2020 Oklahoma Statutes
Title 63. Public Health and Safety
§63-683.13. Emergency management activities declared as governmental functions - Workers' benefit rights preserved.

A. All functions hereunder and all other activities relating to emergency management are hereby declared to be governmental functions. The provisions of this section shall not affect the right of any person to receive benefits to which the person would otherwise be entitled under this act, or under the workers' compensation law, or under any pension law, nor the right of any such person to receive any benefits or compensation under any Act of Congress. Any municipal fireman or policeman engaged in any emergency management activities, while complying with or attempting to comply with this act or any rule or regulation pursuant thereto, shall be considered as serving in his or her regular line of duty and shall be entitled to all benefits of any applicable pension fund.

B. Any requirement for a license to practice any professional, mechanical, or other skill shall not apply to any authorized emergency management worker from any state rendering mutual aid and who holds a comparable license in that state, who shall practice such professional, mechanical, or other skill during an emergency declared under the provisions of this act, when such professional, mechanical or other skill is exercised in accordance with the provisions of this act.

C. As used in this section, the term "emergency management worker" shall include any full or part-time paid, volunteer, or auxiliary employee of this state, or other states, territories, possession or the District of Columbia, of the federal government, or any neighboring country, or of any political subdivision thereof, or of any agency or organization, performing emergency management services under state supervision, and who has been properly trained in the performance of emergency management functions, at any place in this state subject to the order or control of, or pursuant to a request of, the state government or any political subdivision thereof. The term "emergency management worker" shall not include any volunteer health practitioner subject to the provisions of the Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act.

D. Any emergency management worker, as defined in this section, performing emergency management services at any place in this state pursuant to agreements, compacts, or arrangements for mutual aid and assistance, to which the state or a political subdivision thereof is a party, shall possess the same powers, duties, immunities, and privileges the person would ordinarily possess if performing the same duties in the state, province, or political subdivision thereof in which normally employed or rendering services.

Added by Laws 1967, c. 33, § 13, emerg. eff. Feb. 14, 1967. Amended by Laws 2003, c. 329, § 12, emerg. eff. May 29, 2003; Laws 2013, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 17, § 5, emerg. eff. Sept. 10, 2013; Laws 2013, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 17, § 6, emerg. eff. Sept. 10, 2013.

NOTE: Laws 2009, c. 78, § 13 repealed by Laws 2010, c. 2, § 53, emerg. eff. March 3, 2010.

NOTE: Laws 2009, c. 228, § 30 was held unconstitutional by the Oklahoma Supreme Court in the case of Douglas v. Cox Retirement Properties, Inc., 2013 OK 37, 302 P.2d 789 (Okla. 2013) and repealed by Laws 2013, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 17, § 4, emerg. eff. Sept. 10, 2013.