04/20/1993 09:02 AM Senate CRA

  SENATOR   RANDY   PHILLIPS   introduced  HB   221   (WORKERS                 
  COMP:VOLUNTEER  FIRE  FIGHTERS, ETC)  as  the next  order of                 
  business.                                                                    
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE  BILL  HUDSON,  prime  sponsor  of   HB  221,                 
  explained the legislation  was introduced at the  request of                 
  firefighters  in  the  Juneau  area  who had  experienced  a                 
  serious accident at  their fire training center  where three                 
  volunteer were injured and one man lost his life.                            
                                                                               
  HB 221 clarifies that when volunteers are functioning with a                 
  municipality on a  fire or  when they are  involved in  fire                 
  training, they are  for all  intents and purposes  employees                 
  when it comes to workers' compensation.  It modifies current                 
  statute  to  indicate  that volunteers  would  receive  wage                 
  replacement based  on the  actual wages  lost or  comparable                 
  wages.                                                                       
                                                                               
  Number 315                                                                   
                                                                               
  SENATOR TAYLOR  asked  what  the  fiscal cost  would  be  to                 
  individual cities.  REPRESENTATIVE  HUDSON answered that the                 
                                                                               
                                                                               
  fiscal   cost  is  zero;  it   comes  out  of  the  workers'                 
  compensation.   The impact  throughout the  State of  Alaska                 
  means  that  volunteers,  when  they  are  called  out,  are                 
  employees.                                                                   
                                                                               
  Number 335                                                                   
                                                                               
  JOHN GEORGE,  representing  the  Alaska  State  Firefighters                 
  Association, explained that workers' compensation is paid by                 
  the municipality.  It  currently is based on the  wages that                 
  would be paid  to an entry level firefighter.   HB 221 would                 
  change it to  that or the actual  wages of the volunteer  in                 
  his other  employment, whichever  is greater.   The  current                 
  rates are based  on a compensation  of about $2,000 a  year.                 
  He said he talked  to Brad Thompson of Risk  Management, and                 
  they think that if there is an increase it is going to be so                 
  minuscule that it won't make any difference at all.                          
                                                                               
  Number 350                                                                   
                                                                               
  SENATOR  RANDY  PHILLIPS  asked  for  the  pleasure  of  the                 
  committee on HB 221.                                                         
                                                                               
  SENATOR TAYLOR moved that HB 221  be passed out of committee                 
  with individual  recommendations.  Hearing  no objection, it                 
  was so ordered.