OC BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPROVES WORKERS’ COMPENSATION BENEFITS FOR OC PEACE OFFICERS INJURED OUT OF STATE
Action taken is the result of the AOCDS Sponsored Bill, AB 1749 (Daly D-Anaheim), related to October 1, 2017, Mass Shooting In Las Vegas, NV.
SANTA ANA, CA – September 10, 2019
Video of action taken at the Board of Supervisors meeting: CLICK HERE
Today at their regularly scheduled board meeting, the Orange County Board of Supervisors, by a unanimous vote, adopted a resolution allowing Orange County employed peace officers who were injured at the October 2017 mass shooting event in Las Vegas, NV, access to workers compensation benefits. The action is a result of the passage of AB 1749, state legislation sponsored by the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs (AOCDS) and introduced by Assemblyman Tom Daly, D-Anaheim. The bill was approved by then Gov. Edmund G. Brown, Jr. on September 23, 2018.
BACKGROUND:
During the Las Vegas shooting on October 1, 2017, several AOCDS members who were off-duty deputy sheriffs and District Attorney investigators, bravely brought themselves and others to safety, then automatically returned to the killing field to save more lives. Deputies Joe Owen and Mark Seamans were among several AOCDS members in attendance at the concert venue. Seamans assisted in shielding others from gunfire and helped move people to safety. He injured his leg as a result. Deputy Joe Owen was applying pressure on a victim’s bullet wound and dragging that person to safety when he was shot in the abdomen and thigh. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department awarded Deputies Owen and Seamans the Purple Heart, along with the Medal of Courage, for their bravery.
Our deputies acted heroically, exactly what they were sworn to do; however, when it came time for them to get the care and/or compensation they rightly deserve, the County objected, saying the law didn’t provide a remedy for these officers, because the incident took place out of state. That should not be the case, so we committed ourselves to do everything in our power to change that.
AB 1749 clarifies that fully sworn peace officers can file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits if, while in pursuit, apprehension, protection or preservation of life or property within or out of the state, the officer suffers injury, disability or death. AB 1749 is a bill AOCDS proudly sponsored and fought for in the legislature. Assemblymember Tom Daly (D-Anaheim) introduced the bill. AOCDS diligently pursued this common-sense fix to the California Labor Code, because it is the right thing to do. These sworn law enforcement officers’ training and instincts to save lives immediately kicked in when the gunfire erupted. These members, along with all the other members of law enforcement, are true heroes.
AOCDS President Tom Dominguez said, “The board resolution adopted today would not have been considered if not for the support of Sheriff Don Barnes. We are incredibly grateful for his support. We want to express our gratitude to Assemblymember Tom Daly for his steadfast support of California law enforcement and Governor Brown for his decision to sign the bill. In-state or out of state, our officers are never off duty. The public reasonably expects us to act in these situations. If we are injured, are disabled or die as a result, the appropriate remedy should be provided… and now, thanks to the action taken by the Orange County Board of Supervisors, it will be.”
AB 1749 went into effect on January 1, 2019 and applies to the peace officers injured in the Las Vegas shooting.
