First Substitute H.B. 298

Representative Neil A. Hansen proposes to substitute the following bill:

1 WORKERS' COMPENSATION BENEFITS TO
2 VOLUNTEER SAFETY OFFICERS
3 2001 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Sponsor: Neil A. Hansen
6 This act modifies the Volunteer Government Workers Act to address workers' compensation
7 coverage of voluntary firefighters and makes technical changes.
8 This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
9 AMENDS:
10 67-20-7, as last amended by Chapter 240, Laws of Utah 1996
11 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
12 Section 1. Section 67-20-7 is amended to read:
13 67-20-7. Workers' compensation benefits for volunteer firefighters.
14 (1) For purposes of this section, a "volunteer firefighter" is an individual who:
15 (a) is not regularly employed as a firefighter;
16 (b) is on the rolls of a fire department; and
17 (c) serves as a volunteer as defined in Section 67-20-2 .
18 [(1)] (2) In addition to the purposes set out in Subsections 67-20-3 (2) and (3), a volunteer
19 firefighter[, as defined in Section 49-5-103 ,] is considered an agency employee for the purpose of
20 receiving workers' compensation benefits under Title [35A] 34A, Chapter [3] 2, Workers'
21 Compensation Act, and Chapter [3a] 3, Utah Occupational Disease Act.
22 [(2) These] (3) The workers' compensation benefits as described in Subsection (2) are the
23 exclusive remedy for all injuries and occupational diseases resulting from [his] the volunteer
24 firefighter's services as a volunteer firefighter. [Compensation]
25 (4) To compute the workers' compensation benefits for a volunteer firefighter, the
25a h AVERAGE h weekly

26 h [ compensation rate ] WAGE h of the volunteer firefighter shall be computed [as indicated in Section
26a 49-5-802 ]
27 by multiplying the state's average weekly wage by 108%.