MI HB5340

Amends the Worker's Disability Compensation Act to expand the definition of "personal injury" for specified public safety employees to include respiratory and heart diseases that develop during active service and result from job duties.

Creates a new presumption for firefighters employed 60 months or more that respiratory tract, bladder, skin, brain, kidney, blood, thyroid, testicular, prostate, and lymphatic cancers arise from employment unless scientific evidence shows substantial tobacco use in the preceding 10 years was a significant causative factor.

Applies to members of fully paid fire departments, public fire authorities, state university fire departments, county airport fire departments, city/township/village fire and police departments, county sheriffs and deputies, state police, conservation officers, and motor carrier enforcement officers.

Requires claimants to first apply for available pension benefits or demonstrate ineligibility before filing for workers' compensation benefits; establishes that pension eligibility does not prohibit receiving additional medical expense benefits under section 315.

Sets a high threshold for overcoming the occupational disease presumption, specifying that preexisting conditions or abstract medical opinions alone are insufficient without affirmative evidence of non-work-related causation or independent causative incidents.