House Bill 4063 Summary

• Expands worker's compensation coverage for respiratory and heart diseases to include full-time, part-time, paid on-call, and volunteer members of fire departments, police departments, and public fire authorities (previously limited to fully paid members only).

• Creates a presumption that certain cancers (respiratory tract, bladder, skin, brain, kidney, blood, thyroid, testicular, prostate, and lymphatic) are work-related for firefighters with 60 months of service, allowing them to claim benefits from a new First Responder Presumed Coverage Fund rather than their employer.

• Establishes the First Responder Presumed Coverage Fund as a separate state treasury fund, managed by the workers' compensation agency director, to pay presumed coverage claims and administer the program.

• Requires claimants to first apply for and exhaust any available pension benefits before filing claims under this act; those ineligible for pensions may proceed with workers' compensation claims.

• Takes effect 90 days after enactment and requires annual reporting to the legislature on claims received, approved, paid amounts, and administration costs for the First Responder Presumed Coverage Fund.