Bill Text: VA SB727 | 2013 | Regular Session | Prefiled
Bill Title: Workers' compensation; presumptions, members of enforcement division of DMV.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-02-18 - Left in Appropriations [SB727 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2013-SB727-Prefiled.html
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13102378D Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia: 1. That §§65.2-402 and 65.2-402.1 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows: §65.2-402. Presumption as to death or disability from respiratory disease, hypertension or heart disease, cancer. A. Respiratory diseases that cause (i) the death of volunteer or salaried firefighters or Department of Emergency Management hazardous materials officers or (ii) any health condition or impairment of such firefighters or Department of Emergency Management hazardous materials officers resulting in total or partial disability shall be presumed to be occupational diseases, suffered in the line of duty, that are covered by this title unless such presumption is overcome by a preponderance of competent evidence to the contrary. B. Hypertension or heart disease causing the death of, or any
health condition or impairment resulting in total or partial disability of (i)
salaried or volunteer firefighters, (ii) members of the State Police Officers'
Retirement System, (iii) members of county, city or town police departments,
(iv) sheriffs and deputy sheriffs, (v) Department of Emergency Management
hazardous materials officers, (vi) city sergeants or deputy city sergeants of
the City of Richmond, (vii) Virginia Marine Police officers, (viii)
conservation police officers who are full-time sworn members of the enforcement
division of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, (ix) Capitol Police
officers, (x) special agents of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control
appointed under the provisions of Chapter 1 (§4.1-100 et seq.) of Title 4.1,
(xi) for such period that the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
voluntarily subjects itself to the provisions of this chapter as provided in §
65.2-305, officers of the police force established and maintained by the
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, (xii) officers of the police force
established and maintained by the Norfolk Airport Authority, (xiii) sworn
officers of the police force established and maintained by the Virginia Port
Authority, C. Leukemia or pancreatic, prostate, rectal, throat, ovarian
or breast cancer causing the death of, or any health condition or impairment
resulting in total or partial disability of, any volunteer or salaried
firefighter, Department of Emergency Management hazardous materials officer,
commercial vehicle enforcement officer or motor carrier safety trooper employed
by the Department of State Police, or full-time sworn member of the enforcement
division of the Department of Motor Vehicles having completed D. The presumptions described in subsections A, B, and C shall only apply if persons entitled to invoke them have, if requested by the private employer, appointing authority or governing body employing them, undergone preemployment physical examinations that (i) were conducted prior to the making of any claims under this title that rely on such presumptions, (ii) were performed by physicians whose qualifications are as prescribed by the private employer, appointing authority or governing body employing such persons, (iii) included such appropriate laboratory and other diagnostic studies as the private employer, appointing authorities or governing bodies may have prescribed, and (iv) found such persons free of respiratory diseases, hypertension, cancer or heart disease at the time of such examinations. E. Persons making claims under this title who rely on such presumptions shall, upon the request of private employers, appointing authorities or governing bodies employing such persons, submit to physical examinations (i) conducted by physicians selected by such employers, authorities, bodies or their representatives and (ii) consisting of such tests and studies as may reasonably be required by such physicians. However, a qualified physician, selected and compensated by the claimant, may, at the election of such claimant, be present at such examination. F. Whenever a claim for death benefits is made under this title and the presumptions of this section are invoked, any person entitled to make such claim shall, upon the request of the appropriate private employer, appointing authority or governing body that had employed the deceased, submit the body of the deceased to a postmortem examination as may be directed by the Commission. A qualified physician, selected and compensated by the person entitled to make the claim, may, at the election of such claimant, be present at such postmortem examination. G. Volunteer lifesaving and rescue squad members, volunteer law-enforcement chaplains, auxiliary and reserve deputy sheriffs, and auxiliary and reserve police are not included within the coverage of this section. H. For purposes of this section, the term "firefighter" shall include special forest wardens designated pursuant to §10.1-1135 and any persons who are employed by or contract with private employers primarily to perform firefighting services. §65.2-402.1. Presumption as to death or disability from infectious disease. A. Hepatitis, meningococcal meningitis, tuberculosis or HIV
causing the death of, or any health condition or impairment resulting in total
or partial disability of, any (i) salaried or volunteer firefighter, paramedic
or emergency medical technician, (ii) member of the State Police Officers'
Retirement System, (iii) member of county, city or town police departments,
(iv) sheriff or deputy sheriff, (v) Department of Emergency Management
hazardous materials officer, (vi) city sergeant or deputy city sergeant of the
City of Richmond, (vii) Virginia Marine Police officer, (viii) conservation
police officer who is a full-time sworn member of the enforcement division of
the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, (ix) Capitol Police officer, (x)
special agent of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control appointed under
the provisions of Chapter 1 (§4.1-100 et seq.) of Title 4.1, (xi) for such
period that the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority voluntarily subjects
itself to the provisions of this chapter as provided in §65.2-305, officer of
the police force established and maintained by the Metropolitan Washington
Airports Authority, (xii) officer of the police force established and
maintained by the Norfolk Airport Authority, (xiii) conservation officer of the
Department of Conservation and Recreation commissioned pursuant to §10.1-115,
(xiv) sworn officer of the police force established and maintained by the
Virginia Port Authority, B. As used in this section: "Blood or body fluids" means blood and body fluids containing visible blood and other body fluids to which universal precautions for prevention of occupational transmission of blood-borne pathogens, as established by the Centers for Disease Control, apply. For purposes of potential transmission of hepatitis, meningococcal meningitis, tuberculosis, or HIV the term "blood or body fluids" includes respiratory, salivary, and sinus fluids, including droplets, sputum, saliva, mucous, and any other fluid through which infectious airborne or blood-borne organisms can be transmitted between persons. "Hepatitis" means hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis non-A, hepatitis non-B, hepatitis C or any other strain of hepatitis generally recognized by the medical community. "HIV" means the medically recognized retrovirus known as human immunodeficiency virus, type I or type II, causing immunodeficiency syndrome. "Occupational exposure," in the case of hepatitis, meningococcal meningitis, tuberculosis or HIV, means an exposure that occurs during the performance of job duties that places a covered employee at risk of infection. C. Persons covered under this section who test positive for exposure to the enumerated occupational diseases, but have not yet incurred the requisite total or partial disability, shall otherwise be entitled to make a claim for medical benefits pursuant to §65.2-603, including entitlement to an annual medical examination to measure the progress of the condition, if any, and any other medical treatment, prophylactic or otherwise. D. Whenever any standard, medically-recognized vaccine or other form of immunization or prophylaxis exists for the prevention of a communicable disease for which a presumption is established under this section, if medically indicated by the given circumstances pursuant to immunization policies established by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the United States Public Health Service, a person subject to the provisions of this section may be required by such person's employer to undergo the immunization or prophylaxis unless the person's physician determines in writing that the immunization or prophylaxis would pose a significant risk to the person's health. Absent such written declaration, failure or refusal by a person subject to the provisions of this section to undergo such immunization or prophylaxis shall disqualify the person from any presumption established by this section. E. The presumptions described in subsection A shall only apply if persons entitled to invoke them have, if requested by the appointing authority or governing body employing them, undergone preemployment physical examinations that (i) were conducted prior to the making of any claims under this title that rely on such presumptions, (ii) were performed by physicians whose qualifications are as prescribed by the appointing authority or governing body employing such persons, (iii) included such appropriate laboratory and other diagnostic studies as the appointing authorities or governing bodies may have prescribed, and (iv) found such persons free of hepatitis, meningococcal meningitis, tuberculosis or HIV at the time of such examinations. The presumptions described in subsection A shall not be effective until six months following such examinations, unless such persons entitled to invoke such presumption can demonstrate a documented exposure during the six-month period. F. Persons making claims under this title who rely on such presumption shall, upon the request of appointing authorities or governing bodies employing such persons, submit to physical examinations (i) conducted by physicians selected by such appointing authorities or governing bodies or their representatives and (ii) consisting of such tests and studies as may reasonably be required by such physicians. However, a qualified physician, selected and compensated by the claimant, may, at the election of such claimant, be present at such examination. |
