The bill amends Section 30-15-15 of the General Laws in Chapter 30-15, titled "Emergency Management," to enhance the legal protections and rights of disaster response workers. It establishes that all functions related to disaster response are governmental functions, thereby granting immunity from liability to the state, its political subdivisions, and disaster response workers, except in cases of willful misconduct, gross negligence, or bad faith.

The bill clarifies that disaster response workers are not required to hold licenses for practicing professional skills during a disaster emergency. It ensures that those injured or killed while performing their duties are compensated similarly to state employees under the Workers Compensation Act.

Additionally, the bill introduces new provisions that entitle authorized disaster response workers to all rights similar to state employees when practicing professional skills during a disaster emergency. This includes rights under the Workers Compensation Act and legal defense provisions as outlined in 9-31-8. The term "disaster response worker" is defined broadly to encompass various individuals and organizations involved in disaster response activities. The act is set to take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
671: 30-15-15
671  SUB A: 30-15-15