Central Valley City Approves Coverage for Out-of-State Injuries

Thursday, October 10, 2019 | 0

A city in California’s Central Valley passed a resolution allowing police officers injured while outside of the state to receive workers’ compensation benefits in certain situations, according to a report by the Sun Gazette.

The resolution the Farmersville City Council passed authorizes coverage for out-of-state injuries suffered by peace officers while attempting to apprehend suspected criminals or protecting life or property. Officers who have been suspended from duty or are not in good standing are not eligible for the out-of-state coverage.

The resolution applies to injuries occurring on or after July 1, 2019.

The issue of extraterritorial coverage for off-duty peace officers arose after deputies for several Southern California counties filed claims for injuries sustained during the Oct. 1, 2017, mass shooting in Las Vegas.

After the Orange County Board of Supervisors said it was prohibited by law from covering injuries sustained by its deputies, Assemblyman Tom Daly, D-Anaheim, in 2018 introduced AB 1749, which initially sought to clarify that current law already allows comp coverage for out-of-state injuries suffered by peace officers.

Daly later amended the bill to give cities and counties the option of adopting resolutions to provide out-of-state coverage.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors in September adopted a similar resolution providing coverage for injuries law enforcement workers sustain outside of California.