'Sec. 2. 39-A MRSA §102, sub-§11, ¶F is enacted to read:

F.__A person certified by the Director of the Maine Emergency Management Agency within the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management as a qualified search and rescue worker is an employee of the State within the meaning of this Act while that person is performing search and rescue activity at the request of a state, county or local government entity.__In computing the average weekly wage of a certified search and rescue worker injured while performing such activity, the average weekly wage must be taken to be the earning capacity of the injured employee in the occupation in which the employee is regularly engaged.

Sec. 3. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.

DEFENSE, VETERANS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF

Administration - Maine Emergency Management Agency 0214

Initiative: Appropriates funds for the purchase of workers' compensation coverage for search and rescue workers.