PRINTER'S NO. 3172
No. 2285 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY HUTCHINSON, SEMMEL, TIGUE, SATHER, SOLOBAY,
BALDWIN, BARD, BASTIAN, BEBKO-JONES, BELFANTI, BENNINGHOFF,
CAPPELLI, CAUSER, CLYMER, COLEMAN, COY, DALEY, DALLY,
DENLINGER, DeWEESE, J. EVANS, FORCIER, GEIST, GEORGE,
GERGELY, GODSHALL, GOOD, GRUCELA, HALUSKA, HARHAI, HARRIS,
HASAY, HERMAN, HESS, HICKERNELL, KILLION, KIRKLAND, LEACH,
LEDERER, MACKERETH, MARSICO, McGEEHAN, NAILOR, O'NEILL,
PAYNE, PETRARCA, SCAVELLO, B. SMITH, STERN, R. STEVENSON,
TANGRETTI, E. Z. TAYLOR, THOMAS, WANSACZ, WATSON, WEBER,
WILT, YOUNGBLOOD, YUDICHAK AND ZUG, DECEMBER 23, 2003
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, DECEMBER 23, 2003
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of June 24, 1976 (P.L.424, No.101), entitled,
2 as amended, "An act providing for the payment of death
3 benefits to the surviving spouse or children or parents of
4 firefighters, ambulance service or rescue squad members, law
5 enforcement officers or National Guard members killed in the
6 performance of their duties," further providing for death
7 benefit eligibility.
8 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
9 hereby enacts as follows:
10 Section 1. Section 2.1 of the act of June 24, 1976 (P.L.424,
11 No.101), referred to as the Emergency and Law Enforcement
12 Personnel Death Benefits Act, amended April 2, 2002 (P.L.213,
13 No.20), is amended to read:
14 Section 2.1. This act shall be broadly construed to grant
15 benefits to firefighters, ambulance service or rescue squad
16 members, law enforcement officers or National Guard personnel
1 for deaths related to the performance of their duties. A
2 firefighter, ambulance service or rescue squad member, law
3 enforcement officer or National Guard member who suffers a fatal
4 heart attack or stroke while on duty or not later than 24 hours
5 after participating in a physical training exercise or
6 responding to an emergency is presumed to have died in the line
7 of duty for purposes of this act.
8 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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