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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1940 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1797
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Nick Collins
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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 disability or death caused by infectious diseases, presumption.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Nick CollinsFirst Suffolk 1 of 2
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1940 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1797
By Mr. Collins, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1797) of Nick Collins for legislation
relative to disability or death caused by infectious diseases, presumption. Public Service.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 1624 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 disability or death caused by infectious diseases, presumption.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 Chapter 32 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 94B the
2following new section:-
3 Section 94C. (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the
4contrary, and for the purposes of any death, disability or medical services claim including claims
5under Chapter 32, Chapter 41 and Chapter 152 of the General Laws, any contagious disease,
6resulting in disability or death to a full-time uniformed member of a paid police department, fire
7department or municipal emergency medical service shall, if he or she successfully passed a
8physical examination on entry into such service or subsequent to such entry, which examination
9failed to reveal any evidence of such condition, be presumed to have been suffered in the line of
10duty, unless it is shown by a preponderance of the evidence that non-service connected risk 2 of 2
11factors or non-service connected accidents or hazards undergone, or any combination thereof,
12caused such incapacity. The provisions of this section shall only apply if the disabling or fatal
13condition is a type of contagious disease which may, in general, result from exposure to blood
14and other body fluids of the sick, excluding the common cold. (2) Any person first discovering
15any such condition within five years of the last date on which such person actively so served
16shall be eligible to apply for benefits hereunder, and such benefits, if granted, shall be payable as
17of the date on which the employee last received regular compensation. The provisions of this
18section shall not apply to any person serving in such position unless such person shall first
19establish that he has regularly responded to calls for police, fire or emergency medical service
20during some portion of the period of his service in such position. (3) The provisions of this
21section shall also apply to any condition of COVID-19, Hepatitis A, B, or C, Tuberculosis, HIV,
22and any other contagious disease which is found by regulation by the commissioner of the
23department of public health to have a statistically significant correlation with police, fire or
24emergency medical service. (4) Nothing herein shall preclude a member from applying for and
25receiving benefits under section seven or section nine, subject to the provisions of said sections.