HB94 Alabama 2021 Session

Under existing law, a peace officer, a firefighter, a volunteer firefighter who is a member of an organized volunteer fire department registered with the Alabama Forestry Commission, or a rescue squad member who is injured or killed under certain conditions in the performance of his or her duties is eligible for disability or death benefits under certain conditions

This bill would include a wildland firefighter employed by the Alabama Forestry Commission within the definition of a firefighter who is eligible for disability or death benefits paid by the state for being injured or killed while engaged in the performance of his or her duties

This bill would also specify that a volunteer firefighter or a member of an organized rescue squad who dies of cardiac arrest, cerebrovascular accident, or pulmonary edema within 24 hours of preparing to respond, responding, or serving in his or her capacity at an emergency or participating in a training exercise would be presumptively deemed to have died in the performance of his or her duties

This bill would also provide that the changes in law provided in this bill would be retroactively applied to a death after January 1, 2019

Relating to peace officers and firefighters; to amend Sections 36-30-1 and 36-30-2, Code of Alabama 1975, relating to the benefits awarded on account of injury or death, under certain conditions; to include a wildland firefighter employed by the Alabama Forestry Commission as a firefighter as eligible for injury or death benefits; and to specify that a volunteer firefighter or a member of an organized rescue squad who dies of cardiac arrest, cerebrovascular accident, or pulmonary edema within 24 hours of preparing to respond, responding, or serving in his or her capacity at an emergency or participating in a training exercise shall be presumptively deemed to have died in the performance of his or her duties; and to provide that this act would be retroactive to January 1, 2019.