Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S1601 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1315 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1601
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Walter F. Timilty
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act relative to COVID-19 complications for public safety employees.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Walter F. TimiltyNorfolk, Plymouth and Bristol 1 of 2
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1315 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1601
18	18	By Mr. Timilty, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1601) of Walter F. Timilty for
19	19	legislation relative to COVID-19 complications for public safety employees. Public Safety and
20	20	Homeland Security.
21	21	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
22	22	SEE SENATE, NO. 1649 OF 2021-2022.]
23	23	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
24	24	_______________
25	25	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
26	26	(2023-2024)
27	27	_______________
28	28	An Act relative to COVID-19 complications for public safety employees.
29	29	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
30	30	of the same, as follows:
31	31	1 Chapter 41 shall be amended by adding the following section:
32	32	2 Section 100C. Upon written application by any of its police officers or firefighters retired
33	33	3either before or after the acceptance of this section; or in the event of the death of any such
34	34	4police officer or firefighter, upon written application by his widow or, if he leaves no widow, by
35	35	5his next of kin, shall indemnify such police officer or firefighter or, in the event of his death, his
36	36	6widow, or if he leaves no widow, his next of kin, for all reasonable hospital, medical and
37	37	7surgical, chiropractic, nursing, pharmaceutical, prosthetic and other related expenses and
38	38	8reasonable charges incurred by such police officer or firefighter after his retirement relating to
39	39	9ongoing treatment or complications relating to COVID-19 or its variant contracted as a work-
40	40	10related illness; provided, however, that no person shall be indemnified under this section unless a 2 of 2
41	41	11majority of the members of a panel consisting of (a) the chairman of the retirement board of the
42	42	12city or town, (b) the city solicitor, town counsel or other officer having similar duties or a person
43	43	13designated in writing by such solicitor, counsel, or officer to act for him, and (c) such physician
44	44	14selected by agreement of the city or town manager and the retiree’s physician, upon receipt from
45	45	15the applicant of due proof, certify:—(1) that the expenses for which indemnification is sought
46	46	16were the natural and proximate result of Covid-19 or its variant contracted as a work-related
47	47	17illness; (2) that such expenses were incurred after the acceptance of this section; (3) that the
48	48	18hospital, medical and surgical, chiropractic, nursing, pharmaceutical, and/or prosthetic to which
49	49	19such expenses relate were rendered within six months before the filing of the application; (4) that
50	50	20such expenses are reasonable under all the circumstances.