Sec. 11. (a) The education board must establish best practices to improve safety and health outcomes for full-time firefighters and volunteer firefighters not later than July 1, 2021.

     (b) The best practices must include:

(1) a proactive health and safety risk management system consisting of a joint employer and employee governance structure to oversee a continuous process of identification, evaluation, monitoring and controlling, and reporting of safety and health hazards in the workplace;

(2) ways to reduce firefighter risk of exposure to carcinogens; and

(3) ways to prevent or reduce the risk of injuries and illness with particular focus on causes of compensable worker’s compensation or disability claims.

     (c) The education board shall:

(1) review programs established by political subdivisions and volunteer fire departments implementing best practices under this section; and

(2) provide a political subdivision or volunteer fire department with a letter for submission to an insurance company for consideration in a premium or rate discount toward the purchase or procurement of worker’s compensation insurance under IC 22-3-2-2 or IC 36-8-12-10 that states that the political subdivision or volunteer fire department has implemented best practices under this section.

As added by P.L.72-2020, SEC.2. Amended by P.L.32-2021, SEC.102.