Workers' Compensation

The year 2007 was relatively quiet for workers' compensation legislation in the Georgia General Assembly. However, there were several statutory modifications of note. The Georgia Workers' Compensation Act has long excluded "farm laborers" from its coverage. The scope of that exclusion was clarified by including within the term farm laborer "any person employed by an employer in connection with the raising and feeding of and caring for wildlife, as such term is defined in paragraph (77) of [Official Code of Georgia Annotated ("O.C.G.A.")] Section 27-1-2." The Code section referenced defines wildlife as "any vertebrate or invertebrate animal life indigenous to this state or any species introduced or specified by the board and includes fish, except domestic fish produced by aquaculturists registered under [O.C.G.A.] Section 27-4-255, mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, crustaceans, and mollusks or any part thereof." During the legislative session, this was commonly referred to as the "Alligator Farm" amendment.