HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2924        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2709

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

John J. Lawn, Jr.

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to Covid-19 complications for public safety employees.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2924        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2709

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

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An Act relative to Covid-19 complications for public safety employees.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Chapter 41 shall be amended by adding the following section:

Section 100C; Upon written application by any of its police officers or firefighters retired either before or after the acceptance of this section; or in the event of the death of any such police officer or firefighter, upon written application by his widow or, if he leaves no widow, by his next of kin, any municipality shall indemnify such police officer or firefighter or, in the event of his death, his widow, or if he leaves no widow, his next of kin, for all reasonable hospital, medical and surgical, chiropractic, nursing, pharmaceutical, prosthetic and other related expenses and reasonable charges incurred by such police officer or firefighter after his retirement relating to ongoing treatment or complications relating to Covid-19 or its variant contracted as a work-related illness;  provided, however, that no person shall be indemnified under this section unless a majority of the members of a panel consisting of (a) the chairman of the retirement board of the city or town, (b) the city solicitor, town counsel or other officer having similar duties or a person designated in writing by such solicitor, counsel, or officer to act for him, and (c) such physician selected by agreement of the city or town manager and the retiree’s physician, upon receipt from the applicant of due proof, certify:—(1) that the expenses for which indemnification is sought were the natural and proximate result of Covid-19 or its variant contracted as a work-related illness;  (2) that such expenses were incurred after the acceptance of this section; (3) that the hospital, medical and surgical, chiropractic, nursing, pharmaceutical, and/or prosthetic to which such expenses relate were rendered within six months before the filing of the application; (4) that such expenses are reasonable under all the circumstances.

Provided further that this section shall additionally cover State Police officers through the Executive Office of Public Safety.