LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Governor Joe Lombardo signed a bill affirming lung disease risks for Nevada firefighters and police officers, allowing first responders to get medical coverage for health issues arising from years on the job.
Senate Bill 7 was signed over the weekend. Though the bill passed the Legislature with a majority during the Special Session, there were concerns whether the Governor would indeed sign it as the timeframe for a signature or veto kept shrinking.
The bill affirms a concept called “conclusive presumption,” which was passed into state law in 1989: after two or more years on the job as a firefighter, arson investigator or police officer, first responders are exposed to hazardous chemicals in fires, tear gas, explosions or other hazards on the scene of an incident.
“SB7 is not political, it is about protection. It’s about the firefighter who can’t breathe after decades of service. It’s about the retiree who served fearlessly and retired knowing we have his/her back. It’s about families who shouldn’t have to fight for coverage after their loved one served Nevada,” the Professional Firefighters of Nevada said in a statement to FOX5, thanking Lombardo for its passage.
“The problem was so rampant. If you look at the North Las Vegas fire stations, they’re all named after a dead firefighter, almost all of them, who died of cancer or some other disease,” said former Nevada Assemblyman Danny Thompson, who helped usher in the 1989 law after so many cases that impacted first responders.
“We’ve had people up here, until we started changing these laws and clarifying these things, that have lost their lives, literally going through the workers’ comp process,” said PFFN President Todd Ingalsbee during testimony before Assembly lawmakers.
“[Senate Bill 7] preserves the rights for volunteer firefighters, restores fairness for professional firefighters, police officers, and reaffirms Nevada’s promise to those who we protect,” said Ryan Beaman, also representing PFFN during the bill presentation.
The effort to include the bill in a special session came after a November ruling by the Nevada Supreme Court that impacted future cases: first responders still needed to prove instances of exposure.
A spokesperson for Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department expressed concerns over a rapid passage of a bill, which had not been explicitly stated in Lombardo’s special session agenda.
“While we have not had a full amount of time to complete the analysis of how much this would cost, it will have a significant financial impact, which does equate to police officers. The bill does change substantively the heart and lung provisions of workers’ compensation, and this is a very nuanced issue,” the spokesperson said during testimony.
Clark County also expressed concerns over cost: in fiscal year 2024, claims data and expected “presumptive liability” cost $267 million, a spokesperson said.
Proponents argued, since the court ruling was so recent, the law would not impact current claims.
The bill goes into effect immediately and impacts all cases retroactively.
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