02/14/2008 01:30 PM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 200                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to the presumption of coverage for a                                                                      
     workers' compensation claim for disability as a result                                                                     
     of certain diseases for certain occupations."                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE NANCY  DAHLSTROM, Sponsor, explained  that SB
 establishes  a presumption in the  workers' compensation                                                                    
program  for  professional  and volunteer  firefighters  who                                                                    
have had a qualifying medical exam  and who have been on the                                                                    
job for  at least seven  years.   There is inherent  risk of                                                                    
exposure  to  toxic  chemicals for  firefighters  and  first                                                                    
responders.   HB 200 identifies certain  illnesses that have                                                                    
been directly related to their jobs.   She said a great deal                                                                    
of  thought has  gone into  the  bill and  into the  defined                                                                    
parameters as to  who qualifies.  It comes down  to a policy                                                                    
call  whether  legislators  believe  that  first  responders                                                                    
deserve this coverage.  She requested support for SB 200.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:19:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Harris  noted  the letter  from  the  Alaska                                                                    
Municipal League (AML) which is  not supportive of the bill.                                                                    
He asked Representative  Dahlstrom if she has  talked to AML                                                                    
about  their concerns.   Representative  Dahlstrom responded                                                                    
that in  previous committees AML testified  against the bill                                                                    
and it was difficult to  come to agreement about statistics.                                                                    
Other  states  that have  implemented  this  law have  added                                                                    
other illnesses  to the list  at a later date  because costs                                                                    
were not  what they  were projected to  be.   Speaker Harris                                                                    
asked if the  maximum amount of time involved is  5 years or                                                                    
60 months.  Representative Dahlstrom said it was.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:21:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Gara reported that  these cases are very hard                                                                    
to prove.   He did  not think the bill  would cost a  lot of                                                                    
money because  it changes the law  very little.  To  prove a                                                                    
case, it  has to be  proven that  something is more  than 50                                                                    
percent  likely.   The bill  states that  an employer  would                                                                    
have to bear the burden of proof  51 percent.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:22:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JEFFREY  M. BRIGGS,  DIRECTOR,  LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS,  ALASKA                                                                    
PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS ASSOCIATION,  pointed out that 40                                                                    
other states  have similar  legislation.   Testimony against                                                                    
the bill has been tied to the Alaska Municipal League.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Briggs gave  a personal  example  of a  response to  an                                                                    
accident.   He spoke of  vast support for  this legislation.                                                                    
He  reported   that  the  bill   would  cover   about  1,000                                                                    
firefighters statewide.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Stoltze  wondered about  AML's resistance  to the                                                                    
bill.   Mr. Briggs responded  that their testimony  would be                                                                    
at a future meeting.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:27:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MATT   MCSORLEY,    ALASKA   PROFESSIONAL    FIRE   FIGHTERS                                                                    
ASSOCIATION,  said  the  bill   would  grant  fire  fighters                                                                    
protection.   He  shared two  personal stories  as a  hazard                                                                    
materials responder.   He described  how the  fire fighters                                                                     
job has changed.  He urged support for the bill.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
HB  200  was  heard  and   HELD  in  Committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.