SB 1451 Summary

• Establishes presumption that certain cancers diagnosed in firefighters and fire investigators are occupational diseases arising from employment, including brain, bladder, rectal, colon, lung, kidney, prostate, breast, ovarian, stomach, and testicular cancers, lymphoma, leukemia, and mesothelioma.

• Presumption applies if employee passed pre-employment physical exam without cancer evidence, was assigned to hazardous duty for at least 5 years, and for certain cancers, received physical exam aligned with NFPA 1582 standards.

• Presumption covers active firefighters and fire investigators and former employees diagnosed with covered cancers within 15 years of retirement and who are 65 years old or younger.

• Allows workers' compensation insurers covering firefighters and fire investigators to file one additional uniform percentage rate deviation (beyond existing six deviations) to address increased losses from cancer claims, supported by actuarial analysis.

• Requires all insurers, self-insuring employers, and workers' compensation pools to report cancer-related claim information to the Industrial Commission of Arizona for use in rate-setting and claims reserving.