HB 292 Summary

• Establishes a presumption that firefighters with at least five years of hazardous duty who develop specific types of cancer contracted the disease in the course of their employment, which can be refuted by evidence to the contrary.

• Specifies covered cancers including breast, bone, lung, brain, kidney, bladder, skin, prostate, gastrointestinal, laryngeal, Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, leukemia, multiple myeloma, mesothelioma, and soft tissue sarcoma.

• Applies the cancer presumption to workers' compensation claims under Chapter 4123 and disability benefits under the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund under Chapter 742.

• Allows appointing authorities to require physical examinations of firefighter applicants to include screening for these specified cancers and requires volunteer firefighter screening procedures to be developed.

• Applies to disability benefit applications filed on or after the effective date of the act and workers' compensation claims arising on or after the effective date.