, the peace officer or firefighter, employer,

and state. Review of a final determination made by the Office of Administrative Hearings

under this section may only be obtained by writ of certiorari to the Minnesota Court of

Appeals under sections
14.63
to
14.68
. Only the peace officer or firefighter, employer, and

state have standing to participate in a judicial review of the decision of the Office of

Administrative Hearings.

(c) The
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officer's or firefighter's
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covered individual's
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employer must continue to provide

health coverage and pay for the coverage as required by paragraphs (d) to (g) for:

(1) the
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officer or firefighter
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covered individual
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; and

(2) the
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officer's or firefighter's
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covered individual's
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dependents if the
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officer or firefighter
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covered individual
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was receiving dependent coverage at the time of the injury under the

employer's group health plan.

(d) For
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an officer or firefighter
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a covered individual
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who has applied for or been approved

to receive benefits under section
353.656
prior to the date of enactment or
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an officer or

firefighter
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a covered individual
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who applies for and is approved for total and permanent

duty disability benefits under section
353.656, subdivision 1a
, the employer is responsible

for the continued payment of the employer's contribution for health coverage of the
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officer

or firefighter
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covered individual
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and, if applicable, the
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officer's or firefighter's
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covered

individual's
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dependents. Coverage must continue for the
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officer or firefighter
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covered

individual
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and, if applicable, the
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officer's or firefighter's
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covered individual's
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dependents

until the
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officer or firefighter
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covered individual
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reaches age 65 or, if deceased, would have

reached age 65.

(e) For
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an officer or firefighter
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a covered individual
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approved to receive benefits under

section
353.656
on or after the date of enactment and who is not approved for total and

permanent duty disability benefits under section
353.656, subdivision 1a
, the employer is

responsible for the continued payment of the employer's contribution for health coverage

of the
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officer or firefighter
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covered individual
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and, if applicable, the
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officer's or firefighter's
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covered individual's
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dependents. Coverage must continue:

(1) for the
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officer or firefighter
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covered individual
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for a period of 60 months or, if earlier,

until the
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officer or firefighter
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covered individual
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reaches age 65; and

(2) for the
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officer's or firefighter's
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covered individual's
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dependents for a period of 60

months.

(f) For an officer or firefighter who has applied for or been approved to receive benefits

under section
352B.10, subdivision 1
, the employer is responsible for the continued payment

of the employer's contribution for health coverage of the officer or firefighter and, if

applicable, the officer's or firefighter's dependents. Coverage must continue for the officer

or firefighter and, if applicable, the officer's or firefighter's dependents until the officer or

firefighter reaches age 65 or, if deceased, would have reached age 65.

(g) The employer is not required to continue health coverage for dependents after the

person is no longer a dependent.

(h)
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An officer or firefighter
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A covered individual
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who has applied for or been approved

to receive benefits under section
353.656
may affirmatively waive health coverage under

this section but must not receive any payment or other consideration from the employer in

exchange for waiver of the coverage. Any agreement entered into between
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an officer or

firefighter
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a covered individual
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who has applied for or been approved to receive benefits

under section
353.656
and the
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officer's or firefighter's
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covered individual's
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employer or the

employer's agent providing for compensation for a waiver of coverage under this section

is void. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to render void any agreement entered

into prior to the date of enactment.

(i) Once a duty disability determination is made pursuant to section
353.656
, the employer

has no right to challenge and is prohibited from challenging the continuation and payment

of health coverage under this section.

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EFFECTIVE DATE.

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This section is effective the day following final enactment.

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Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 299A.465, subdivision 5, is amended to read:

Subd. 5.

Definition.

For purposes of this section:

(a) "Peace officer" or "officer" has the meaning given in section
626.84, subdivision 1
,

paragraph (c).

(b) "Dependent" means a person who: (1) meets the definition of dependent in section

62L.02, subdivision 11
, at the time of the officer's
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, paramedic's, emergency medical

technician's,
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or firefighter's injury or death, or at the time of the volunteer firefighter's death;

and (2) is not covered under another group health plan. For purposes of this section, the

term "eligible employee" as defined under section
62L.02, subdivision 13
, includes a

volunteer firefighter.

(c) "Firefighter" has the meaning given in Minnesota Statutes 2000, section
424.03
, but

does not include volunteer firefighters.

(d) "Volunteer firefighter" has the meaning given in section
299N.03, subdivision 7
,

and includes paid per call.

(e) "Fire department" has the meaning given in section
299N.03, subdivision 4
.

(f) For purposes of subdivisions 2 to 5a, "employer" includes a municipality or

municipalities that operate the fire department in which a volunteer firefighter serves.

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(g) "Covered individual" includes a peace officer, firefighter, volunteer firefighter,

paramedic, and emergency medical technician eligible for benefits under subdivision 1.

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EFFECTIVE DATE.

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This section is effective the day following final enactment.

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Sec. 3.
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APPLICATION.
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The amendments in sections 1 and 2 apply to injuries occurring on or after January 1,

2020.

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