Vermont § 46 - Disaster Relief Workers Fund; health care providers; reimbursement

§ 46. Disaster Relief Workers Fund; health care providers; reimbursement

• (a) The Disaster Relief Workers Fund is established in the State Treasury, and shall be
  managed in accordance with the provisions of 32 V.S.A. chapter 7, subchapter 5. The
  Fund is established for the purpose of providing pay reimbursement to employers of
  certain public or private health care providers who perform mental health disaster
  relief services. (b) All monies received by or generated to the Fund shall be used to provide wage reimbursement
  to any public or private Vermont employer for disaster relief services rendered by
  its employee. The employee shall be a certified disaster relief service volunteer
  of the American Red Cross. Reimbursement shall be for not more than 14 days for performing
  disaster relief work pursuant to a request from the American Red Cross when: (1) the work is performed in Vermont; (2) the disaster is a federal or presidentially declared disaster designated as Level
  III or above, according to the American Red Cross rules and procedures; or (3) the disaster is declared by the governor of a state or territory. (c) The proceeds from grants, donations, contributions, and other sources of revenue,
  as provided by law, may be deposited in the Fund. Interest earned on the Fund and
  any balance remaining at the end of the fiscal year shall remain in the Fund. The
  Treasurer’s Office shall maintain records that indicate the amount of money in the
  Fund at any given time. (d) The Commissioner of Finance and Management shall issue warrants for disbursement from
  the Fund only for the purposes described in subsection (b) of this section, and shall
  administer the Fund pursuant to an appropriation from the Fund by the General Assembly
  or authorization from the Emergency Board. (e) For mental health care relief services, the Commissioner of Mental Health or a director
  of a regional mental health center may make timely applications to any and all appropriate
  federal or other grant programs that provide money for disaster relief or homeland
  security services, including the Crisis Counseling Training and Assistance Program.
  Any monies awarded from these sources for the purposes authorized in subsection (b)
  of this section shall be deposited into the Disaster Relief Workers Fund. The Commissioner
  of Mental Health shall supervise the administration of mental health care reimbursements
  under this section. (f) Nothing in this section shall render an employer liable for damage, injury, or harm
  caused or sustained by an employee who performs disaster relief services and who is
  eligible for reimbursement under this section, whether or not reimbursement occurs. (Added 2001, No. 100 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2013, No. 96 (Adj. Sess.), § 120; 2021, No. 20, § 127.)