Raised Bill No. 5264, introduced in the February Session, 2024, addresses the definition of "employer" under the State Occupational Safety and Health Act with specific reference to volunteer fire departments and ambulance companies. The bill proposes amendments to sections 31-367(d) and 31-369(a) of the general statutes, with an effective date of October 1, 2024.

The bill substitutes the current language in section 31-367(d) to include volunteer fire departments and volunteer ambulance companies as employers, except as provided in the amended section 31-369. In section 31-369(a), the bill adds a new exemption for volunteer fire departments and volunteer ambulance companies that are regulated by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. The bill also removes the conjunction "and" from the existing exemptions list, indicating the addition of the new exemption as a separate point. The bill has received favorable recommendations from the Labor and Public Employees Committee and the Public Safety Committee.