Senate Bill 293 Summary

• Establishes a legal presumption that firefighters with brain, breast, colon, or testicular cancer contracted the disease through occupational exposure if they regularly responded to fire calls or documented carcinogen releases

• Applies only to firefighters employed for 5+ years who had a pre-employment physical examination showing no evidence of the illness and who discover the disease during employment

• Presumption applies to volunteer firefighters participating in at least 40% of drills and 25% of emergency calls

• Presumption can be rebutted by evidence that a non-occupational risk factor, accident, or hazard caused the disease, or if the disease is known to result from tobacco use by the firefighter or spouse

• Does not create new causes of action, enlarge benefit rights, or apply to survivor benefits, private insurance policies, or court proceedings beyond judicial review of employment-related benefit determinations