Changes are on the way for 2019. New laws passed during the 2018 legislative session have a broad reach, from workers' compensation to waste collection, and took effect Jan. 1.
One notable change is presumptive legislation for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in first responders such as Hutchinson's police officers and firefighters. PTSD can now be claimed as a work-related injury if the afflicted person has not had a prior diagnosis, according to the Minnesota House of Representatives and Hutchinson Police Chief Dan Hatten. The new law will only affect employees with dates of injury on or after Jan. 1.
Moreover, the law states PTSD is “not considered an occupational disease if it results from a disciplinary action, work evaluation, job transfer, layoff, demotion, promotion, termination, retirement or similar action taken in good faith by the employer.”
Another notable addition to legislation is step therapy, a tool to be used in selecting prescription medication. With this protocol, doctors will begin treating a patient with the most cost-effective prescription before moving on to more expensive — and sometimes riskier — medication, according to the Minnesota House of Representatives. Doctors and patients can request to override the protocol.
The protocol, introduced by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in August, benefits patients enrolled in medical assistance programs by making medicine more cost-effective.
In the area of environment and natural resources, legislation was passed to include an analysis of residents' ability to choose a solid waste collector cost, service and other factors, which is to be included as committee procedure when cities want to organize their waste collection.
"It affects cities that want to organize their waste collection," said City Administrator Matt Jaunich. "We've already been doing that for years. It applies more to cities that aren't organized but want to be."
In addition to the guideline change, cities can choose to negotiate with a contracted waste collector for longer than the original 60-day max. Hutchinson won't be affected by the law.
Other law changes follow:
Business and commerce: Minnesota is set to recognize a new class of reinsurance organizations that can operate from out of state as long as they're certified and meet bookkeeping requirements.
Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts: The law change will allow for and regulate remote online notaries, including e-signatures, seals and records.
Protecting children from identity theft: This new law allows security freeze protections to cover children under the age of 16.
