PRINTER'S NO. 1796
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 1278
Session of
2024
INTRODUCED BY STEFANO, JUNE 30, 2024
REFERRED TO VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS,
JUNE 30, 2024
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania
2 Consolidated Statutes, repealing provisions relating to
3 COVID-19 enforcement officer disability benefits; and
4 providing for COVID-19 emergency responder and law
5 enforcement officer death benefits.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Chapter 57A of Title 35 of the Pennsylvania
9 Consolidated Statutes is repealed:
10 [CHAPTER 57A
11 COVID-19 ENFORCEMENT OFFICER DISABILITY BENEFITS
12 § 57A01. Scope of chapter.
13 This chapter relates to enforcement officer disability
14 benefits relating to COVID-19.
15 § 57A02. Enforcement officer disability benefits.
16 (a) General rule.--A person covered under section 1(a) of
17 the act of June 28, 1935 (P.L.477, No.193), referred to as the
18 Enforcement Officer Disability Benefits Law, who contracts or is
19 diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), as
 1 identified in the proclamation of disaster emergency issued by
2 the Governor on March 6, 2020, published at 50 Pa.B. 1644 (March
3 21, 2020), or is subject to quarantine resulting from exposure
4 to COVID-19, and by reason thereof is temporarily incapacitated
5 from performing his duties, shall be compensated in accordance
6 with section 1(a) of the Enforcement Officer Disability Benefits
7 Law.
8 (b) Limitation.--A benefit received under subsection (a)
9 shall be limited to 60 days for each incident.]
10 Section 2. Title 35 is amended by adding a chapter to read:
11 CHAPTER 57B
12 COVID-19 EMERGENCY RESPONDER AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
13 OFFICER DEATH BENEFITS
14 Sec.
15 57B01. Scope of chapter.
16 57B02. Definitions.
17 57B03. Emergency responder and law enforcement officer death
18 benefits.
19 § 57B01. Scope of chapter.
20 This chapter relates to emergency responder and law
21 enforcement officer death benefits relating to COVID-19.
22 § 57B02. Definitions.
23 The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
24 shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
25 context clearly indicates otherwise:
26 "COVID-19." Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), as
27 identified in the proclamation of disaster emergency issued by
28 the Governor on March 6, 2020, published at 50 Pa.B. 1644 (March
29 21, 2020).
30 "Department." The Department of General Services of the
20240SB1278PN1796 - 2 -
 1 Commonwealth.
2 § 57B03. Emergency responder and law enforcement officer death
3 benefits.
4 (a) General rule.--A person covered under section 1 of the
5 act of June 24, 1976 (P.L.424, No.101), referred to as the
6 Emergency and Law Enforcement Personnel Death Benefits Act, who
7 contracted or was diagnosed with COVID-19 and by reason of
8 COVID-19 died between January 2, 2020, and December 31, 2023, is
9 presumed to have died as a result of the performance of their
10 duties for purposes of the Emergency and Law Enforcement
11 Personnel Death Benefits Act.
12 (b) Limitation.--An application for death benefits under
13 subsection (a), including a certification of death, shall be
14 made to the department within five years of the date of the
15 death for which the application was submitted.
16 Section 3. This act shall take effect as follows:
17 (1) The repeal of 35 Pa.C.S. Ch. 57A shall take effect
18 in 30 days.
19 (2) This section shall take effect immediately.
20 (3) The remainder of this act shall take effect in 60
21 days.
20240SB1278PN1796 - 3 -


Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 1796: 35-57, P.L.477, No.193