HB 2087 — An Act amending the act of June 2, 1915 (P.L.736, No.338), known as the Workers' Compensation Act, in additional coverages, further providing for definitions.

PRINTER'S NO.   2684

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 2087
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY FREEMAN, ZIMMERMAN, PROBST, GILLEN, HILL-EVANS,
        McNEILL, ROAE, INGLIS, CAUSER, SANCHEZ, FRANKEL, CIRESI AND
        HARKINS, DECEMBER 9, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, DECEMBER 9, 2025


                                     AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of June 2, 1915 (P.L.736, No.338), entitled "An
 2      act defining the liability of an employer to pay damages for
 3      injuries received by an employe in the course of employment;
 4      establishing an elective schedule of compensation; providing
 5      procedure for the determination of liability and compensation
 6      thereunder; and prescribing penalties," in additional
 7      coverages, further providing for definitions.
 8      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 9   hereby enacts as follows:
10      Section 1.    Section 601(a)(1), (2) and (3), (f)(4) and (g)(3)
11   of the act of June 2, 1915 (P.L.736, No.338), known as the
12   Workers' Compensation Act, are amended to read:
13      Section 601.    (a)   In addition to those persons included
14   within the definition of the word "employe" as defined in
15   section 104, "employe" shall also include:
16      (1)   members of volunteer fire departments or volunteer fire
17   companies, including any paid fireman who is a member of a
18   volunteer fire company and performs the services of a volunteer
19   fireman during off-duty hours, who shall be entitled to receive
20   compensation in case of injuries received while actively engaged
 1   as firemen or while going to or returning from a fire which the
 2   fire company or fire department attended including travel from
 3   and the direct return to a fireman's home, place of business or
 4   other place where he shall have been when he received the call
 5   or alarm or while participating in instruction fire drills in
 6   which the fire department or fire company shall have
 7   participated or while repairing or doing other work about or on
 8   the fire apparatus or buildings and grounds of the fire company
 9   or fire department upon the authorization of the chief of the
10   fire company or fire department or other person in charge or
11   while answering any emergency calls for any purpose or while
12   riding upon the fire apparatus which is owned or used by the
13   fire company or fire department or while engaging in organized
14   fundraising activities or while performing any other duties of
15   such fire company or fire department as authorized by the
16   municipality or while performing duties imposed by section 15,
17   act of April 27, 1927 (P.L.465, No.299), referred to as the Fire
18   and Panic Act;
19      (2)   all members of volunteer ambulance corps of the various
20   municipalities who shall be and are hereby declared to be
21   employes of such municipality for the purposes of this act who
22   shall be entitled to receive compensation in the case of
23   injuries received while actually engaged as ambulance corpsmen
24   or while going to or returning from any fire, accident, or other
25   emergency which such volunteer ambulance corps shall attend
26   including travel from and the direct return to a corpsman's
27   home, place of business or other place where he shall have been
28   when he received the call or alarm; or while participating in
29   ambulance corps of which they are members; or while repairing or
30   doing other work about or on the ambulance apparatus or

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 1   buildings and grounds of such ambulance corps upon the
 2   authorization of the corps president or other person in charge;
 3   or while answering any emergency call for any purpose; or while
 4   engaging in organized fundraising activities or while riding in
 5   or upon the ambulance apparatus owned by the ambulance corps of
 6   which they are members at any time or while performing any other
 7   duties of such ambulance corps as are authorized by the
 8   municipality;
 9      (3)   officers, directors, rescue and lifesaving squad members
10   or any other members of volunteer rescue and lifesaving squads
11   of the various municipalities who shall be and are hereby
12   declared to be employes of such municipalities for the purposes
13   of this act and who shall be entitled to receive compensation in
14   the case of injuries received while actually engaged as a rescue
15   and lifesaving squad member attending to any emergency to which
16   that squad has been called or responded including travel from
17   and the direct return to a squad person's home, place of
18   business or other place where he shall have been when he
19   received the call or alarm or while participating in rescue and
20   lifesaving drills in which the squad is participating; while
21   repairing or doing other work about or on the apparatus,
22   buildings and grounds of such rescue and lifesaving squad upon
23   the authorization of the chief or other person in charge; [or]
24   while riding in or upon the apparatus of the rescue and
25   lifesaving squad; or while engaging in organized fundraising
26   activities and at any time while performing any other duties
27   authorized by the municipality;
28      * * *
29      (f)   The term "members of volunteer fire departments or
30   volunteer fire companies" when used in this article shall mean

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 1   any of the following:
 2      * * *
 3      (4)   A participating member of a volunteer fire department or
 4   volunteer fire company who provides necessary operational
 5   support to the volunteer fire department or volunteer fire
 6   company but does not respond to emergency calls. Operational
 7   support includes maintaining the station and equipment, acting
 8   as trustee, organizing [fundraisers] or engaging in organized
 9   fundraising activity, providing information technology support
10   and assisting with recruitment and other administrative tasks,
11   if the operational support activity is conducted on a regular
12   basis for the benefit of a volunteer fire department or
13   volunteer fire company as approved at the beginning of each
14   policy year by the authority, organization or municipality
15   purchasing workers' compensation insurance for the volunteer
16   fire department or volunteer fire company.
17      The term does not include a social member of a volunteer fire
18   department or volunteer fire company.
19      (g)   The term "members of volunteer ambulance corps" when
20   used in this article shall mean any of the following:
21      * * *
22      (3)   A participating member of a volunteer ambulance corps
23   who provides necessary operational support to the volunteer
24   ambulance corps but does not respond to emergency calls.
25   Operational support includes maintaining the station and
26   equipment, acting as trustee, organizing [fundraisers] or
27   engaging in organized fundraising activity, providing
28   information technology support and assisting with recruitment
29   and other administrative tasks, if the operational support
30   activity is conducted on a regular basis for the benefit of a

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1   volunteer ambulance corps.
2      The term does not include a social member of a volunteer
3   ambulance corps.
4      * * *
5      Section 2.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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