5 U.S.C. § 8143b: Employees in fire protection…

Summary

People who work as firefighters or in related emergency roles — like wildland firefighters, paramedics, EMTs, rescue workers, ambulance staff, or hazardous materials workers who are trained and authorized to fight fires and whose main job is preventing, controlling, or putting out fires or responding to life-, property-, or environment-threatening emergencies — get a legal presumption that certain illnesses came from their job. If they worked at least 5 years in those fire‑protection jobs in total and are diagnosed no later than 10 years after their last active work date, any illness on the law’s list is treated as caused by the job. The list covers: bladder cancer, brain cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer, kidney cancer, leukemias, lung cancer, mesothelioma, multiple myeloma, non‑Hodgkin lymphoma, prostate cancer, skin cancer (melanoma), testicular cancer, thyroid cancer, and a sudden cardiac event or stroke that happens while—or within 24 hours after—doing those fire‑protection activities. The Secretary of Labor must review the list from time to time with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and other advisors. If the best available scientific evidence shows a significant risk for another illness, the Secretary must add it by issuing a formal rule that explains the science. The Secretary can rely on studies and recommendations from NIOSH, the National Toxicology Program, the National Academies, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and relevant National Firefighter Registry analyses. The term “rule” is as defined in another law, and “Secretary” means the Secretary of Labor.

Title 5, §8143b

Government Organization and Employees, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Definitions.—

In this section: (1) Employee in fire protection activities.—

(2)Rule.—

The term “rule” has the meaning given the term in section 804.

(3)Secretary.—

The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Labor.

(b)Certain Illnesses and Diseased Deemed to Be Proximately Caused by Employment in Fire Protection Activities.—

(1)In general.—

For a claim under this subchapter of disability or death of an employee who has been employed for not less than 5 years in aggregate as an employee in fire protection activities, an illness or disease specified on the list established under paragraph (2) shall be deemed to be proximately caused by the employment of that employee, if the employee is diagnosed with that illness or disease not later than 10 years after the last activedate of employment as an employee in fire protection activities.

(2)Establishment of initial list.—

There is established under this section the following list of illnesses and diseases:

(A)Bladder cancer.

(B)Brain cancer.

(C)Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

(D)Colorectal cancer.

(E)Esophageal cancer.

(F)Kidney cancer.

(G)Leukemias.

(H)Lung cancer.

(I)Mesothelioma.

(J)Multiple myeloma.

(K)Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

(L)Prostate cancer.

(M)Skin cancer (melanoma).

(N)A sudden cardiac event or stroke suffered while, or not later than 24 hours after, engaging in the activities described in subsection (a)(1)(C).

(O)Testicular cancer.

(P)Thyroid cancer.

(3)Additions to the list.—

(A)In general.—

(i)Periodic review.—

The Secretary shall—

(I)in consultation with the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and any advisory committee determined appropriate by the Secretary, periodically review the list established under paragraph (2); and

(II)if the Secretary determines that the weight of the best available scientific evidence warrants adding an illness or disease to the list established under paragraph (2), as described in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, make such an addition through a rule that clearly identifies that scientific evidence.

(ii)Classification.—

A rule issued by the Secretary under clause (i) shall be considered to be a major rule for the purposes of chapter 8.

(B)Basis for determination.—

The Secretary shall add an illness or disease to the list established under paragraph (2) based on the weight of the best available scientific evidence that there is a significant risk to employees in fire protection activities of developing that illness or disease.

(C)Available expertise.—

In determining significant risk for purposes of subparagraph (B), the Secretary may accept as authoritative, and may rely upon, recommendations, risk assessments, and scientific studies (including analyses of National Firefighter Registry data pertaining to Federal firefighters) by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the National Toxicology Program, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Pub. L. 117–263, div. E, title LIII, § 5305(a)(1)(C), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3253, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by this paragraph [enacting this section] shall apply to claims for compensation filed on or after the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 23, 2022].” Research Cooperation Pub. L. 117–263, div. E, title LIII, § 5305(a)(2), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3253, provided that: “Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 23, 2022], the Secretary of Labor (referred to in this subsection as the ‘Secretary’) shall establish a process by which an employee in fire protection activities, as defined in subsection (a) of section 8143b of title 5, United States Code, as added by paragraph (1) of this subsection (referred to in this subsection as an ‘employee in fire protection activities’) filing a claim under chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code, as amended by this subsection, relating to an illness or disease on the list established under subsection (b)(2) of such section 8143b (referred to in this subsection as ‘ ‘the list’ [sic]) as the list may be updated under such section 8143b, shall be informed about, and offered the opportunity to contribute to science by voluntarily enrolling in, the National Firefighter Registry or a similar research or public health initiative conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” Agenda for Further Review Pub. L. 117–263, div. E, title LIII, § 5305(a)(3), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3253, provided that: “Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 23, 2022], the Secretary [of Labor] shall— “(A) evaluate the best available scientific evidence of the risk to an employee in fire protection activities of developing breast cancer, gynecological cancers, and rhabdomyolysis; “(B) add breast cancer, gynecological cancers, and rhabdomyolysis to the list, by rule in accordance with subsection (b)(3) of section 8143b of title 5, United States Code, as added by paragraph (1) of this subsection, if the Secretary determines that such evidence supports that addition; and “(C) submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Education and Labor [now Committee on Education and the Workforce] of the House of Representatives a report containing—“(i) the findings of the Secretary after making the evaluation required under subparagraph (A); and “(ii) the determination of the Secretary under subparagraph (B).” [“The list” as used in section 5305(a)(3) of Pub. L. 117–263, set out above, defined as in subsec. (b)(2) of this section, see section 5305(a)(2) of Pub. L. 117–263, set out as a note above.]

§8143b Employees in Fire Protection Activities