1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to health; modifying the responsibility of 
  1.3             the office of health facility complaints to 
  1.4             investigate complaints in health care facilities; 
  1.5             amending Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 144A.53, 
  1.6             subdivision 2. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 144A.53, 
  1.9   subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  1.10     Subd. 2.  [COMPLAINTS.] The director may receive a 
  1.11  complaint from any source concerning an action of an 
  1.12  administrative agency, a health care provider, a home care 
  1.13  provider, a residential care home, or a health facility.  The 
  1.14  director may require a complainant to pursue other remedies or 
  1.15  channels of complaint open to the complainant before accepting 
  1.16  or investigating the complaint.  The director shall develop 
  1.17  guidelines by rule for accepting complaints and for prioritizing 
  1.18  complaints for investigation.  These guidelines shall be based 
  1.19  on the risk of harm to the health, safety, comfort, and 
  1.20  well-being of patients and residents.  The director shall take 
  1.21  into consideration the personnel and other resources available 
  1.22  to the office in accepting and assigning complaints for 
  1.23  investigation. 
  1.24     The director shall keep written records of all complaints 
  1.25  and any action upon them.  After completing an investigation of 
  1.26  a complaint, the director shall inform the complainant, the 
  2.1   administrative agency having jurisdiction over the subject 
  2.2   matter, the health care provider, the home care provider, the 
  2.3   residential care home, and the health facility of the action 
  2.4   taken.