GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2005
SESSION LAW 2005-376
SENATE BILL 148
AN ACT to extend the law enforcement officers', firemen's, rescue squad workers', and civil air patrol members' death benefit to permanent part-time and temporary law enforcement officers and detention officers.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1. G.S. 143-166.2(d) reads as rewritten:
"(d) The term "law-enforcement
officer", "officer", or "fireman" shall mean a
sheriff and all law-enforcement officers employed full time full-time,
permanent part-time, or temporarily by a sheriff, the State of North
Carolina or any county or municipality thereof thereof, whether paid
or unpaid; and all full-time custodial employees and probation and parole
officers of the North Carolina Department of Correction Correction;
and all full time institutional and full-time, permanent part-time, and
temporary detention employees of the Department of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention. Prevention and full-time, permanent part-time,
and temporary detention officers employed by any sheriff, county or
municipality, whether paid or unpaid. The term "firemen" shall
mean both "eligible fireman"; or "fireman" as defined in
G.S. 58-86-25 and all full-time, permanent part-time and temporary
employees of the North Carolina Division of Forest Resources, Department of
Environment and Natural Resources, during the time they are actively engaged in
fire-fighting activities; and shall mean all full-time employees of the North
Carolina Department of Insurance during the time they are actively engaged in
fire-fighting activities, during the time they are training fire fighters or
rescue squad workers, and during the time they are engaged in activities as
members of the State Emergency Response Team, when the Team has been activated.
The term "rescue squad worker" shall mean a person who is dedicated
to the purpose of alleviating human suffering and assisting anyone who is in
difficulty or who is injured or becomes suddenly ill by providing the proper
and efficient care or emergency medical services. In addition, this person must
belong to an organized rescue squad which is eligible for membership in the
North Carolina Association of Rescue Squads, Inc., and the person must have
attended a minimum of 36 hours of training and meetings in the last calendar
year. Each rescue squad belonging to the North Carolina Association of Rescue
Squads, Inc., must file a roster of those members meeting the above
requirements with the State Treasurer on or about January 1 of each year, and
this roster must be certified to by the secretary of said association. In
addition, the term "rescue squad worker" shall mean a member of an
ambulance service certified by the Department of Health and Human Services
pursuant to Article 7 of Chapter 131E of the General Statutes. The Department
of Health and Human Services shall furnish a list of ambulance service members
to the State Treasurer on or about January 1 of each year. The term "Civil
Air Patrol members" shall mean those senior members of the North Carolina
Wing-Civil Air Patrol 18 years of age or older and currently certified pursuant
to G.S. 143B-491(a). The term "fireman" shall also mean county
fire marshals when engaged in the performance of their county duties. The term
"rescue squad worker" shall also mean county emergency services
coordinators when engaged in the performance of their county duties."
SECTION 2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of State Treasurer the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for the 2005-2006 fiscal year to implement the provisions of this act.
SECTION 3. This act becomes effective November 1, 2004, and applies to all deaths occurring on or after that date.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 24th day of August, 2005.
s/ Beverly E. Perdue
President of the Senate
s/ James B. Black
Speaker of the House of Representatives
s/ Michael F. Easley
Governor
Approved 1:42 p.m. this 8th day of September, 2005