§ 301. Declaration of policy and legislative intent. The president of
the United States on December sixteenth, nineteen hundred fifty,
proclaimed a state of national emergency. The governor of this state, in
a special message to the legislature on January eighth, nineteen hundred
fifty-one, recommended a program for the defense of the people of our
state and the safeguarding of property against attack. In order to make
effective necessary measures of civil defense, many of our citizens will
voluntarily undertake to perform civil defense duties and may, in the
event of attack, be exposed to injury in the performance of authorized
civil defense duties they voluntarily assumed as a patriotic service for
the common good.

Those who volunteer to perform civil defense duties deserve some
protection for themselves and their families in the event that
disability or death should be incurred while they are performing these
duties. No such benefits have yet been provided by the federal
government. Accordingly it is hereby declared to be the intent of the
legislature that special workmen's compensation benefits, as provided in
this article, should be made available for civil defense volunteers in
this state.