On Wednesday, committees in both the Alabama House and Senate advanced legislation to add Parkinson’s disease to the list of occupational diseases for which firefighters and their families may receive benefits.
The two bills—House Bill 466 by State Representative Allen Treadaway, R-Morris, and Senate Bill 332 by Representative Merika Coleman, D-Birmingham—both seek to add Parkinson’s to the list of occupational diseases eligible for death and disability benefits and establish appropriate criteria for proving that a firefighter’s Parkinson’s disease developed as a result of their occupation.
Under the bills, a firefighter would be required to demonstrate that, while employed by an Alabama locality, they were exposed to a known toxin associated with an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Additionally, there must be no evidence that the firefighter had the disease prior to their employment and the firefighter must have completed at least three years’ continuous service as a firefighter before being eligible for such benefits.
Currently, the list of firefighter’s occupational diseases under Alabama law includes: hypertension, heart disease, respiratory disease, cancer, HIV and hepatitis.
Both bills quickly passed through their respective committees Wednesday, with HB466 advancing out of the House Ways and Means General Fund Committee while SB322 received passage in Senate Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Safety Committee. Prior to its passage, HB466 also received a technical amendment clarifying that the legislation shall have no bearing on a firefighter’s eligibility for worker’s compensation.
HB466 will now move to the House floor while SB322 heads to the Senate for further consideration.
