04/25/2019 03:00 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

        HB 84-WORKERS' COMP: POLICE, FIRE, EMT, PARAMED                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:09:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ announced the next  order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL  NO. 84,  "An  Act  relating  to the  presumption  of                                                               
compensability for  a disability resulting from  certain diseases                                                               
for firefighters, emergency  medical technicians, paramedics, and                                                               
peace officers."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:09:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ANDY JOSEPHSON,  Alaska State Legislature, sponsor                                                               
of  HB 84,  informed the  committee  the bill  would broaden  and                                                               
further explain  the intent of  the original  presumptive illness                                                               
bill.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:09:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ELISE  SORUM-BIRK, Staff,  Representative Andy  Josephson, Alaska                                                               
State  Legislature,   on  behalf  of   Representative  Josephson,                                                               
sponsor of HB  84, stated HB 84 adds new  categories of emergency                                                               
worker  to the  existing  presumptive  legislation that  provides                                                               
presumptive  coverage for  certain diseases;  the new  categories                                                               
are   emergency  medical   technicians,  paramedics,   and  peace                                                               
officers.   Further, the bill adds  breast cancer to the  list of                                                               
diseases  covered  by  presumptive   coverage  and  also  extends                                                               
coverage  to professionals  who entered  service prior  to August                                                               
2008, who  have gone through  all official  medical examinations,                                                               
and who  did not show  evidence of  disease in their  first seven                                                               
years of service.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON  related the  case of a  firefighter who                                                               
developed  prostate cancer  and who  had difficulty  establishing                                                               
"presumption"; he  pointed out -  if HB 84  had been in  effect -                                                               
the  firefighter's presumptive  coverage  would  have been  clear                                                               
because he was  working before 2008, and thus he  could have been                                                               
exposed  to  a  toxic  substance  that  later  gave  him  cancer.                                                               
Further, this example clarified  that compliance with the medical                                                               
examination requirements  [within existing statute]  was adequate                                                               
even  though there  was  not an  established  system for  medical                                                               
examinations.   Representative Josephson  restated the  bill also                                                               
expands the  categories to  other first  responders.   He further                                                               
explained:                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     [HB 84] is still a very  limited benefit in that it can                                                                    
     only last  for 60 months  total following the  last day                                                                    
     of employment.  ... It can  only be earned, or  one can                                                                    
     only  qualify if  they fought  fires, for  example, for                                                                    
     seven  years,  and then  there's  also  some burden  of                                                                    
     proof to  say, "This is  the thing  that I think  I was                                                                    
     exposed to."   So,  this doesn't  just come  flowing in                                                                    
     just at one's  beck and call.  It has,  it has some ...                                                                    
     sideboards, and those would still exist.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ  has heard  testimony reporting  breast cancer                                                               
rates  are   approximately  six   times  higher   amongst  female                                                               
firefighters; she questioned whether  breast cancer victims would                                                               
still have  to demonstrate exposure  to a chemical  documented to                                                               
increase the  incidence of  breast cancer  in order  to establish                                                               
presumptive coverage for breast cancer.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   JOSEPHSON  indicated   yes.      He  noted   the                                                               
aforementioned  testimony was  reported from  a study  limited to                                                               
the San Francisco [California] Fire Department.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:13:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR ZULKOSKY  moved to  report HB 84  out of  committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  zero  fiscal                                                               
note.   There being no objection,  HB 84 was reported  out of the                                                               
House Health and Social Services Standing Committee.