HB227 Alabama 2025 Session

Updated Feb 22, 2026

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Russell BedsoleRepresentative
Republican
Session: 2025 Regular Session
Title: Firefighters; to limit the post-retirement qualifying period for benefits for certain occupational diseases
Summary: HB227 would cap post-employment eligibility for firefighters' disability and death benefits related to certain occupational diseases at 10 years after leaving service, with work-related exceptions and district-level controls.
What This Bill Does
It limits eligibility for disability or death benefits from hypertension, heart disease, or respiratory disease to 10 years after a firefighter leaves municipal or state service, unless the condition is shown to be work-related. It allows fire districts to apply the same 10-year limit for former employees if they provide the same benefits to active firefighters. It retains and clarifies that cancer, HIV/AIDS, and hepatitis are covered under occupational disease rules with presumptions of work-related connections in certain cases, and it specifies that cancer deaths within 10 years of last employment are treated as line-of-duty deaths, unless proven otherwise by the employer. It becomes effective on October 1, 2025.

Who It Affects
Former municipal or state firefighters and their beneficiaries who develop hypertension, heart disease, or respiratory disease, who may lose eligibility if more than 10 years have passed since last day of employment unless the disease is work-related.
Fire districts and municipalities that provide disability or death benefits for occupational disease to active firefighters may impose the same 10-year eligibility limit on former employees.
Individuals with occupational diseases such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, or hepatitis, whose cases are governed by established presumptions and employer proof standards.

Key Provisions
Imposes a 10-year post-employment window for disability or death benefits due to hypertension, heart disease, or respiratory disease, with an exception if the disease is reasonably linked to firefighting service.
Allows fire districts to apply the same eligibility limit after a firefighter leaves employment if they provide similar benefits to active firefighters.
Preserves and clarifies occupational disease definitions to include hypertension, heart disease, respiratory disease, cancer, AIDS/HIV, and hepatitis, with presumptions linking exposure to death or disability in certain cases.
Requires the city or district to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that a condition was caused by non-occupational means to disqualify a firefighter from benefits (i.e., employer must show non-work-related cause).
Specifies that cancer deaths within 10 years of last employment are treated as line-of-duty deaths, with related provisions for causation and benefit eligibility.
Repeals duplicative language and updates code language to current style; sets effective date of October 1, 2025.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Government Administration