HB5743 Summary

• Expands "personal injury" definition under workers' compensation to include infectious disease exposure for emergency first responders (law enforcement, firefighters, EMS personnel, nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists, and correctional officers) during governor-declared emergencies.

• Creates first responder presumed coverage fund to pay workers' compensation claims for certain cancers (respiratory tract, bladder, skin, brain, kidney, blood, thyroid, testicular, prostate, lymphatic) in firefighters and public fire authority members with 60+ months of service, presumed work-related absent tobacco use evidence.

• Requires claimants to first apply for and exhaust any available pension benefits before filing workers' compensation claims under these presumptions.

• Directs the workers' compensation agency director to develop application processes, post standards on the department website, review claims within 30 days, and submit annual reports to the legislature on fund claims and administration costs.

• Requires the agency to notify the legislature if the fund may become insufficient within 60 days and report anticipated costs and shortfalls by March 31 each year to legislative appropriations committees.