OLR Bill Analysis

sHB 5519 (as amended by House "B")*

AN ACT CONCERNING WORKERS' COMPENSATION PREMIUMS AND VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE COMPANIES.

SUMMARY:

This bill requires the state-licensed workers' compensation risk rating organization to file with the insurance commissioner a method of computing workers' compensation premiums for volunteer staff of municipal or volunteer ambulance services that does not base the premium primarily on the number of ambulances the service owns. The bill requires the method to be based primarily on ambulance usage as determined by the estimated annual number of service call responses. The new method applies to workers' compensation policies issued or renewed on or after October 1, 2009.

The bill defines municipal or volunteer ambulance services as a volunteer organization or municipality that the public health commissioner licensed to transport patients.

*House Amendment “B” (1) eliminates the language in the original bill (File 97) prohibiting premium calculation methods that discriminate against or penalize ambulance services solely because of the number of ambulances owned and replaces it with the prohibition on premiums based primarily on the number of ambulances, (2) defines “ambulance usage” as the estimated number of annual calls, and (3) specifies the new premium calculation method applies to volunteer staff.

EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage and applicable to policies issued or renewed on or after October 1, 2009.

COMMITTEE ACTION

Labor and Public Employees Committee

Joint Favorable Substitute

Insurance and Real Estate Committee

Joint Favorable

Planning and Development Committee

Joint Favorable