Workers' compensation: off-duty firefighters.

Existing law establishes a workers' compensation system, administered by the Administrative Director of the Division of Workers' Compensation, to compensate an employee for injuries sustained in the course of employment. Existing law grants workers' compensation benefits to a firefighter, or the firefighter's dependents, if the firefighter is injured, dies, or is disabled by proceeding to or engaging in a fire-suppression or rescue operation, or the protection of life or property, anywhere in California, but is not acting under the immediate supervision of the employer. This bill would expand the scope of this provision to apply when a firefighter engages in a fire-suppression or rescue operation, or the protection or preservation of life or property, outside of this state. Existing law specifies the time periods within which various workers' compensation proceedings may be commenced for the collection of benefits, including one year from the date of injury. This bill would provide that for claims filed by firefighters for injuries sustained during the October 1, 2017, mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada, the date of injury would be January 1, 2020.