KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

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HB103 • 2026

FIREFIGHTER WORKERS COMP REQUIREMENTS

An Act relating to coverage for disability from diseases for certain firefighters; and providing for an effective date.

Healthcare Labor
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER
Last action
2025-02-14
Official status
(H) L&C
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on the diseases covered or their exact time frames after exposure. The summary and digest text are very brief and do not offer additional context beyond what is in the bill text excerpt.

Firefighter Workers' Compensation Requirements

This act changes the rules for workers' compensation to cover certain diseases for firefighters who have worked in Alaska for at least six years.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds a presumption that respiratory disease, cardiovascular events within 72 hours after exposure to smoke or toxic substances, and specific cancers are work-related if they occur after the firefighter has served in the state for at least six years.
  • Extends the period during which firefighters can claim compensation for these diseases even after leaving their job up to 60 months.
  • Requires that firefighters undergo medical exams showing no evidence of these diseases before employment and at least once every two years during the first six years of service.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Firefighters who have worked in Alaska for at least six years
  • Employers who hire firefighters

Terms To Know

presumption
A rule that makes it easier to prove something is true without needing a lot of evidence.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how long after employment firefighters must develop these diseases to qualify for compensation.
  • It is unclear if the changes will increase costs for employers or affect insurance rates.

Bill History

  1. 2025-02-14 184

    (H) REFERRED TO LABOR & COMMERCE

  2. 2025-02-14 184

    (H) L&C, FIN

  3. 2025-02-14 184

    (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Official Summary Text

FIREFIGHTER WORKERS COMP REQUIREMENTS
An Act relating to coverage for disability from diseases for certain firefighters; and providing for an effective date.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB0103a -1- HB 103
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS0584\A

HOUSE BILL NO. 103

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION

BY REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER

Introduced: 2/14/25
Referred: Labor and Commerce, Finance

A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act relating to coverage for disability from diseases for c ertain firefighters; and 1
providing for an effective date." 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3
* Section 1. AS 23.30.121(b) is amended to read: 4
(b) For a firefighter covered under AS 23.30.243, 5
(1) there is a presumption that a claim for compensation for d isability 6
as a result of the following diseases is within the provisions of this chapter: 7
(A) respiratory disease; 8
(B) cardiovascular events that are experienced within 72 hours 9
after exposure to smoke, fumes, or toxic substances; and 10
(C) the following cancers: 11
(i) primary brain cancer; 12
(ii) malignant melanoma; 13
(iii) leukemia; 14
34-LS0584\A
HB 103 -2- HB0103a
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

(iv) non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; 1
(v) bladder cancer; 2
(vi) ureter cancer; 3
(vii) kidney cancer; 4
(viii) prostate cancer; and 5
(ix) breast cancer; 6
(2) notwithstanding AS 23.30.100(a), following termination of service, 7
the presumption established in (1) of this subsection extends t o the firefighter for a 8
period of three calendar months for each year of requisite serv ice but may not extend 9
more than 60 calendar months following the last date of employment; 10
(3) the presumption established in (1) of this subsection applies only to 11
an active or former firefighter who has a disease described in (1) of this subsection 12
that develops or manifests itself after the firefighter has ser ved in the state for at least 13
six [SEVEN] years and who 14
(A) underwent [ W A S G I V E N ] a q u a l i f y i n g m e d i c a l 15
examination 16
(i) upon the first employment as [ B E C O M I N G ] a 17
firefighter that did not show evidence of the disease; 18
(ii) at least once every two years [(B) WAS GIVEN 19
AN ANNUAL MEDICAL EXAM] during [EACH OF] the first six 20
[SEVEN] years of employment as a firefighter that did not show 21
evidence of the disease; and 22
(B) [ ( C ) ] w i t h r e g a r d t o d i s e a s e s described in (1)(C) of this 23
subsection, demonstrates that, wh ile in the course of employmen t as a 24
firefighter, the firefighter was exposed to a known carcinogen, as defined by 25
the International Agency for Research on Cancer or the National Toxicology 26
Program, and the carcinogen is associated with a disabling cancer. 27
* Sec. 2. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c). 28