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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 929 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2564
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
James Arciero
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to emergency hazard health duty.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:James Arciero2nd Middlesex1/14/2025Tara T. Hong18th Middlesex1/14/2025David F. DeCoste5th Plymouth1/22/2025Colleen M. Garry36th Middlesex1/25/2025 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 929 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2564
By Representative Arciero of Westford, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2564) of
James Arciero and others relative to creating a presumption of job relatedness for certain public
safety personnel and first responders suffering from incapacitation or inability to perform their
duties as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection or exposure. Public Safety and
Homeland Security.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 2286 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act relative to emergency hazard health duty.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 Notwithstanding any general or special law, rule or regulation to the contrary, any public
2safety official, which shall include any individuals employed as police, fire personnel, correction
3officers, dispatchers, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, nursing professionals, and all
4individuals employed and considered as 1st responders, who contract, have symptoms of, or
5otherwise becomes affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19), that results in a period of
6hospitalization, quarantine, or require self-quarantined measures as a result of being infected or
7coming into contact with someone who is infected with this virus, shall have their medical
8condition or incapacity to work presumed to be work-related. The amount of time said public
9safety official is incapacitated or unable to perform their duties as a result of the Coronavirus 2 of 2
10(COVID-19) infection or exposure and the required time of hospitalization, time of quarantine or
11time of self-quarantine shall be considered as on duty time, and said public safety official shall
12not be required to use sick time, vacation time, personal time or any other contractual time-off to
13cover said period of incapacitation or inability to perform regular duty work. This time of
14incapacitation or inability to perform their duties shall be considered as "emergency hazard
15health duty," or, in the case of employees to which it applies, be covered under G.L. c. 41,
16Section 111F.