Sec. 27. (a) A conservation reserve officer may be appointed to assist the division in the enforcement of watercraft laws and for no other purpose. A conservation reserve officer must be appointed in the same manner that a conservation officer is appointed.

     (b) A conservation reserve officer:

(1) may not be a conservation officer;

(2) has the police powers of a conservation officer to enforce watercraft laws, except as limited by the rules of the department;

(3) to the extent that money is appropriated for a purpose listed in this subdivision, may receive:

(A) a uniform allowance;

(B) compensation for time lost from other employment because of court appearances;

(C) insurance for life, accident, and sickness coverage;

(D) compensation for lake patrol duties that the division director assigns and approves for compensation; or

(E) any combination of benefits specified in clauses (A) through (D);

(4) is not eligible to participate in a pension program provided for conservation officers;

(5) may not be appointed until completion of the following:

(A) A minimum of forty (40) hours of general reserve officer training.

(B) A minimum of twelve (12) hours in addition to the training under subdivision (A) in the enforcement of watercraft laws.

(C) A probationary period specified by rule of the department;

(6) may not:

(A) make an arrest;

(B) conduct a search or seizure of a person or property; or

(C) carry a firearm;

unless the conservation reserve officer successfully completes a pre-basic course under IC 5-2-1-9(f); and

(7) may be covered by the medical treatment and burial expense provisions of the worker’s compensation law (IC 22-3-2 through IC 22-3-6) and the worker’s occupational diseases law (IC 22-3-7).

If compensability of an injury covered under subdivision (7) is an issue, the administrative procedures of IC 22-3-2 through IC 22-3-6 and IC 22-3-7 must be used to resolve the issue.

     (c) A conservation reserve officer carrying out lake patrol duties under this chapter is immune from liability under IC 34-30-12, notwithstanding the payment of compensation to the conservation reserve officer.

     (d) The department may adopt rules under IC 4-22-2 to implement this section and to limit the authority of conservation reserve officers.

As added by P.L.2-1996, SEC.252. Amended by P.L.1-1998, SEC.109.