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H.B. 55

This document includes House Committee Amendments incorporated into the bill on Fri, Feb 4, 2011 at 12:58 PM by lerror. -->              1     

VOLUNTEER SEARCH AND RESCUE WORKERS'

             2     
COMPENSATION CLAIMS

             3     
2011 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Chief Sponsor: Kraig Powell

             6     
Senate Sponsor: Kevin T. Van Tassell

             7     
             8      LONG TITLE
             9      General Description:
             10          This bill modifies provisions related to state officers and employees to address workers'
             11      compensation claims by members of a county sheriff's search and rescue team.
             12      Highlighted Provisions:
             13          This bill:
             14          .    defines terms;
             15          .    modifies the workers' compensation benefits available to a volunteer search and
             16      rescue team member under specified circumstances; H. [ and ]
             16a          . allowing use of money in the Search and Rescue Financial Assistance Program for
             16b      volunteer search and rescue workers' compensation costs; and .H
             17          .    makes technical and conforming amendments.
             18      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             19          None
             20      Other Special Clauses:
             21          None
             22      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             23      AMENDS:
             23a      H. 53-2-107, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2010, Chapter 208 .H
             24          67-20-2, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2010, Chapter 300
             25          67-20-3, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2002, Chapter 36
             26      ENACTS:
             27          67-20-7.5, Utah Code Annotated 1953


             28     
             29      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             29a      H. Section 1. Section 53-2-107 is amended to read:     
             29b      53-2-107. Search and Rescue Financial Assistance Program -- Uses -- Rulemaking --
             29c      Distribution.
             29d          (1) (a) "Reimbursable expenses," as used in this section, means those reasonable costs
             29e      incidental to search and rescue activities.
             29f          (b) "Reimbursable expenses" include:
             29g          (i) rental for fixed wing aircraft, helicopters, snowmobiles, boats, and generators;
             29h          (ii) replacement and upgrade of search and rescue equipment;
             29i          (iii) training of search and rescue volunteers; [ and ]
             29j      (iv) costs of providing workers' compensation benefits for volunteer search and rescue team
             29k      members under Section 67-20-7.5; and
             29l          (iv) any other equipment or expenses necessary or appropriate for conducting search and
             29m      rescue activities.
             29n          (c) "Reimbursable expenses" do not include any salary or overtime paid to any person on a
             29o      regular or permanent payroll, including permanent part-time employees of any agency or political
             29p      subdivision of the state.
             29q          (2) There is created the Search and Rescue Financial Assistance Program within the division.
             29r          (3) (a) The program shall be funded from the following revenue sources:
             29s          (i) any voluntary contributions to the state received for search and rescue operations;
             29t          (ii) money received by the state under Section 23-19-42, Section 41-22-34, and Section
             29u      73-18-24; and
             29v          (iii) appropriations made to the program by the Legislature.
             29w          (b) All funding for the program shall be nonlapsing.
             29x          (4) The director shall use the money to reimburse counties for all or a portion of each county's
             29y      reimbursable expenses for search and rescue operations, subject to:
             29z          (a) the approval of the Search and Rescue Advisory Board as provided in Section 53-2-109;
             29aa          (b) money available in the program; and
             29ab          (c) rules made under Subsection (7).
             29ac          (5) Program money may not be used to reimburse for any paid personnel costs or paid man
             29ad      hours spent in emergency response and search and rescue related activities.
             29ae          (6) The Legislature finds that these funds are for a general and statewide public purpose.
             29af          (7) The division, with the approval of the Search and Rescue Advisory Board, shall make rules
             29ag      in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, and consistent with
             29ah      this act:
             29ai          (a) specifying the costs that qualify as reimbursable expenses;


             29aj          (b) defining the procedures of agencies to submit expenses and be reimbursed; and
             29ak          (c) providing a formula to govern the distribution of available money among the counties for
             29al      uncompensated search and rescue expenses based on:
             29am          (i) the total qualifying expenses submitted;
             29an          (ii) the number of search and rescue incidents per county population;
             29ao          (iii) the number of victims that reside outside the county; and
             29ap          (iv) the number of volunteer hours spent in each county in emergency response and search and
             29aq      rescue related activities per county population. .H
             30          Section H. [ 1 ] 2 .H . Section 67-20-2 is amended to read:
             31           67-20-2. Definitions.
             32          As used in this chapter:
             33          (1) "Agency" means:
             34          (a) [any] a department, institution, office, college, university, authority, division, board,
             35      bureau, commission, council, or other agency of the state;
             36          (b) [any] a county, city, town, school district, or special improvement or taxing district;
             37      or
             38          (c) any other political subdivision.
             39          (2) "Compensatory service worker" means [any] a person who performs a public
             40      service with or without compensation for an agency as a condition or part of the person's:
             41          (a) incarceration;
             42          (b) plea;
             43          (c) sentence;
             44          (d) diversion;
             45          (e) probation; or
             46          (f) parole.
             47          (3) (a) "Volunteer" means [any] a person who donates service without pay or other
             48      compensation except expenses actually and reasonably incurred as approved by the supervising
             49      agency.
             50          (b) "Volunteer" does not include:
             51          (i) [any] a person participating in human subjects research to the extent that the
             52      participation is governed by federal law or regulation inconsistent with this chapter; or
             53          (ii) a compensatory service [workers] worker.
             54          (c) "Volunteer" includes a juror or potential juror appearing in response to a summons
             55      for a trial jury or grand jury.
             56          (4) "Volunteer safety officer" means an individual who:
             57          (a) provides services as a volunteer under the supervision of an agency; and
             58          (b) at the time the individual provides the services to the supervising agency described


             59      in Subsection (4)(a), the individual is:
             60          (i) exercising peace officer authority as provided in Section 53-13-102 ; or
             61          (ii) if the supervising agency described in Subsection (4)(a) is a fire department:
             62          (A) on the rolls of the supervising agency as a firefighter;
             63          (B) not regularly employed as a firefighter by the supervising agency; and
             64          (C) acting in a capacity that includes the responsibility for the extinguishment of fire.
             65          (5) "Volunteer search and rescue team member" means an individual who:
             66          (a) provides services as a volunteer under the supervision of a county sheriff; and
             67          (b) at the time the individual provides the services to the county sheriff described in
             68      Subsection (5)(a), is:
             69          (i) certified as a member of the county sheriff's search and rescue team; and
             70          (ii) acting in the capacity of a member of the search and rescue team of the supervising
             71      county sheriff.
             72          Section H. [ 2 ] 3 .H . Section 67-20-3 is amended to read:
             73           67-20-3. Purposes for which a volunteer is considered a government employee.
             74          (1) Except as provided in Subsection (2) or (3), a volunteer is considered a government
             75      employee for purposes of:
             76          (a) receiving workers' compensation medical benefits, which shall be the exclusive
             77      remedy for all injuries and occupational diseases as provided under Title 34A, Chapter 2,
             78      Workers' Compensation Act, and Chapter 3, Utah Occupational Disease Act;
             79          (b) the operation of a motor [vehicles] vehicle or equipment if the volunteer is properly
             80      licensed and authorized to do so; and
             81          (c) liability protection and indemnification normally afforded paid a government
             82      [employees] employee.
             83          (2) (a) [Notwithstanding Subsection (1)(a), a] A supervising agency shall provide
             84      workers' compensation benefits for a volunteer safety officer as provided in Section 67-20-7 .
             85          (b) [Notwithstanding Subsection (2)(a), a] A volunteer safety officer is considered an
             86      employee of the supervising agency of the volunteer safety officer for purposes of Subsections
             87      (1)(b) and (c).
             88          (3) (a) The county of a county sheriff that certifies and supervises a volunteer search
             89      and rescue team member shall provide workers' compensation benefits for the volunteer search


             90      and rescue team member as provided in Section 67-20-7.5 .
             91          (b) For purposes of Subsections (1)(b) and (c), a volunteer search and rescue team
             92      member is considered an employee of the county of the county sheriff that certifies and
             93      supervises the volunteer search and rescue team member.
             94          Section H. [ 3 ] 4 .H . Section 67-20-7.5 is enacted to read:
             95          67-20-7.5. Workers' compensation benefits for a volunteer search and rescue team
             96      member.
             97          (1) A volunteer search and rescue team member is considered an employee of the
             98      county of the county sheriff that certifies and supervises the volunteer search and rescue team
             99      member for the purpose of receiving workers' compensation benefits under:
             100          (a) Title 34A, Chapter 2, Workers' Compensation Act; and
             101          (b) Title 34A, Chapter 3, Utah Occupational Disease Act.
             102          (2) (a) In accordance with Section 34A-2-105 , the workers' compensation benefits
             103      described in Subsection (1) are the exclusive remedy against the county of the supervising
             104      county sheriff or an officer, agent, or employee of the county or supervising county sheriff, for
             105      the injuries and occupational diseases resulting from the volunteer search and rescue team
             106      member's services for the supervising county sheriff as a volunteer search and rescue team
             107      member.
             108          (b) For purposes of Subsection (2)(a), the county of the supervising county sheriff for
             109      whom the volunteer search and rescue team member provides services as a volunteer search
             110      and rescue team member is considered an employer of the volunteer search and rescue team
             111      member.
             112          (3) To compute the workers' compensation benefits for a volunteer search and rescue
             113      team member described in Subsection (1), the average weekly wage of the volunteer search and
             114      rescue team member for purposes of the volunteer search and rescue team member's workers'
             115      compensation claim is the average weekly wage of an entry-level deputy sheriff employed by
             116      the supervising county sheriff at the time of the industrial accident or occupational disease.





Legislative Review Note
    as of 1-17-11 9:37 AM


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