2002 Legislation
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HOUSE BILL NO. 606 – Firefighter/EMT, occuptnl diseases

HOUSE BILL NO. 606

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H0606.......................................by COMMERCE AND HUMAN RESOURCES
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES - Amends existing law to provide that specified
contagious diseases, when contracted by a firefighter, emergency medical
technician or first responder, shall be presumed to have been contracted in
the line of duty upon a showing of certain evidence.
                                                                        
02/08    House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/11    Rpt prt - to Com/HuRes

Bill Text


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ||||              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ||||
 Fifty-sixth Legislature                  Second Regular Session - 2002
                                                                        
                                                                        
                              IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                                                                        
                                     HOUSE BILL NO. 606
                                                                        
                         BY COMMERCE AND HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES; AMENDING SECTION  72-438,  IDAHO  CODE,  TO
  3        PROVIDE  THAT  SPECIFIED  CONTAGIOUS  DISEASES, WHEN CONTRACTED BY A FIRE-
  4        FIGHTER, EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN OR FIRST RESPONDER,  SHALL  BE  PRE-
  5        SUMED  TO  HAVE BEEN CONTRACTED IN THE LINE OF DUTY UPON A SHOWING OF CER-
  6        TAIN EVIDENCE.
                                                                        
  7    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
  8        SECTION 1.  That Section 72-438, Idaho Code, be, and the  same  is  hereby
  9    amended to read as follows:
                                                                        
 10        72-438.  OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES. Compensation shall be payable for disabil-
 11    ity  or  death  of  an employee resulting from the following occupational dis-
 12    eases:
 13        (1)  Poisoning by lead, mercury, arsenic, zinc, or manganese, their prepa-
 14    rations or compounds in any occupation  involving  direct  contact  therewith,
 15    handling thereof, or exposure thereto.
 16        (2)  Carbon  monoxide  poisoning  or  chlorine poisoning in any process or
 17    occupation involving direct exposure to carbon monoxide or chlorine in  build-
 18    ings, sheds, or inclosed places.
 19        (3)  Poisoning  by  methanol,  carbon  bisulphide, hydrocarbon distillates
 20    (naphthas and others) or halogenated hydrocarbons, or  any  preparations  con-
 21    taining  these  chemicals  or  any of them, in any occupation involving direct
 22    contact therewith, handling thereof, or exposure thereto.
 23        (4)  Poisoning by benzol or  by  nitro,  amido,  or  amino-derivatives  of
 24    benzol  (dinitro-benzol, anilin and others) or their preparations or compounds
 25    in any occupation involving direct contact  therewith,  handling  thereof,  or
 26    exposure thereto.
 27        (5)  Glanders  in the care or handling of any equine animal or the carcass
 28    of any such animal.
 29        (6)  Radium poisoning by or disability due to  radioactive  properties  of
 30    substances  or  to Roentgenray (X-ray) in any occupation involving direct con-
 31    tact therewith, handling thereof, or exposure thereto.
 32        (7)  Poisoning by or ulceration from chromic acid or bichromate  of  ammo-
 33    nium,  potassium,  or sodium or their preparations, or phosphorus preparations
 34    or compounds, in any occupation involving direct contact  therewith,  handling
 35    thereof, or exposure thereto.
 36        (8)  Ulceration  due  to tar, pitch, bitumen, mineral oil, or paraffin, or
 37    any compound product, or residue of any of these substances, in any occupation
 38    involving direct contact therewith, handling thereof, or exposure thereto.
 39        (9)  Dermatitis venenata, that is, infection or inflammation of the  skin,
 40    furunculosis  excepted,  due  to oils, cutting compounds, lubricants, liquids,
 41    fumes, gases, or vapors in any occupation involving direct contact  therewith,
 42    handling thereof or exposure thereto.
 43        (10) Anthrax  occurring  in  any  occupation  involving the handling of or
                                                                        
                                           2
                                                                        
  1    exposure to wool, hair, bristles, hides, skins, or bodies  of  animals  either
  2    alive or dead.
  3        (11) Silicosis  in  any occupation involving direct contact with, handling
  4    of, or exposure to dust of silicon dioxide       .
  5        (12) Cardiovascular or pulmonary or respiratory diseases of a  paid  fire-
  6    man,  employed by a municipality, village or fire district as a regular member
  7    of a lawfully established fire department, caused by overexertion in times  of
  8    stress  or  danger  or  by proximate exposure or by cumulative exposure over a
  9    period of four (4) years or more to heat, smoke, chemical fumes or other toxic
 10    gases arising directly out of, and in the course of, his employment.
 11        (13)  (a) Acquired  immunodeficiency   syndrome   (AIDS),   AIDS   related
 12        complexes  (ARC),  other  manifestations  of  human immunodeficiency virus
 13        (HIV) infections, infectious hepatitis viruses  and  tuberculosis  in  any
 14        occupation  involving  exposure  to  human blood or body fluids. Such con-
 15        tagious diseases, when contracted  by  a  firefighter,  emergency  medical
 16        technician  or  first responder, shall be presumed to have been contracted
 17        in the line of duty:
 18             (i)   If such firefighter,  emergency  medical  technician  or  first
 19             responder  has  a  documented medical examination or other testing to
 20             prove the absence of such disease at the time of  hire  or  posthire;
 21             and
 22             (ii)  Unless  it  is  shown  by  a preponderance of the evidence that
 23             nonservice connected risk factors, or nonservice connected  accidents
 24             or  hazards,  or  any  combination thereof, led to the contraction of
 25             such contagious disease.
 26        (b)  Recognizing that additional toxic or harmful substances or matter are
 27        continually being discovered and used or  misused,  the  above  enumerated
 28        occupational  diseases  are  not  intended to be exclusive, but such addi-
 29        tional diseases shall not include hazards which are common to  the  public
 30        in  general and which are not within the meaning of section 72-102(21)(a),
 31        Idaho Code, and the diseases enumerated in subsection (12)  pertaining  to
 32        paid firemen shall not be subject to the limitations prescribed in section
 33        72-439, Idaho Code.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact


                      STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

                         RS ll9OlCl

The purpose of this legislation is to amend Title 72 Worker’s 
Compensation and Related Laws, Chapter 4 Benefits, Section 13, 
to provide presumptive coverage, when a clear baseline has been 
established. Currently the burden is on the employee to identify 
the source of the exposure. The circumstances that firefighters 
and emergency medical workers face can sometimes create an exposure 
that the person may not be aware of. It often takes months or even 
years for these diseases to manifest. Even when properly reported, 
there is a risk of misplacement or loss of the documented exposure.



                            FISCAL IMPACT

In 2001 there were $567 in Worker’s Compensation claims due to 
exposures of blood born pathogens.



Contact
Name:	Elmer Martinez
Phone:	332-1132
Karl Malott 250-1933


STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE		H 606