Missouri lawmakers are considering a bill to enable firefighters, paramedics and emergency medical technicians to obtain workers compensation for certain diseases.
H.B. 1246, introduced Tuesday, would create a rebuttable presumption providing emergency responders access to workers compensation for respiratory tract diseases, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and carcinoma if there is reasonable medical evidence that the worker was free of the disease at the beginning of employment, and if its origin is connected with employment.
The bill would also cover infectious diseases acquired by first responders in the course of employment, including AIDS, hepatitis, meningitis, rabies and severe acute respiratory syndrome.
The bill would take effect immediately upon being signed into law.
Firefighters who meet certain conditions and are diagnosed with certain cancers would be able to file for workers compensation benefits under a proposal read by lawmakers in Vermont on Tuesday.