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PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1739 PRINTER'S NO. 2881
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1485
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY CIRESI, McNEILL, PROBST, SANCHEZ, BRIGGS, MADDEN,
McANDREW, NEILSON, D. WILLIAMS, DELLOSO, BRENNAN, CEPEDA-
FREYTIZ AND SCOTT, MAY 16, 2025
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, FEBRUARY 4, 2026
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 FOR PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEES, CORONERS AND STAFF
PERSONS and for definitions; and making an editorial change.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The title and section 1(a) introductory paragraph
and (1), (a.1), (c) and (e) of the act of June 24, 1976
(P.L.424, No.101), referred to as the Emergency and Law
Enforcement Personnel Death Benefits Act, are amended to read:
SECTION 1. THE TITLE AND SECTION 1(A) INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH
AND (1), (A.1), (C) AND (D) OF THE ACT OF JUNE 24, 1976
(P.L.424, NO.101), REFERRED TO AS THE EMERGENCY AND LAW
ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL DEATH BENEFITS ACT, ARE AMENDED AND THE
SECTION IS AMENDED BY ADDING A SUBSECTION TO READ:
AN ACT
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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,
public works employees , CORONERS or National Guard members
who die as a result of the performance of their duties.
Section 1. (a) In the event a law enforcement officer,
ambulance service or rescue squad member, firefighter, certified
hazardous material response team member, member of the
Pennsylvania Civil Air Patrol, CORONER, public works employee or
National Guard member dies as a result of the performance of his
duties, an application, including a certification of death,
shall be made to the department within three years of the date
of such death by any of the following:
(1) A political subdivision or an authority created by a
political subdivision.
* * *
(a.1) A firefighter, ambulance service or rescue squad
member, law enforcement officer, certified hazardous material
response team member, member of the Pennsylvania Civil Air
Patrol, CORONER, public works employee or National Guard member
who suffers a fatal heart attack or stroke while on duty or not
later than 24 hours after participating in a physical training
exercise or responding to an emergency is presumed to have died
as a result of the performance of his duties for purposes of
this act.
* * *
(c) A volunteer ambulance service, certified hazardous
material response team or rescue squad member, public works
employee or member of the Pennsylvania Civil Air Patrol shall be
deemed to be acting in the performance of his duties for the
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purposes of this act going to or directly returning from an
emergency which the ambulance service, certified hazardous
material response team, rescue squad, public works employee or
member of the Pennsylvania Civil Air Patrol attended including
travel from and direct return to an ambulance service, certified
hazardous material response team, rescue squad, public works
employee or Pennsylvania Civil Air Patrol member's home, place
of business or other place where he or she shall have been when
he or she received the call or alarm or while participating in
drills in which the ambulance service, certified hazardous
material response team, rescue squad, municipality, municipal
authority or Pennsylvania Civil Air Patrol shall have
participated or while repairing or doing other work about or on
any emergency vehicle or buildings and grounds of the ambulance
service, certified hazardous material response team, rescue
squad, municipality, municipal authority or Pennsylvania Civil
Air Patrol upon the authorization of the chief of the ambulance
service, certified hazardous material response team, rescue
squad, municipality, municipal authority or Pennsylvania Civil
Air Patrol or other person in charge while answering any
emergency calls for any purpose or while riding upon any
vehicles which are owned or used by the ambulance service,
certified hazardous material response team, rescue squad or
Pennsylvania Civil Air Patrol.
(D) UPON RECEIPT OF SUCH CERTIFICATION, THE COMMONWEALTH
SHALL, FROM MONEYS PAYABLE OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND, PAY TO THE
SURVIVING SPOUSE OR, IF THERE IS NO SURVIVING SPOUSE, TO THE
MINOR CHILDREN OF THE PAID FIREFIGHTER, AMBULANCE SERVICE OR
RESCUE SQUAD MEMBER [OR], LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, PUBLIC WORKS
EMPLOYEE OR CORONER WHO DIED AS A RESULT OF THE PERFORMANCE OF
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HIS DUTY THE SUM OF $100,000, ADJUSTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH
SUBSECTION (F) OF THIS SECTION AND AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO THE
MONTHLY SALARY, ADJUSTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBSECTION (F) OF
THIS SECTION, OF THE DECEASED PAID FIREFIGHTER, AMBULANCE
SERVICE OR RESCUE SQUAD MEMBER [OR], LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER,
PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEE OR CORONER, LESS ANY WORKERS' COMPENSATION
OR PENSION OR RETIREMENT BENEFITS PAID TO SUCH SURVIVORS, AND
SHALL CONTINUE SUCH MONTHLY PAYMENTS UNTIL THERE IS NO ELIGIBLE
BENEFICIARY TO RECEIVE THEM. FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS SUBSECTION,
THE TERM "ELIGIBLE BENEFICIARY" MEANS THE SURVIVING SPOUSE OR
THE CHILD OR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN YEARS OR, IF
ATTENDING COLLEGE, UNDER THE AGE OF TWENTY-THREE YEARS, OF THE
FIREFIGHTER, AMBULANCE SERVICE OR RESCUE SQUAD MEMBER [OR], LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEE OR CORONER WHO DIED
AS A RESULT OF THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS DUTY. WHEN NO SPOUSE OR
MINOR CHILDREN SURVIVE, A SINGLE SUM OF $100,000, ADJUSTED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH SUBSECTION (F) OF THIS SECTION, SHALL BE PAID TO
THE PARENT OR PARENTS OF SUCH FIREFIGHTER, AMBULANCE SERVICE
MEMBER, RESCUE SQUAD MEMBER [OR], LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER,
PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEE OR CORONER.
* * *
(e) The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania shall pay out of the
General Fund to the surviving spouse or, if there is no
surviving spouse, the minor children of a National Guard member,
certified hazardous material response team member, public works
employee, member of the Pennsylvania Civil Air Patrol, volunteer
firefighter, ambulance service or rescue squad member who died
as a result of the performance of his duties the sum of
$100,000, adjusted in accordance with subsection (f) of this
section. When no spouse or minor children survive, the benefit
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shall be paid to the parent or parents of such National Guard
member, certified hazardous material response team member,
public works employee, member of the Pennsylvania Civil Air
Patrol, volunteer firefighter, ambulance service or rescue squad
member. The benefit shall be payable whether or not the National
Guard member or certified hazardous material response team
member, public works employee, member of the Pennsylvania Civil
Air Patrol, volunteer firefighter, ambulance service or rescue
squad member died as a result of the performance of his duty
within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
* * *
(H) A CORONER SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE ACTING IN THE
PERFORMANCE OF HIS DUTIES FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS ACT WHEN
ACTING IN ACCORDANCE WITH 16 PA.C.S. CH. 139 (RELATING TO
CORONER).
Section 2. Section 2 of the act is amended by adding a
definition DEFINITIONS 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:
* * *
"CORONER" MEANS AN ELECTED OR APPOINTED CORONER OR DEPUTY
CORONER OR AN ELECTED OR APPOINTED MEDICAL EXAMINER. THE TERM
INCLUDES A STAFF PERSON OF AN ELECTED OR APPOINTED CORONER OR A
STAFF PERSON OF AN ELECTED OR APPOINTED MEDICAL EXAMINER.
* * *
"Public works employee" means an employee of a municipality
or municipal authority whose employment involves the care,
maintenance or construction of municipally owned buildings, open
space, parks, parking facilities, waste water treatment systems,
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water systems, sewers or other property, roads, highways or
public infrastructure, and who, as a first responder, or in
conjunction with first responders, may respond to emergencies
while acting in an official capacity.
"STAFF PERSON" MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL IN THE CORONER'S OFFICE OR
MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE WHO ENGAGES IN ACTIVITIES RELATING TO
DEATH INVESTIGATIONS. THE TERM INCLUDES A MEDICAL INVESTIGATOR,
FORENSIC TECHNICIAN, LABORATORY DIRECTOR, FORENSIC SUPERVISOR,
FORENSIC INVESTIGATOR, SCIENTIST OR AUTOPSY OR HISTOLOGY
TECHNICIAN.
SECTION 3. SECTION 2.1 OF THE ACT IS AMENDED TO READ:
SECTION 2.1. THIS ACT SHALL BE BROADLY CONSTRUED TO GRANT
BENEFITS TO FIREFIGHTERS, AMBULANCE SERVICE OR RESCUE SQUAD
MEMBERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEES,
CORONERS OR NATIONAL GUARD PERSONNEL FOR DEATHS RELATED TO THE
PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES.
Section 3 4. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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