PRINTER'S NO. 1294

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No. 1145 Session of 1999

        INTRODUCED BY DALLY, ALLEN, ARGALL, BAKER, BARD, BARRAR,
           BATTISTO, BELARDI, BELFANTI, BENNINGHOFF, BROWNE, BUNT,
           CIVERA, CLARK, CORRIGAN, DeLUCA, EGOLF, FAIRCHILD, FARGO,
           FLICK, FORCIER, GORDNER, GRUCELA, HALUSKA, HARHAI, HASAY,
           HENNESSEY, HERMAN, JAMES, LAUGHLIN, LEH, MAHER, MARSICO,
           McCALL, McGILL, McNAUGHTON, MELIO, NAILOR, NICKOL, PESCI,
           PLATTS, RAMOS, READSHAW, ROHRER, ROSS, RUBLEY, RUFFING,
           SATHER, SAYLOR, SEMMEL, SEYFERT, SHANER, SNYDER, SOLOBAY,
           STABACK, STERN, E. Z. TAYLOR, TIGUE, TULLI, VAN HORNE, WILT
           AND YOUNGBLOOD, MARCH 30, 1999

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, MARCH 30, 1999

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the
     2     Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for
     3     volunteer firefighter civil immunity; and further defining
     4     "local agency."

     5     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     6  hereby enacts as follows:
     7     Section 1.  Sections 8332.3 and 8501 of Title 42 of the
     8  Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended to read:
     9  § 8332.3.  Volunteer firefighter civil immunity.
    10     Volunteer firefighters shall be treated as public employees
    11  and volunteer firefighter companies shall be treated as local
    12  agencies as defined in section 8501 (relating to definitions).
    13  This section shall not be construed to reduce or eliminate any
    14  other immunity provided to volunteer firefighters by law.
    15  § 8501.  Definitions.

     1     The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
     2  shall have, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the
     3  meanings given to them in this section:
     4     * * *
     5     "Local agency."  A government unit other than the
     6  Commonwealth government. The term includes an intermediate unit
     7  and a volunteer firefighter company, regardless of whether the
     8  company has been or is created pursuant to relevant law or
     9  officially accorded the status of such a company by the
    10  political subdivision which it serves.
    11     Section 2.  This act shall apply to a cause of action that
    12  accrues on or after the effective date of this act.
    13     Section 3.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.












    A21L42JS/19990H1145B1294         - 2 -