St. Paul, MN - Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed House File 1203, which would extend the workers’ compensation benefits to public safety and health care workers who have been sickened by or exposed to COVID-19, with the presumption that they contracted the virus in the line of duty. This builds upon the legislation passed into law last April. The bill passed on a vote of 102-28.
Representative Cheryl Youakim (DFL-Hopkins) voted to support the measure and released the following statement:
“Our first responders have been unwavering since the onset of COVID-19 last year. They deserve the assurance that they’ll still be able put food on the table and provide for their families if their health is compromised in the line of duty. These Minnesotans are the heroes of this pandemic, and our state has the resources to ensure they don’t get left behind.”
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Representative Cheryl Youakim is the also the author of the Hometown Heroes Act, which addresses the alarmingly high incidence of cancer, cardiac issues, and emotional trauma facing the state’s 22,000 firefighters.