HC 2 Summary

• Terminates the peacetime emergency declared under Executive Order 20-01 (issued March 13, 2020) effective the day after Senate concurrence with the resolution.

• Establishes worker protections including prohibiting employer retaliation against workers who communicate about COVID-19 safety concerns, wear personal protective equipment, or refuse unsafe work conditions.

• Grants workers the right to request workplace safety inspections and protects them from discrimination for exercising safety rights under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 182.

• Provides unemployment insurance eligibility for workers who quit due to uncorrected pandemic-related workplace hazards or are retaliatorily terminated for asserting worker safety rights.

• Authorizes the Commissioner of Human Rights to issue guidance on employer obligations to provide reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities or high-risk health conditions related to COVID-19 exposure.