FIRSTREGULARSESSION
HOUSEBILLNO.568
102NDGENERALASSEMBLY
INTRODUCEDBYREPRESENTATIVESAULS.
1088H.01I DANARADEMANMILLER,ChiefClerk
ANACT
Torepealsection287.067,RSMo,andtoenactinlieuthereoftwonewsectionsrelatingto
workers'compensationforfirefightersandotherfirstresponders.
BeitenactedbytheGeneralAssemblyofthestateofMissouri,asfollows:
SectionA.Section287.067,RSMo,isrepealedandtwonewsectionsenactedinlieu
2thereof,tobeknownassections287.067and287.068,toreadasfollows:
287.067.1.(1)Inthischaptertheterm"occupationaldisease"isherebydefinedto
2mean,unlessadifferentmeaningisclearlyindicatedbythecontext,anidentifiabledisease
3arisingwithorwithouthumanfaultoutofandinthecourseoftheemployment.Ordinary
4diseasesoflifetowhichthegeneralpublicisexposedoutsideoftheemploymentshallnotbe
5compensable,exceptwherethediseasesfollowasanincidentofanoccupationaldiseaseas
6definedinthissection.Thediseaseneednottohavebeenforeseenorexpectedbutafterits
7contractionitmustappeartohavehaditsorigininariskconnectedwiththeemploymentand
8tohaveflowedfromthatsourceasarationalconsequence.
9 (2)Forthepurposesofthissection,theterm"hazardousduty"hasthesame
10meaninggiventosuchtermunder5CFR550.902.
11 2.Aninjuryordeathbyoccupationaldiseaseiscompensableonlyiftheoccupational
12exposurewastheprevailingfactorincausingboththeresultingmedicalconditionand
13disability.The"prevailingfactor"isdefinedtobetheprimaryfactor,inrelationtoanyother
14factor,causingboththeresultingmedicalconditionanddisability.Ordinary,gradual
15deterioration,orprogressivedegenerationofthebodycausedbyagingorbythenormal
16activitiesofday-to-daylivingshallnotbecompensable.
EXPLANATION—Matterenclosedinbold-facedbrackets[thus] intheabovebillisnotenactedandis
intendedtobeomittedfromthelaw.Matterinbold-facetypeintheabovebillisproposedlanguage. 17 3.Aninjuryduetorepetitivemotionisrecognizedasanoccupationaldiseasefor
18purposesofthischapter.Anoccupationaldiseaseduetorepetitivemotioniscompensable
19onlyiftheoccupationalexposurewastheprevailingfactorincausingboththeresulting
20medicalconditionanddisability.The"prevailingfactor"isdefinedtobetheprimaryfactor,
21inrelationtoanyotherfactor,causingboththeresultingmedicalconditionanddisability.
22Ordinary,gradualdeterioration,orprogressivedegenerationofthebodycausedbyagingor
23bythenormalactivitiesofday-to-daylivingshallnotbecompensable.
24 4."Lossofhearingduetoindustrialnoise"isrecognizedasanoccupationaldisease
25forpurposesofthischapterandisherebydefinedtobealossofhearinginoneorbothears
26duetoprolongedexposuretoharmfulnoiseinemployment."Harmfulnoise"meanssound
27capableofproducingoccupationaldeafness.
28 5."Radiationdisability"isrecognizedasanoccupationaldiseaseforpurposesofthis
29chapterandisherebydefinedtobethatdisabilityduetoradioactivepropertiesorsubstances
30ortoRoentgenrays(X-rays)orexposuretoionizingradiationcausedbyanyprocess
31involvingtheuseofordirectcontactwithradiumorradioactivepropertiesorsubstancesor
32theuseofordirectexposuretoRoentgenrays(X-rays)orionizingradiation.
33 6.(1)Diseaseofthelungsorrespiratorytract[,]; diseasesoftheheartor
34cardiovascularsystemincluding,butnotlimitedto,diseasesofthebloodorbone
35marrow,hypotension,andhypertension[, ordiseaseoftheheartorcardiovascularsystem,
36including]; anddiseasesofthebodysystemsororgansfromcarcinoma[,] maybe
37recognizedasoccupationaldiseasesforthepurposesofthischapterandaredefinedtobe
38disabilityduetoexposuretosmoke,gases,carcinogens,orinadequateoxygen[,] ofpaidor
39volunteerfirefighters, firefighterparamedics,orfirefighteremergencymedical
40techniciansofa[paid] firedepartmentorfiredistrictorpaidpoliceofficersofapaid
41policedepartmentcertifiedunderchapter590[ifadirectcausalrelationshipisestablished,
42or].
43 (2)Forpurposesofthischapter,psychologicalstressandmentaldisordersmay
44berecognizedasoccupationaldiseasesofpaid,volunteer,orretiredfirefighters[ofapaid
45firedepartment], paramedics,oremergencymedicaltechnicians,orpaidpeaceofficersof
46apolicedepartmentwhoarecertifiedunderchapter590[ifadirectcausalrelationshipis
47established]. Suchpsychologicalstressandmentaldisordersshallbedefinedtobe
48disabilityduetostressfulexposuresifsuchpsychologicalstressandmentaldisorders
49arisefromtheiremployment.
50 7.(1)Anyinfectiousdisease;diseaseofthelungsorrespiratorytract;diseaseof
51theheartorcardiovascularsystemincluding,butnotlimitedto,diseaseofthebloodor
52bonemarrow,hypotension,andhypertension;ordiseaseofthebodysystemsororgans
53fromcarcinomacontractedbyapaid,volunteer,orretiredfirefighter,paramedic,or
HB568 2 54emergencymedicaltechnicianshallbepresumedtobeanoccupationaldiseaseifthereis
55reasonablemedicalevidencethatthepaid,volunteer,orretiredfirefighter,paramedic,
56oremergencymedicaltechnicianwasfreeofsuchdiseaseatthebeginningofhisorher
57employment.Itshallbethedutyoftheemployerofthepaid,volunteer,orretired
58firefighter,paramedic,oremergencymedicaltechniciantoprovidesuchreasonable
59medicalevidence.
60 (2)Iftheemployerfailstoproducesuchreasonablemedicalevidence,thepaid,
61volunteer,orretiredfirefighter,paramedic,oremergencymedicaltechnicianshallhave
62thebenefitofthepresumptionregardlessoftheabsenceofreasonablemedicalevidence.
63 (3)Thissubsectionshallapplytopaid,volunteer,andretiredfirefighters,
64paramedics,andemergencymedicaltechniciansofallfiredepartmentsofallcounties,
65politicalsubdivisions,cities,towns,firedistricts,andothergovernmentalunits.
66 (4)Asusedinthissection,"infectiousdisease"meansthehuman
67immunodeficiencyvirus,acquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome,tuberculosis,hepatitis
68A,hepatitisB,hepatitisC,hepatitisD,diphtheria,meningococcalmeningitis,
69methicillin-resistantstaphylococcusaureus,hemorrhagicfever,plague,rabies,and
70severeacuterespiratorysyndrome.
71 8.(1)Asusedinthissection,"psychologicalstress"and"mentaldisorder"shall
72bepresumedtobeoccupationaldiseasesthatwerecontractedinthecourseandscopeof
73employment,regardlessofwhethertheironsetissuddenorgradual,ifsuch
74"psychologicalstress"or"mentaldisorder"requiresmedicalservicesorresultsin
75physicalormentaldisability,diagnosedbyapsychiatristorpsychologist,ofapaid,
76volunteer,orretiredfirefighter,paramedic,oremergencymedicaltechnicianorofa
77paidpoliceofficerofapaidpolicedepartmentcertifiedunderchapter590.
78 (2)Apaid,volunteer,orretiredfirefighter,paramedic,oremergencymedical
79technician,orapaidpoliceofficerofapaidpolicedepartmentcertifiedunderchapter
80590,whoisdiagnosedwithposttraumaticstressdisorder,psychologicalstress,ora
81mentaldisorderduringemploymentorwithinthreeyearsofthelastactivedateof
82employmentshallbeeligibleforcompensationbenefitsasotherwiseprovidedforinthis
83chapter.
84 9.Compensationforaninfectiousdisease;diseaseofthelungsorrespiratory
85tract;diseaseoftheheartorcardiovascularsystemincluding,butnotlimitedto,disease
86ofthebloodorbonemarrow,hypotension,orhypertension;diseaseofthebodysystems
87ororgansfromcarcinoma;andpsychologicalstresscontractedbyapaid,volunteer,or
88retiredfirefighter,paramedic,oremergencymedicaltechnicianinthecourseof
89hazardousdutyunderthissectionshallbepayableasotherwiseprovidedforinthis
90chapter.
HB568 3 91 10.Asusedinthissection,thephrase"thebodysystemsororgansfrom
92carcinoma"referstoanyconditionofcanceraffectingtheskinorthecentralnervous,
93lymphatic,digestive,hematological,urinary,skeletal,oral,breast,testicular,
94genitourinary,liver,orprostatesystems,aswellasanyconditionofcancerthatmay
95resultfromexposuretoheatabsorption,inhalation,ingestion,orradiation,contracted
96byapaid,volunteer,orretiredfirefighter,firefighterparamedic,orfirefighter
97emergencymedicaltechnician.Referencesto"thebodysystemsororgansfrom
98carcinoma"shallbepresumedtobereferencestocancerandanoccupationaldiseaseif:
99 (1)Thepaid,volunteer,orretiredfirefighter,firefighterparamedic,or
100firefighteremergencymedicaltechnicianhasbeenassignedtoatleastfiveyearsof
101hazardousdutyasafirefighter,firefighterparamedic,orfirefighteremergencymedical
102technician;
103 (2)Thepaid,volunteer,orretiredfirefighter,firefighterparamedic,or
104firefighteremergencymedicaltechnicianwasexposedtoanagent,whetherknownor
105unknown,classifiedbytheInternationalAgencyforResearchonCancer,orany
106successororganization,asagroup1or2Acarcinogenorclassifiedasacancer-causing
107agentbytheAmericanCancerSociety,theAmericanAssociationforCancerResearch,
108theAgencyforHealthcareResearchandQuality,theAmericanSocietyofClinical
109Oncology,theNationalInstituteforOccupationalSafetyandHealth,ortheUnited
110StatesNationalCancerInstitute;
111 (3)Fewerthantwentyyearshaveelapsedsincethepaid,volunteer,orretired
112firefighter,firefighterparamedic,orfirefighteremergencymedicaltechnicianwaslast
113assignedtohazardousduty;and
114 (4)Atthetimeofthediagnosisofcancer,thepaid,volunteer,orretired
115firefighter,firefighterparamedic,orfirefighteremergencymedicaltechnicianisnot
116seventyyearsofageorolder.
117 11.Thepresumptiondescribedinsubsection10ofthissectionshallberebuttable
118if:
119 (1)Thereisevidencethattheexposuretopersonaluseofcigarettes,tobacco
120products,orotherconditionspresentinganextremelyhighriskforthedevelopmentof
121thecancerwas,morelikelythannot,theprevailingfactorinthecauseofprogressionof
122thecancer,andsuchexposureoccurredoutsidethescopeofemploymentasapaid,
123volunteer,orretiredfirefighter,firefighterparamedic,orfirefighteremergencymedical
124technician;or
125 (2)Thereisevidencethatthepaid,volunteer,orretiredfirefighter,firefighter
126paramedic,orfirefighteremergencymedicaltechniciandevelopedthetypeofcancer
127allegedbeforebecomingamemberofthefiredepartmentorfiredistrict.
HB568 4 128 12.Thepresumptiondescribedinsubsection8ofthissectionshallberebuttable
129if:
130 (1)Thereisevidencethattheconditionexistedpriortothecommencementof
131theemployment;
132 (2)Theprevailingfactorincausingsuchconditionisunrelatedtothe
133employment;or
134 (3)Theprevailingfactorincausingsuchconditionisfromexposuresoccurring
135outsidethescopeoftheemployment.
136 13.Anyemployeewhoisexposedtoandcontractsanycontagiousorcommunicable
137diseasearisingoutofandinthecourseofhisorheremploymentshallbeeligibleforbenefits
138underthischapterasanoccupationaldisease.
139 [8.]14.Withregardtooccupationaldiseaseduetorepetitivemotion,iftheexposure
140totherepetitivemotionwhichisfoundtobethecauseoftheinjuryisforaperiodoflessthan
141threemonthsandtheevidencedemonstratesthattheexposuretotherepetitivemotionwith
142theimmediateprioremployerwastheprevailingfactorincausingtheinjury,theprior
143employershallbeliableforsuchoccupationaldisease.
287.068.1.Thedivisionshallprepareareportcontainingthefollowing
2informationregardingpresumedcancerclaimsundersubsection10ofsection287.067:
3 (1)Thenumberofapprovedclaims;
4 (2)Thenumberofdisapprovedclaims;
5 (3)Thenumberofactiveclaims;and
6 (4)Thecostrelatedtoclaimsdescribedundersubdivisions(1)and(3)ofthis
7subsection.
8 2.Thedivisionshallsubmitthereportrequiredundersubsection1ofthis
9sectionbeforeAugust28,2024,andanupdatedreporteverytwoyearsthereafter,to
10eachofthefollowing:
11 (1)Thespeakerandtheminorityleaderofthehouseofrepresentatives;
12 (2)Thepresidentprotemporeandtheminorityleaderofthesenate;
13 (3)TheMissouriAssociationofFireChiefsoritssuccessororganization;
14 (4)TheFireFightersAssociationofMissourioritssuccessororganization;and
15 (5)TheMissouriMunicipalLeagueoritssuccessororganization.
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