Bill > HF1355

This bill establishes new safety requirements and regulations for commercial diving operations, particularly those involving aquatic plant management. Specifically, the bill requires permit holders who use scuba diving equipment for harvesting or destroying aquatic plants to provide documentation of a third-party on-site hazard survey completed within the past year by a qualified safety professional. The survey must include a written report evaluating safety practices, equipment, and training. The bill also introduces restrictions on permit issuance for entities with recent occupational safety violations related to scuba diving, including preventing permit renewal for businesses with willful safety violations or for "successor persons" who share significant organizational characteristics with a violating entity. Additionally, the bill mandates specific equipment requirements for commercial diving operations, such as mandatory use of buoyancy-control devices, emergency signaling equipment, and breathing-gas monitoring devices. Employers must also ensure divers have proper certification, have a standby diver available, and that diving personnel are trained in CPR and first aid. The legislation, named the "Brady Aune and Joseph Anderson Safety Act", aims to enhance workplace safety for commercial divers and prevent potential injuries, with most provisions becoming effective in October 2025.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Government Affairs, Labor and Employment

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF1355&ssn=0&y=2025