HB386 Alabama 2017 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Rod Scott

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2017

Title

Workers' compensation, firefighters, rebuttable presumption established, occupational disease, Secs. 25-5-110, 25-5-120 am'd.

Summary

HB386 would add cancer of a firefighter and occupational PTSD to Alabama’s workers’ compensation occupational diseases and create rebuttable presumptions that these conditions come from firefighting.

What This Bill Does

It expands the list of occupational diseases to include cancer of a firefighter and occupational PTSD, and defines those terms. It creates rebuttable presumptions that a paid firefighter diagnosed with cancer or PTSD developed the condition due to firefighting duties, with the cancer presumption requiring an entry physical showing no cancer and exposure to a known carcinogen, and the PTSD presumption based on service connected to firefighting; employers must prove alternative causes to defeat the presumptions. The act becomes effective on the first day of the third month after passage and governor approval.

Who It Affects

• Paid firefighters in Alabama who could file workers’ compensation claims for cancer or PTSD, with presumptions that these conditions arise from firefighting unless proven otherwise.
• Firefighter employers and workers’ compensation insurers, who would bear the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that cancer or PTSD was caused by non-occupational factors to deny or limit benefits.

Key Provisions

• Amends 25-5-110 and 25-5-120 to add 'cancer of a firefighter' and 'occupational post traumatic stress disorder' as occupational diseases.
• Defines 'cancer of a firefighter' as cancer that manifests in a paid firefighter in service, with exposure to a known carcinogen, presumed to arise in the firefighter’s employment unless the employer proves another cause.
• Defines 'occupational post traumatic stress disorder of a firefighter' as PTSD linked to firefighting service, presumed to arise in the firefighter’s employment unless the employer proves another cause.
• Establishes a cancer presumption under workers’ compensation for firefighters diagnosed with cancer, conditioned on an entry physical with no cancer and exposure to a known carcinogen; the employer can rebut with evidence that the cancer was caused by non-occupational factors.
• Establishes an PTSD presumption under workers’ compensation for firefighters diagnosed with PTSD tied to firefighting service, rebuttable if the employer proves a non-occupational cause.
• Effective date: the act takes effect on the first day of the third month after its passage and governor approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Firefighters