320.320. Volunteer firefighters serving without wages, salary or certain other benefits, declared to be public safety officers of state--volunteer firefighters may receive certain benefits.
Volunteer firefighters serving without wages, salary or certain otherbenefits, declared to be public safety officers of state--volunteerfirefighters may receive certain benefits.
320.320. 1. A volunteer firefighter serving a rural, volunteer orsubscription fire department or organization is serving the state ofMissouri in an official capacity as a fire protection volunteer and ishereby declared to be a public safety officer of the state of Missouriserving without wages, salary or certain other employee-type fringebenefits described in subsection 3 of this section.
2. The designation of a volunteer firefighter as a public safetyofficer of the state of Missouri in subsection 1 of this section does notentitle a volunteer firefighter to any rights, privileges or benefitsprovided to an employee or official of the state of Missouri, includingretirement benefits and participation in the state legal defense fund,except as provided in subsection 3 of this section.
3. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection 2 of this section,any rural, volunteer or subscription fire department or organization, orvolunteer fire protection association as defined in section 320.300, mayprovide life insurance, accident, sickness, health, disability, annuity,length of service, retirement, pension and other employee-type fringebenefits, subject to the provisions of section 70.615, RSMo, for volunteerfirefighters who are members of any such department, organization orassociation and such other benefits for their spouses and eligibleunemancipated children as the governing board deems appropriate, eitherthrough a contributory or noncontributory plan, or both. For purposes ofthis section, "eligible unemancipated child" means a natural or adoptedchild of an insured, or a stepchild of an insured who is domiciled with theinsured, who is less than twenty-three years of age, who is not married,not employed on a full-time basis, not maintaining a separate residenceexcept for full-time students in an accredited school or institution ofhigher learning, and who is dependent on parents or guardians for at leastfifty percent of his or her support. The type and extent of such benefitsshall be determined by the governing board of the department, organizationor association, whichever is applicable. The provision and receipt of suchbenefits shall not make the recipient an employee of the district,association or organization. Directors or board members who are alsovolunteer firefighters may receive such benefits while serving as adirector or board member of the district, association or organization.
(L. 1992 H.B. 1379 § 1, A.L. 1999 S.B. 436)