1.1.................... moves to amend H. F. No. 712 as follows:
1.2Delete everything after the enacting clause and insert:

1.3    "Section 1. [182.6551] CITATION.
1.4    Sections 182.6551 to 182.6553 may be cited as the "Safe Patient Handling Act."

1.5    Sec. 2. [182.6552] DEFINITIONS.
1.6    Subdivision 1. Direct patient care worker. "Direct patient care worker" means an
1.7individual doing the job of directly providing physical care to patients including nurses, as
1.8defined by section 148.171, who provide physical care to patients.
1.9    Subd. 2. Health care facility. "Health care facility" means a hospital as defined in
1.10section 144.50, subdivision 2, a medical facility as defined in section 144.561, subdivision
1.111, paragraph (b), a nursing home as defined in section 144A.01, subdivision 5, an
1.12outpatient clinic, or a physician's office.
1.13    Subd. 3. Safe patient handling. "Safe patient handling" means a process, based on
1.14scientific evidence on causes of injuries, that uses safe patient handling equipment rather
1.15than people to transfer, move, and reposition patients in all health care facilities to reduce
1.16workplace injuries. This process also reduces the risk of injury to patients.
1.17    Subd. 4. Safe patient handling equipment. "Safe patient handling equipment"
1.18means engineering controls, lifting and transfer aids, or mechanical assistive devices used
1.19by nurses and other direct patient care workers instead of manual lifting to perform the
1.20acts of lifting, transferring, and repositioning health care facility patients and residents.

1.21    Sec. 3. [182.6553] SAFE PATIENT HANDLING PROGRAM.
1.22    Subdivision 1. Safe patient handling program required. (a) By January 1, 2008,
1.23every licensed health care facility in the state shall adopt a written safe patient handling
1.24policy establishing the facility's plan to achieve by January 1, 2011, the goal of minimizing
2.1manual lifting of patients by nurses and other direct patient care workers by utilizing
2.2safe patient handling equipment.
2.3    (b) The program shall address:
2.4    (1) assessment of hazards with regard to patient handling;
2.5    (2) the acquisition of an adequate supply of appropriate safe patient handling
2.6equipment;
2.7    (3) initial and ongoing training of nurses and other direct patient care workers on
2.8the use of this equipment;
2.9    (4) procedures to ensure that physical plant modifications and major construction
2.10projects are consistent with program goals; and
2.11    (5) periodic evaluations of the safe patient handling program.
2.12    Subd. 2. Safe patient handling committee. (a) By July 1, 2008, every licensed
2.13health care facility in the state shall establish a safe patient handling committee either by
2.14creating a new committee or assigning the functions of a safe patient handling committee
2.15to an existing committee.
2.16    (b) Membership of a safe patient handling committee or an existing committee must
2.17meet the following requirements:
2.18    (1) at least half the members shall be nonmanagerial nurses and other direct patient
2.19care workers; and
2.20    (2) in a health care facility where nurses and other direct patient care workers
2.21are covered by a collective bargaining agreement, the union shall select the committee
2.22members proportionate to its representation of nonmanagement nurses and other direct
2.23patient care workers.
2.24    (c) A health care organization with more than one covered health care facility may
2.25establish a committee at each facility or one committee to serve this function for all the
2.26facilities. If the organization chooses to have one overall committee for multiple facilities,
2.27at least half of the members of the overall committee must be nonmanagerial nurses and
2.28other direct patient care workers and each facility must be represented on the committee.
2.29    (d) Employees who serve on a safe patient handling committee must be compensated
2.30by their employer for all hours spent on committee business.
2.31    Subd. 3. Facilities with existing programs. A facility that has already adopted a
2.32safe patient handling policy that satisfies the requirements of subdivision 1 of this section,
2.33and established a safe patient handling committee by January 1, 2008, is considered to
2.34be in compliance with those requirements. The committee must continue to satisfy the
2.35requirements of subdivision 2, paragraph (b), on an ongoing basis.
3.1    Subd. 4. Committee duties. A safe patient handling committee shall:
3.2    (1) complete a patient handling hazard assessment that:
3.3    (i) considers patient handling tasks, types of nursing units, patient populations, and
3.4the physical environment of patient care areas;
3.5    (ii) identifies problems and solutions;
3.6    (iii) identifies areas of highest risk for lifting injuries; and
3.7    (iv) recommends a mechanism to report, track, and analyze injury trends;
3.8    (2) make recommendations on the purchase, use, and maintenance of an adequate
3.9supply of appropriate safe patient handling equipment;
3.10    (3) make recommendations on training of nurses and other direct patient care
3.11workers on use of safe patient handling equipment, initially when the equipment arrives at
3.12the facility and periodically afterwards;
3.13    (4) conduct annual evaluations of the safe patient handling implementation plan and
3.14progress toward goals established in the safe patient handling plan; and
3.15    (5) recommend procedures to ensure that, when remodeling of patient care areas
3.16occurs, the plans incorporate safe patient handling equipment or the physical space and
3.17construction design needed to accommodate safe patient handling equipment at a later date.
3.18    Subd. 5. Training materials. The commissioner shall make training materials on
3.19implementation of this section available to all health care facilities at no cost as part of the
3.20training and education duties of the commissioner under section 182.673.

3.21    Sec. 4. ENFORCEMENT.
3.22    This section shall be enforced by the commissioner under Minnesota Statutes,
3.23section 182.661. A violation of this section is subject to the penalties provided under
3.24Minnesota Statutes, section 182.666.

3.25    Sec. 5. RULES.
3.26    Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 14.388, subdivision 1, clause (3), the
3.27commissioner of labor and industry shall make the following changes in Minnesota Rules,
3.28chapter 5203:
3.29    (1) add projects at health care facilities, regardless of the number of employees
3.30or size of the facility, to acquire safe patient handling equipment for use by nurses and
3.31direct patient care workers in performing the acts of lifting, transferring, or repositioning
3.32of patients and health care facility residents to the list of proposal preferences under
3.33Minnesota Rules, part 5203.0060, subpart 4; and
3.34    (2) increase the maximum safety grant award to 50 percent of project costs up to a
3.35maximum grant award of $40,000.

4.1    Sec. 6. STUDY.
4.2    The commissioner of labor and industry shall study ways to require workers'
4.3compensation insurers to recognize compliance with section 3 in the workers'
4.4compensation premiums of health care and long-term care facilities. The commissioner
4.5shall report by January 15, 2008, the results of the study to the chairs of the policy
4.6committees of the legislature with primary jurisdiction over workers' compensation issues.

4.7    Sec. 7. APPROPRIATION FOR SAFE PATIENT HANDLING GRANTS.
4.8    $....... is appropriated in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 from the general fund to the
4.9commissioner of labor and industry for grants under Minnesota Statutes, section 79.253,
4.10to health care facilities, regardless of the number of employees or size of the facility, for
4.11the acquisition of safe patient handling equipment for use by nurses and direct patient
4.12care workers in performing the acts of lifting, transferring, or repositioning of patients
4.13and health care facility residents. Grants may also be used for the training of staff on safe
4.14patient handling and the use of safe patient handling equipment. Grants must be matched
4.15on a dollar-for-dollar basis by grantees. Grant awards cannot exceed 50 percent of the
4.16total project cost up to a maximum grant award of $40,000."
4.17Delete the title and insert:
4.19relating to employee health; establishing the "Safe Patient Handling Act;"
4.20requiring safe patient handling programs and committees to be established;
4.21requiring training programs on safe patient handling; appropriating money;
4.22proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 182."