(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, an employer providing for an individual or family health insurance policy for a first responder employee shall not cancel such policy if the first responder suffers serious bodily injury from an event that occurs while the first responder is acting in the line of duty and that results in the first responder falling below the minimum number of working hours needed to maintain his or her regular individual or family health insurance.

(2) Subsection (1) of this section does not prohibit an employer from canceling such policy if the first responder:

(a) Voluntarily ceases to be employed with the employer; or

(b) Does not return to employment within twelve months after the date of injury.

(3) For a first responder who dies as a result of an event that occurs while the first responder is acting in the line of duty, the employer of such first responder shall not cancel any health insurance policy covering a spouse or dependent of such first responder for a period of at least twelve months following such death.

(4) For purposes of this section:

(a) Employer means any state or local governmental entity that employs a first responder;

(b) First responder means any law enforcement officer, professional firefighter, or paid individual licensed under a licensure classification in subdivision (1) of section 38-1217 who provides medical care in order to prevent loss of life or aggravation of physiological or psychological illness or injury;

(c) Law enforcement officer has the same meaning as in section 81-1401;

(d) Line of duty means any action that a first responder is authorized or obligated by law, rule, or regulation to perform, related to or as a condition of employment or service; and

(e) Professional firefighter means an individual who is a firefighter or firefighter-paramedic as a full-time career and who is a member of a paid fire department of any of the following entities within Nebraska:

(i) A municipality, including a municipality having a home rule charter or a municipal authority created pursuant to a home rule charter that has its own paid fire department;

(ii) A rural or suburban fire protection district; or

(iii) A fire service providing fire protection to state military installations.