SENATE COMMERCE COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 128

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: JANUARY 18, 1996

      The Senate Commerce Committee reports favorably Senate, No. 128.

      This bill extends the coverage of the workers' compensation law, R.S.34:15-1 et seq., to any volunteer doing work for the Division of Parks and Forestry, the Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife, the New Jersey Natural Lands Trust or the New Jersey Historic Trust in activities authorized by the Commissioner of Environmental Protection.

      The bill provides that these volunteers will be entitled to the maximum level of compensation authorized by the workers' compensation law. In addition, the bill provides that benefits shall not be paid to any claimant who has another single source of injury or death benefits that provides the claimant with an amount of compensation that exceeds the compensation available to the claimant under the workers' compensation law.

      The bill also extends the coverage of the "New Jersey Tort Claims Act," N.J.S.59:1-1 et seq., to these volunteers. This will limit the liability of these volunteers during their period of voluntary service to the liability established for regular service of public employees covered by the "New Jersey Tort Claims Act."

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 1996 session pending technical review. As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review which has been performed.