2020 -- S 2302 SUBSTITUTE A | |
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LC004098/SUB A | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2020 | |
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A N A C T | |
RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- CANCER BENEFITS FOR FIREFIGHTERS | |
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Introduced By: Senators Lombardi, Archambault, Ciccone, Gallo, and Felag | |
Date Introduced: February 04, 2020 | |
Referred To: Senate Labor | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. Chapter 45-19.1 of the General Laws entitled "Cancer Benefits For Fire |
2 | Fighters" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: |
3 | 45-19.1-4. Conclusive presumption. |
4 | (a) Any type of cancer found in a firefighter is conclusively presumed to be an occupational |
5 | cancer as that term is defined in § 45-19.1-2. |
6 | (b) This conclusive presumption shall not apply to firefighters hired after the effective date |
7 | of this section in the following situations: |
8 | (1) If a physical examination was conducted at the time the firefighter was hired and such |
9 | examination revealed that person had cancer; or |
10 | (2) If the firefighter has completed less than two (2) years of employment with their fire |
11 | department; or |
12 | (3) If the firefighter has regularly or habitually used tobacco products during the five (5) |
13 | years prior to any diagnosis of cancer. |
14 | (c) The provisions of this section shall apply retroactively to all cancer-related illnesses, |
15 | injuries and disability claims pending on or after the effective date. |
16 | SECTION 2. Section 45-21.2-9 of the General Laws in Chapter 45-21.2 entitled "Optional |
17 | Retirement for Members of Police Force and Fire Fighters" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
18 | 45-21.2-9. Retirement for accidental disability. |
19 | (a) Any member in active service, regardless of length of service, is entitled to an accidental |
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1 | disability retirement allowance. Application for the allowance is made by the member or on the |
2 | member's behalf, stating that the member is physically or mentally incapacitated for further service |
3 | as the result of an injury or illness sustained while in the performance of duty and certifying to the |
4 | time, place, and conditions of the duty performed by the member that resulted in the alleged |
5 | disability and that the alleged disability was not the result of the willful negligence or misconduct |
6 | on the part of the member, and was not the result of age or length of service, and that the member |
7 | has not attained the age of sixty-five (65). The application shall be made within eighteen (18) |
8 | months of the alleged accident from which the injury has resulted in the member's present disability |
9 | and shall be accompanied by an accident report and a physician's report certifying to the disability. |
10 | If the member was able to return to his or her employment and subsequently reinjures or aggravates |
11 | the same injury or illness, the member shall make another application within eighteen (18) months |
12 | of the reinjury or aggravation which shall be accompanied by a physician's report certifying to the |
13 | reinjury or aggravation causing the disability. If a medical examination made by three (3) |
14 | physicians engaged by the retirement board, and other investigations as the board may make, |
15 | confirms the statements made by the member, the board may grant the member an accidental |
16 | disability retirement allowance. |
17 | (b) For the purposes of subsection (a), "aggravation" shall mean an intervening work- |
18 | related trauma that independently contributes to a member's original injury or illness that amounts |
19 | to more than the natural progression of the preexisting disease or condition and is not the result of |
20 | age or length of service. The intervening independent trauma causing the aggravation must be an |
21 | identifiable event or series of work-related events that are the proximate cause of the member's |
22 | present condition of disability. |
23 | (c) "Occupational cancer", as used in this section, means a cancer arising out of |
24 | employment as a fire fighter, due to injury or illness due to exposures to smoke, fumes, or |
25 | carcinogenic, poisonous, toxic, or chemical substances while in the performance of active duty in |
26 | the fire department. |
27 | (d) For purposes of subsection (a), "reinjury" shall mean a recurrence of the original work- |
28 | related injury or illness from a specific ascertainable event. The specific event must be the |
29 | proximate cause of the member's present condition of disability. |
30 | (e) Any fire fighter, including one employed by the state, or a municipal firefighter |
31 | employed by a municipality that participates in the optional retirement for police officers and fire |
32 | fighters as provided in this chapter, who is unable to perform his or her duties in the fire department |
33 | by reason of a disabling occupational cancer (as defined in §§ 45-19.1-2 and 45-19.1-4) that |
34 | develops or manifests itself during a period while the fire fighter is in the service of the department, |
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1 | and any retired member of the fire force of any city or town who develops occupational cancer, (as |
2 | defined in §§ 45-19.1-2 and 45-19.1-4) is entitled to receive an occupational cancer disability and |
3 | he or she is entitled to all of the benefits provided for in this chapter, chapters 19, 19.1, and 21 of |
4 | this title and chapter 10 of title 36 if the fire fighter is employed by the state. |
5 | (f) In the event that any party is aggrieved by the determination of the retirement board |
6 | pursuant to § 45-19-1, for an injury or illness occurring on or after July 1, 2011, the party may |
7 | submit an appeal to the Rhode Island workers' compensation court. The appellant shall file a notice |
8 | of appeal with the retirement board and with the workers' compensation court within twenty (20) |
9 | days of the entry of the retirement board's decision and shall serve a copy of the notice of appeal |
10 | upon the opposing party. |
11 | (g) Within twenty (20) days of the receipt of the notice of appeal, the retirement board shall |
12 | transmit the entire record of proceedings before it, together with its order, to the workers' |
13 | compensation court. |
14 | (h) In the event that a party files a notice of appeal to the workers' compensation court, the |
15 | order of the retirement board shall be stayed pending further action by the court pursuant to the |
16 | provisions of § 28-35-20. |
17 | (i) Upon receipt of the notice of appeal, the court shall assign the matter to a judge and |
18 | shall issue a notice at the time advising the parties of the judge to whom the case has been assigned |
19 | and the date for pretrial conference in accordance with § 28-35-20. |
20 | (j) All proceedings filed with the workers' compensation court pursuant to this section shall |
21 | be de novo and shall be subject to the provisions of chapters 29 -- 38 of title 28 for all case |
22 | management procedures and dispute resolution processes, as provided under the rules of workers' |
23 | compensation court. The workers' compensation court shall enter a pretrial order in accordance |
24 | with § 28-35-20(c) that grants or denies, in whole or in part, the relief sought by the petitioner. The |
25 | pretrial order shall be effective upon entry and any payments ordered by it shall be paid within |
26 | fourteen (14) days of the entry of the order. Provided, however, that in the event that the retirement |
27 | board files a claim for trial of the pretrial order entered by the court, the order of the court shall be |
28 | stayed until a final order or decree is entered by the court. If after trial and the entry of a final decree |
29 | the court sustains the findings and orders entered in the pretrial order, the retirement board shall |
30 | reimburse the municipality all benefits paid by it from the time the pretrial order was entered until |
31 | the time the final decree is entered by the court. Where the matter has been heard and decided by |
32 | the workers' compensation court, the court shall retain jurisdiction to review any prior orders or |
33 | decrees entered by it. Such petitions to review shall be filed directly with the workers' compensation |
34 | court and shall be subject to the case management and dispute resolution procedures set forth in |
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1 | chapters 29 -- 38 of title 28 ("Labor and Labor Relations"). |
2 | (k) If the court determines that a member qualifies for accidental disability retirement, the |
3 | member shall receive a retirement allowance equal to sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66 2/3%) |
4 | of the rate of the member's compensation at the date of the member's retirement, subject to the |
5 | provisions of § 45-21-31. |
6 | SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage and shall be given retroactive as well |
7 | as prospective effect and shall apply to all cancer-related illnesses, injuries and disability claims |
8 | pending upon the effective date of this act. |
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EXPLANATION | |
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
OF | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- CANCER BENEFITS FOR FIREFIGHTERS | |
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1 | This act would clarify a presumption applying to firefighters, that if any type of cancer is |
2 | found in a firefighter, with three (3) exceptions, then it would be conclusively presumed to be an |
3 | occupational cancer arising out of their employment as firefighters. |
4 | This act would take effect upon passage and be given retroactive as well as prospective |
5 | effect and would apply to all cancer-related illnesses, injuries and disability claims pending upon |
6 | the effective date of this act. |
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