Section 51.12.140. Volunteer law enforcement officers.

(1) As used in this section:

(a) "Municipal corporation" means any city, town, or county authorized by law to maintain and operate a law enforcement department;

(b) "Law enforcement department" means any regularly organized police department, sheriff's department, department of public safety, or other similar organization which has as its primary purpose the enforcement of state or local penal laws and the preservation of public order, which consists wholly of volunteer law enforcement officers or a combination of volunteer and paid law enforcement officers, and which is duly organized and maintained by a municipal corporation;

(c) "Volunteer law enforcement officer" means a person who is a member of a law enforcement department and who (i) performs assigned or authorized duties for the law enforcement department by his or her own free choice; (ii) serves in a position that is not basically clerical or secretarial in nature; (iii) is registered and accepted as a volunteer by the law enforcement department; and (iv) receives no monetary remuneration other than maintenance and reimbursement for actual expenses necessarily incurred in performing assigned duties; and

(d) "Performance of duty" includes any work in and about the volunteer law enforcement officers' quarters, police station, or any other place under the direction or general orders of the officer having the authority to order a volunteer law enforcement officer to perform the work; providing law enforcement assistance; patrol; drill; and any work of an emergency nature performed in accordance with the rules of the law enforcement department.

(2) Any municipal corporation maintaining and operating a law enforcement department may elect to provide coverage under this title for all of its volunteer law enforcement officers for death or disability occurring in the performance of their duties as volunteer law enforcement officers. Any municipal corporation electing to provide the coverage shall file a written notice of coverage with the director.

(3) Coverage under this section shall be for all the applicable death, disability, and medical aid benefits of this title and shall be effective only for injuries which occur and occupational diseases which are contracted after the notice of coverage has been filed with the director.

Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prohibit a municipal corporation from covering its volunteer law enforcement officers and other volunteers under RCW 51.12.035(2), as now or hereafter amended, for medical aid benefits only.

(4) Volunteer law enforcement officers for whom municipal corporations have given notice of coverage under this section shall be deemed workers or employees, as the case may be, and the performance of their duties shall be deemed employment or in the course of employment, as the case may be, for all purposes of this title except where expressly excluded or where the context clearly requires otherwise.

(5) All premiums, assessments, contributions, and penalties due under this title because coverage is provided under this section shall be the obligation of and be paid by the municipal corporation giving the notice of coverage to the director.

(6) Any municipal corporation electing coverage under this section shall maintain a time log in which the number of hours worked by each of its volunteer law enforcement officers is recorded. The log shall be made available for inspection upon the request of any authorized employee of the department.

(7) Any municipal corporation electing coverage under this section may withdraw the coverage by filing a written notice of the withdrawal with the director. The withdrawal shall become effective thirty days after filing the notice or on the date of the termination of the security for payment of compensation, whichever occurs later. At least thirty days before the effective date of the withdrawal, the municipal corporation shall notify each of its volunteer law enforcement officers of the withdrawal. Withdrawal of coverage under this section shall not affect the liability of the department or self-insurer for compensation for any injury occurring during the period in which coverage was provided.

[ 1977 ex.s. c 113 § 1.]

NOTES:

Severability—1977 ex.s. c 113: "If any provision of this act, or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act, or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected." [ 1977 ex.s. c 113 § 2.]

1977 ex.s. c 113 § 1.