Fla. governor signs law requiring medical records for compensability

Florida municipalities will need to keep medical records of retired law enforcement officers, correctional officers and firefighters on file after they leave their jobs to determine workers compensation eligibility for certain medical conditions, according to a bill Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Thursday.

The medical records would apply to the presumption for disability due to tuberculosis, heart disease and high blood pressure, according to H.B. 453.

To be eligible for the benefits, the officer or firefighter must have taken a pre-employment physical exam that failed to reveal any evidence of the health condition prior to employment.

Yet the law, which takes effect on July 1, says public employers must maintain exam records for at least five years after the officer or firefighter leaves their job. Failing to do so would make the employee eligible for benefits regardless of health history.