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PRINTER'S NO. 585
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
556
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY STEFANO, LANGERHOLC, BROOKS, FONTANA, GORDNER,
HUTCHINSON, MENSCH, REGAN AND SCAVELLO, APRIL 13, 2021
REFERRED TO VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS,
APRIL 13, 2021
AN ACT
Amending the act of June 24, 1976 (P.L.424, No.101), entitled
"An act providing for the payment of death benefits to the
surviving spouse or children or parents of firefighters,
ambulance service or rescue squad members, law enforcement
officers or National Guard members who die as a result of the
performance of their duties," further providing for death
benefits relating to COVID-19 and for definitions.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 1 of the act of June 24, 1976 (P.L.424,
No.101), referred to as the Emergency and Law Enforcement
Personnel Death Benefits Act, is amended by adding a subsection
to read:
Section 1. * * *
(h) If a law enforcement officer, ambulance service or
rescue squad member, firefighter, certified hazardous material
response team member, member of the Pennsylvania Civil Air
Patrol or National Guard member dies from COVID-19 on or after
March 6, 2020 , it shall be presumed that the individual
contracted COVID-19 while acting in the performance of his
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duties for the purposes of this act.
Section 2. Section 2 of the act is amended by adding a
definition to read:
Section 2. The following words and phrases when used in this
act shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless
the context clearly indicates otherwise:
* * *
"COVID-19" means the novel coronavirus as identified in the
Governor's Proclamation of Disaster Emergency issued on March 6,
2020, published at 50 Pa.B. 1644 (March 21, 2020).
* * *
Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
20210SB0556PN0585 - 2 -
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