House Bill 770

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 33-15-15, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT PERSONS REGISTERED IN THE MISSISSIPPI RESPONDER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM SHALL BE REIMBURSED FOR DEATH, DISABILITY OR INJURY TO SUCH PERSONS, AND THAT THE STATE SHALL PAY COMPENSATION TO THE HEIRS OR TO THE INDIVIDUAL IN ACCORDANCE WITH PAYMENT SCHEDULES CONTAINED IN THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION LAW, FOR DEATH OR INJURIES TO THE INDIVIDUAL WHILE RESPONDING TO AN OFFICIALLY DECLARED EMERGENCY OR DURING EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS TRAINING; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 33-15-15, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

33-15-15. (a) The agency is authorized to provide, within or without the state, such support from available personnel, equipment and other resources of state agencies and the political subdivisions of the state as may be necessary to reinforce emergency management agencies in areas stricken by emergency. Such support shall be rendered with due consideration of the plans of the federal government, this state, the other states and of the criticalness of the existing situation. Emergency management support forces shall be called to duty upon orders of the agency and shall perform their functions in any part of the state, or, upon the conditions specified in this section, in other states.

(b) Personnel of emergency management support forces while on duty, whether within or without the state, shall:

(1) If they are employees of the state, have the powers, duties, rights, privileges and immunities and receive the compensation incidental to their employment;

(2) If they are employees of a political subdivision of the state, and whether serving within or without such political subdivision, have the powers, duties, rights, privileges and immunities and receive the compensation incidental to their employment; and

(3) If they are not employees of the state or a political subdivision thereof, be entitled to compensation by the state at a rate commensurate with their duties and responsibilities and to the same rights and immunities as are provided by law for the employees of this state.

All personnel of emergency management support forces shall, while on duty, be subject to the operational control of the authority in charge of emergency management activities in the area in which they are serving, and shall be reimbursed for all actual and necessary travel and subsistence expenses, and for death, disability or injury to such personnel while on such emergency duty as a member of an emergency management support force, the state shall pay compensation to the heirs in event of death or the individual in event of injury or disability in accordance with payment schedules contained in the Mississippi Workers' Compensation Law.

(c) Personnel who are not otherwise covered by subsection (b) of this section, but who are registered in the Mississippi Responder Management System, developed to facilitate health and medical response through identification, credentialing and deployment of responders for the State of Mississippi, shall be reimbursed for death, disability or injury to such personnel, and the state shall pay compensation to the heirs in event of death or to the individual in event of injury or disability in accordance with payment schedules contained in the Mississippi Workers' Compensation Law, for death or injuries to the individual while responding to an officially declared emergency or during emergency preparedness training.

( * * *cd) The state shall reimburse a political subdivision for the actual and necessary travel, subsistence and maintenance expenses of employees of such political subdivision while serving as members of an emergency management support force, and for all payments for death, disability or injury of such employees incurred in the course of such duty, and for all losses of or damage to supplies and equipment of such political subdivision resulting from the operation of such emergency management support force. The state may also reimburse a political subdivision for employees' overtime while deployed as members of an emergency management support force and backfill of deployed forces when determined by the director to be necessary to avoid serious financial consequences for the political subdivision providing support and when requested by the chief elected official of the political subdivision stating the circumstances for the request.

( * * *de) Whenever an emergency management support force of another state shall render aid in this state pursuant to the orders of the governor of its home state and upon the request of the Governor of this state, the personnel thereof shall have the powers, duties, rights, privileges and immunities of emergency management personnel serving in similar capacities in this state, except compensation, and this state shall reimburse such other state for the compensation paid and actual and necessary travel, subsistence and maintenance expenses of the personnel of such emergency management support force while rendering such aid, and for all payments for death, disability or injury of such personnel incurred in the course of rendering such aid, and for all losses of or damage to supplies and equipment of such other state or a political subdivision thereof resulting from the rendering of such aid; provided that the laws of such other state contain provisions substantially similar to this section.

( * * *ef) No personnel of emergency management support forces of this state shall be ordered by the Governor to operate in any other state unless the laws of such other state contain provisions substantially similar to this section.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2019.