1Amending the act of June 24, 1976 (P.L.424, No.101), entitled,
2as amended, "An act providing for the payment of death
3benefits to the surviving spouse or children or parents of
4firefighters, ambulance service or rescue squad members, law
5enforcement officers or National Guard members who die as a
6result of the performance of their duties," amending the
7title of the act; further providing for authority for
8payment; adding a definition of "natural gas responder"; and
9further providing for construction of act.

10The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
11hereby enacts as follows:

12Section 1.  The title of the act of June 24, 1976 (P.L.424,
13No.101), referred to as the Emergency and Law Enforcement
14Personnel Death Benefits Act, amended October 6, 2005 (P.L.319,
15No.59), is amended to read:

16AN ACT

17Providing for the payment of death benefits to the surviving
18spouse or children or parents of firefighters, ambulance
19service or rescue squad members, law enforcement officers
20[or], National Guard members or natural gas responders who

1die as a result of the performance of their duties.

2Section 2.  Section 1(a) and (e) of the act, amended October
39, 2009 (P.L.588, No.51), are amended and the section is amended
4by adding a subsection to read:

5Section 1.  (a)  In the event a law enforcement officer,
6ambulance service or rescue squad member, firefighter, certified
7hazardous material response team member [or], National Guard
8member or natural gas responder dies as a result of the
9performance of his duties, such political subdivision,
10Commonwealth agency or, in the case of National Guard members,
11the Adjutant General, or, in the case of a member of a 
12Commonwealth law enforcement agency, the authorized survivor 
13[or], the agency head or, in the case of a natural gas 
14responder, the employer or authorized survivor, within 90 days
15from the date of death, shall submit certification of such death
16to the Commonwealth.

17* * *

18(e)  The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania shall pay out of the
19General Fund to the surviving spouse or, if there is no
20surviving spouse, the minor children of a National Guard member,
21natural gas responder, certified hazardous material response 
22team member, volunteer firefighter, ambulance service or rescue 
23squad member who died as a result of the performance of his
24duties the sum of $100,000, adjusted in accordance with
25subsection (f) of this section. When no spouse or minor children
26survive, the benefit shall be paid to the parent or parents of
27such National Guard member, natural gas responder, certified 
28hazardous material response team member, volunteer firefighter, 
29ambulance service or rescue squad member. The benefit shall be
30payable whether or not the National Guard member, natural gas 

1responder or certified hazardous material response team member, 
2volunteer firefighter, ambulance service or rescue squad member
3died as a result of the performance of his duty within the
4Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

5* * *

6(h)  A natural gas responder shall be deemed to be acting in
7the performance of his duties for the purposes of this act when:

8(1)  the natural gas responder was requested by his
9employer to respond to a natural gas release or safety event;
10and

11(2)  the natural gas responder dies as a direct result of
12an injury caused by the natural gas release or safety event.

13Section 3.  Section 2 of the act is amended by adding a
14definition to read:

15Section 2.  The following words and phrases when used in this
16act shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless
17the context clearly indicates otherwise:

18* * *

19"Natural gas responder" means an employee of a city natural
20gas distribution operation as defined in 66 Pa.C.S. § 102
21(relating to definitions) who responds to actual or potential
22natural gas releases or safety events that pose threats to lives
23or property.

24* * *

25Section 4.  Section 2.1 of the act, amended April 2, 2002
26(P.L.213, No.20), is amended to read:

27Section 2.1.  This act shall be broadly construed to grant
28benefits to firefighters, ambulance service or rescue squad
29members, law enforcement officers [or], National Guard personnel
30or natural gas responders for deaths related to the performance

1of their duties.

2Section 5.  A death certificate of an eligible natural gas
3responder who died as a result of the performance of his duties
4on or after December 31, 2012, but prior to the effective date
5of this section, shall be deemed timely filed in accordance with
6section 1(a) of the act if it is submitted with 90 days of the
7effective date of this section.

8Section 6.  This act shall take effect immediately.