[KYHAM] House Bill 334 Passed and signed by Governor

[Pat Spencer, KD4PWL]

Last legislative session, there a bill was enacted to provide protection to 
volunteer firefighters who are absent from work to respond to an 
emergency.  This protection has been extended to emergency management 
workers who are responding to an emergency situation.  This impacts those 
amateur radio operators who assist their emergency management agencies, and 
can establish proof of their involvement through documentation outlined in 
section (3).  Here is the text of the entire act.


Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:
Section 1. KRS 337.100 is amended to read as follows:
(1) No employer shall terminate an employee who is a volunteer firefighter, 
rescue squad member, emergency medical technician, peace officer, or a 
member of an emergency management agency because that employee, when acting 
as a volunteer firefighter, rescue squad member, emergency medical 
technician, peace officer, or a member of an emergency management agency, 
is absent or late to the employee's employment in order to respond to an 
emergency prior to the time the employee is to report to his or her place 
of employment.
(2) An employer may charge any time that an employee who is a volunteer 
firefighter, rescue squad member, emergency medical technician, peace 
officer, or a member of an emergency management agency loses from 
employment because of the employee's response to an emergency against the 
employee's regular pay.
(3) An employer may request an employee who loses time from the employee's 
employment to respond to an emergency to provide the employer with a 
written statement from the supervisor or acting supervisor[chief] of the 
volunteer fire department, rescue squad, emergency medical services agency, 
law enforcement agency, or the director of the emergency management agency 
stating that the
employee responded to an emergency and listing the time and date of the 
emergency.
(4) Any employee that is terminated in violation of the provisions of this 
section may bring a civil action against his or her employer. The employee 
may seek reinstatement to the employee's former position, payment of back 
wages, reinstatement of fringe benefits, and where seniority rights are 
granted, the reinstatement of seniority rights. In order to recover, the 
employee shall file this action within one (1) year of the date of the 
violation of this section.

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When this is formally placed into the KRS, it will be posted on the KY 
Amateur Radio Resource Library for downloading.

73, Take care,
Pat, KD4PWL
KY Asst. Section Manager