Workers' Comp Coverage for Volunteer Responders on SGL's

[melody]

* August 10, 2016 09:41 AM
* Sen. John T. Yudichak
* Workers' Compensation Coverage for Volunteer Responders on State Game
* Lands
*
*
* I soon plan to introduce legislation that would amend the Workers'
* Compensation Act to require state coverage for volunteer firefighters,
* volunteer ambulance corps personnel and volunteer rescue squad members
* who suffer injuries while providing assistance on state game lands.
*
*
*
* Similar workers' compensation coverage has long been provided for
* volunteer responders injured in the performance of their duties on
* state parks and forest land. However, the act is currently silent on
* injuries sustained by volunteers answering emergency calls on state
* game lands. This shortcoming has been especially highlighted during
* accidents where hikers were seriously, and in several cases fatally,
* injured on game land in Carbon County and required recovery and
* assistance by local volunteer responders. Under current law, should a
* volunteer become injured during these events, the municipality's
* insurance plan is now forced to cover the costs.
*
*
*
* I believe that municipalities that provide such critical services to
* our Commonwealth should not incur additional financial burdens in
* exchange for those services. Accordingly, my legislation would
* require, for workers' compensation purposes, local volunteer responders
* to be treated as employees of the Pennsylvania Game Commission during
* emergency work on state game lands.

[rwj]

The township that the volunteers run out of already provide workers comp for injuries during a response. And why just game lands? no DCNR no county?

[davet]

Yeah.....a lot of thoughts ran thru my head when I first read this post. I thought "volunteer" meant "volunteer". Workmen's comp is based upon wages paid. There are no wages paid to volunteers. This is what disability policies are for. Short term or long term.

Confuses me.

[zimmerstutzen]

davet Volunteer firefighters and volunteer ambulance folks are covered for worker's comp by statute already and benefits are paid as if the volunteer was injured on his regular job. It is paid for by a fund set up by the legiscritters to help keep volunteers from being discouraged by fears of being hurt.

Now, the bill could be read as also applying to civil air patrol, coast guard aux etc who help with searches etc on PGC lands.

Would it apply to folks who just show up to help with a search for a lost child? Like so many laws, ill concieved

[davet]

OIC. So apparently Yudichak not know what he speakith of? I'm shocked.