SB 650

Abstract

Department of Fire Programs; work group; options for local government employees who respond to emergencies with toxic material exposure. Directs the Department of Fire Programs to convene a work group to identify and analyze options to help ensure that local government employees who respond to emergencies that expose them to toxic materials have appropriate preemptive and ongoing health care and are able to pay any health expenses related to such emergency and its aftereffects that are not covered by relevant health insurance plans. The work group is directed to report its findings to the General Assembly by November 1, 2024. This bill is identical to HB 133.

Department of Fire Programs; work group; options for local government employees who respond to emergencies with toxic material exposure. Directs the Department of Fire Programs (DFP) to convene a work group to identify and analyze options that may be available to local government employees who respond to emergencies that expose them to toxic materials and have access to preemptive health care to aftereffects that are not covered by relevant health insurance plans. The work group is directed to report its findings to the General Assembly by November 1, 2024.

Emergency Response Toxic Exposure Grant Fundand Program. Creates the Emergency Response Toxic Exposure GrantFund and Program to provide funding to local government employeeresponders who were exposed to toxic materials when responding toemergencies declared by the Commonwealth or a locality. The billdirects the Department of Fire Programs to convene a work group toassess eligibility for funding, qualifying emergencies, and othercriteria and directs the work group to submit a report to the GeneralAssembly no later than November 1, 2024. The bill includes a reenactmentclause for the provisions of the bill creating the Fund and Program.