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                                                      PRINTER'S NO. 1341

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 1159 Session of 2001


        INTRODUCED BY SURRA, BELARDI, LESCOVITZ, GRUCELA, M. COHEN,
           WOJNAROSKI, McCALL, LAUGHLIN, SOLOBAY, HALUSKA, McILHATTAN,
           BELFANTI, WALKO, FEESE, SHANER, TRELLO, HUTCHINSON,
           LEVDANSKY, YOUNGBLOOD, MARKOSEK, PISTELLA, WILT, PETRARCA,
           STEELMAN, CAPPABIANCA, STABACK, McGILL, SCRIMENTI, DALEY,
           FRANKEL AND HARHAI, MARCH 23, 2001

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON GAME AND FISHERIES, MARCH 23, 2001

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending the act of June 28, 1935 (P.L.477, No.193), entitled,
     2     as amended, "An act providing for the payment of the salary,
     3     medical and hospital expenses of members of the State Police
     4     Force, of the enforcement officers and investigators employed
     5     by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, and the parole
     6     agents, enforcement officers and investigators of the
     7     Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, Capitol Police
     8     officers, correction officers employed by the Department of
     9     Corrections whose principal duty is the care, custody and
    10     control of inmates, psychiatric security aides employed by
    11     the Department of Public Welfare and the Department of
    12     Corrections whose principal duty is the care, custody, and
    13     control of the criminally insane, drug enforcement agents of
    14     the Office of Attorney General whose principal duty is the
    15     enforcement of the drug laws of the Commonwealth, special
    16     agents of the Office of Attorney General whose principal duty
    17     is the enforcement of the criminal laws of the Commonwealth,
    18     members of the Delaware River Port Authority Police and of
    19     policemen, firemen and park guards by the Commonwealth of
    20     Pennsylvania, the Delaware River Port Authority, counties,
    21     cities, boroughs, towns and townships, who are injured or
    22     contract certain diseases in the performance of their duty;
    23     and providing that absence during such injury shall not
    24     reduce any usual sick leave period," extending benefits to
    25     wildlife conservation officers of the Pennsylvania Game
    26     Commission.

    27     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
    28  hereby enacts as follows:

     1     Section 1.  The title and section 1 of the act of June 28,
     2  1935 (P.L.477, No.193), referred to as the Enforcement Officer
     3  Disability Benefits Law, amended December 19, 1996 (P.L.1438
     4  No.183), are amended to read:
     5                               AN ACT
     6  Providing for the payment of the salary, medical and hospital
     7     expenses of members of the State Police Force, of the
     8     enforcement officers and investigators employed by the
     9     Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, and the parole agents,
    10     enforcement officers and investigators of the Pennsylvania
    11     Board of Probation and Parole, Capitol Police officers,
    12     correction officers employed by the Department of Corrections
    13     whose principal duty is the care, custody and control of
    14     inmates, psychiatric security aides employed by the
    15     Department of Public Welfare and the Department of
    16     Corrections whose principal duty is the care, custody, and
    17     control of the criminally insane, drug enforcement agents of
    18     the Office of Attorney General whose principal duty is the
    19     enforcement of the drug laws of the Commonwealth, special
    20     agents of the Office of Attorney General whose principal duty
    21     is the enforcement of the criminal laws of the Commonwealth,
    22     wildlife conservation officers of the Pennsylvania Game
    23     Commission, members of the Delaware River Port Authority
    24     Police and of policemen, firemen and park guards by the
    25     Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Delaware River Port
    26     Authority, counties, cities, boroughs, towns and townships,
    27     who are injured or contract certain diseases in the
    28     performance of their duty; and providing that absence during
    29     such injury shall not reduce any usual sick leave period.
    30     Section 1.  (a)  Be it enacted, &c., That any member of the
    20010H1159B1341                  - 2 -

     1  State Police Force, any enforcement officer or investigator
     2  employed by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, and the
     3  parole agents, enforcement officers and investigators of the
     4  Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, Capitol Police
     5  officers, correction officers employed by the Department of
     6  Corrections, whose principal duty is the care, custody and
     7  control of inmates, psychiatric security aides employed by the
     8  Department of Public Welfare and the Department of Corrections,
     9  whose principal duty is the care, custody, and control of the
    10  criminally insane, drug enforcement agents of the Office of
    11  Attorney General whose principal duty is the enforcement of the
    12  drug laws of the Commonwealth, special agents of the Office of
    13  Attorney General whose principal duty is the enforcement of the
    14  criminal laws of the Commonwealth, wildlife conservation
    15  officers of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, any member of the
    16  Delaware River Port Authority Police or any policeman, fireman
    17  or park guard of any county, city, borough, town or township,
    18  who is injured in the performance of his duties including, in
    19  the case of firemen, duty as special fire police, and by reason
    20  thereof is temporarily incapacitated from performing his duties,
    21  shall be paid by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania if a member of
    22  the State Police Force or an enforcement officer or investigator
    23  employed by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board or the parole
    24  agents, enforcement officers and investigators of the
    25  Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, Capitol Police
    26  officers, correction officers employed by the Department of
    27  Corrections, whose principal duty is the care, custody and
    28  control of inmates, psychiatric security aides employed by the
    29  Department of Public Welfare and the Department of Corrections,
    30  whose principal duty is the care, custody, and control of the
    20010H1159B1341                  - 3 -

     1  criminally insane, drug enforcement agents of the Office of
     2  Attorney General whose principal duty is the enforcement of the
     3  drug laws of the Commonwealth, special agents of the Office of
     4  Attorney General whose principal duty is the enforcement of the
     5  criminal laws of the Commonwealth, wildlife conservation
     6  officers of the Pennsylvania Game Commission or by the Delaware
     7  River Port Authority if a member of the Delaware River Port
     8  Authority Police or by the county, township or municipality, by
     9  which he is employed, his full rate of salary, as fixed by
    10  ordinance or resolution, until the disability arising therefrom
    11  has ceased. All medical and hospital bills, incurred in
    12  connection with any such injury, shall be paid by the
    13  Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or by the Delaware River Port
    14  Authority or by such county, township or municipality. During
    15  the time salary for temporary incapacity shall be paid by the
    16  Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or by the Delaware River Port
    17  Authority or by the county, city, borough, town or township, any
    18  workmen's compensation, received or collected by any such
    19  employe for such period, shall be turned over to the
    20  Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or to the Delaware River Port
    21  Authority or to such county, city, borough, town or township,
    22  and paid into the treasury thereof, and if such payment shall
    23  not be so made by the employe the amount so due the Commonwealth
    24  of Pennsylvania, the Delaware River Port Authority or the
    25  county, city, borough, town or township shall be deducted from
    26  any salary then or thereafter becoming due and owing.
    27     (b)  In the case of the State Police Force, enforcement
    28  officers and investigators employed by the Pennsylvania Liquor
    29  Control Board and the parole agents, enforcement officers and
    30  investigators of the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole,
    20010H1159B1341                  - 4 -

     1  Capitol Police officers, correction officers employed by the
     2  Department of Corrections, whose principal duty is the care,
     3  custody and control of inmates, psychiatric security aides
     4  employed by the Department of Public Welfare and the Department
     5  of Corrections whose principal duty is the care, custody, and
     6  control of the criminally insane, drug enforcement agents of the
     7  Office of Attorney General whose principal duty is the
     8  enforcement of the drug laws of the Commonwealth, special agents
     9  of the Office of Attorney General whose principal duty is the
    10  enforcement of the criminal laws of the Commonwealth, wildlife
    11  conservation officers of the Pennsylvania Game Commission,
    12  members of the Delaware River Port Authority Police and salaried
    13  policemen and firemen who have served for four consecutive years
    14  or longer, diseases of the heart and tuberculosis of the
    15  respiratory system, contracted or incurred by any of them after
    16  four years of continuous service as such, and caused by extreme
    17  overexertion in times of stress or danger or by exposure to
    18  heat, smoke, fumes or gases, arising directly out of the
    19  employment of any such member of the State Police Force,
    20  enforcement officer, investigator employed by the Pennsylvania
    21  Liquor Control Board, guard or enforcement officer employed by
    22  the Department of Corrections or parole agent, enforcement
    23  officer or investigator of the Pennsylvania Board of Probation
    24  and Parole, Capitol Police officers, correction officers
    25  employed by the Department of Corrections whose principal duty
    26  is the care, custody and control of inmates, psychiatric
    27  security aides employed by the Department of Public Welfare and
    28  the Department of Corrections whose principal duty is the care,
    29  custody, and control of the criminally insane, drug enforcement
    30  agents of the Office of Attorney General whose principal duty is
    20010H1159B1341                  - 5 -

     1  the enforcement of the drug laws of the Commonwealth, special
     2  agents of the Office of Attorney General whose principal duty is
     3  the enforcement of the criminal laws of the Commonwealth,
     4  wildlife conservation officers of the Pennsylvania Game
     5  Commission, member of the Delaware River Port Authority Police,
     6  or policeman or fireman, shall be compensable in accordance with
     7  the terms hereof; and unless any such disability shall be
     8  compensable under the compensation laws as having been caused by
     9  accidental injury, such disability shall be compensable as
    10  occupational disease disabilities are presently compensable
    11  under the compensation laws of this Commonwealth. It shall be
    12  presumed that tuberculosis of the respiratory system contracted
    13  or incurred after four consecutive years of service was
    14  contracted or incurred as a direct result of employment.
    15     (c)  In the case of any person receiving benefits pursuant to
    16  this act, the statutes of limitations set forth in sections
    17  306.1, 315, 413, and 434 of the act of June 2, 1915 (P.L.736,
    18  No.338), known as "The Pennsylvania Workmen's Compensation Act,"
    19  shall not begin to run until the expiration of the receipt of
    20  benefits pursuant to this act.
    21     (d)  All payments herein required to be made by the
    22  Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on account of any member of the
    23  State Police Force shall be made from moneys appropriated to the
    24  Pennsylvania State Police, and any payments required to be made
    25  on account of any enforcement officer or investigator employed
    26  by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board shall be from
    27  appropriations out of the State Stores Fund, any payments
    28  required to be made on account of any parole agent, enforcement
    29  officer or investigator employed by the Pennsylvania Board of
    30  Probation and Parole shall be from moneys appropriated to the
    20010H1159B1341                  - 6 -

     1  Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, any payments
     2  required to be made on account of Capitol Police officers shall
     3  be made from moneys appropriated to the Department of General
     4  Services, any payments required to be made on account of any
     5  correction officer shall be made from moneys appropriated to the
     6  Department of Corrections, any payments required to be made on
     7  account of any psychiatric security aides shall be made from
     8  moneys appropriated to the Department of Public Welfare or the
     9  Department of Corrections where appropriate, and any payments
    10  required to be made on account of any drug enforcement agent or
    11  special agents shall be made from moneys appropriated to the
    12  Office of Attorney General.
    13     Section 2.  This act shall take effect immediately.












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