Virginia bill expands heart disease presumptions to EMTs

Virginia lawmakers on Friday voted to expand the presumption of compensability for certain diseases to include salaried or volunteer emergency medical personnel.

S.B. 1275, which unanimously passed the Virginia House on Friday and unanimously passed the state’s Senate Feb. 4, amends current statutes that provide rebuttable presumption for eligible first responders who die from or are disabled by hypertension or heart disease to extend to emergency medical services personnel. To be eligible, emergency medical personnel must have completed at least five years of service and meet minimum work hour requirements.

The legislation would not apply to workers who have been diagnosed with hypertension or heart disease prior to July 1, 2021. The bill will now go to Gov. Ralph Northam’s desk for consideration.