Casten Votes to Pass Federal Firefighters Fairness Act to Improve access to workers' compensation benefits for federal firefighters
***For Immediate Release***
Contact: Emilia.Rowland@mail.house.gov (330) 212-2065
Casten Votes to Pass Federal Firefighters Fairness Act to Improve access to workers' compensation benefits for federal firefighters
Washington, DC (May 11, 2022) – Today, Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) voted to pass the Federal Firefighters Fairness Act to improve access to workers compensation benefits for federal firefighters, who are at a greater risk from illnesses because of the hazards associated from their work. The legislation is endorsed by: International Association of Fire Chiefs, International Association of Fire Fighters, and American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE).
Congressman Casten said, "Like all the courageous firefighters who work tirelessly to keep our communities safe, Federal Firefighters are regularly exposed to Illness-causing heat, smoke, and toxic substances while keeping us safe. Especially after years where wildfires have swept across the U.S as a result of the climate crisis, our federal firefighters are suffering the severe, and often deadly impacts of daily stress and toxic exposures. I've worked hard to ensure our firefighters are taken care of since I came to Congress, and today, I was proud to vote to ensure that federal firefighters who sacrifice so much to protect us have the same access to workers' compensation and benefits as other firefighters across the country."
Congressman Casten has advocated for federal, state, and local firefighters since he came to Congress. Casten previously delivered$38,205 in COVID-19 Supplemental AFG for the Westmont Illinois Fire Department, followed by another $181,000 in federal funding in 2020.
Federal firefighters face challenges qualifying for workers' compensation benefits for work-related illnesses.
Firefighters are routinely exposed to occupational hazards ranging from diesel emissions to carbon monoxide to cancer-causing chemicals released during fires. Due to their daily exposure to stress, smoke, heat, and various toxic substances, firefighters are far more likely than other workers to contract certain illnesses, such as lung, brain, and digestive cancers, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
The Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) provides wage-loss compensation, medical treatment, return-to-work assistance, and vocational rehabilitation to civilian federal employees who are injured, made ill, or killed by work-related hazards. Like most workers' compensation systems, FECA is well designed to address traumatic injuries, but is poorly designed to provide benefits for occupational disease caused by exposure to toxic substances. Federal firefighters who have contracted cancers face difficulty proving illnesses are work-related because of the lack of data to prove the disease is linked to specific incidents or exposures.
Workers' compensation laws in 48 states, by contrast, provide firefighters with a presumption that certain diseases are work-related. However, no such law covers the approximately 15,000 firefighters employed by the federal government. Federal firefighters deserve the same protections as those employed by state and local governments.
The Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2022 improves access to injury and illness benefits for federal firefighters.
The Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2022 amends FECA to ensure that the federal government stands behind federal firefighters who risk their lives to protect all Americans. The legislation:
Establishes an initial science-based list of diseases for which an automatic presumption of work-related illness would apply, provided the firefighter is employed in fire protection activities for five years. The initial list includes:
o Bladder cancer,
o Brain cancer,
o Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,
o Colorectal cancer,
o Esophageal cancer,
o Kidney cancer
o Leukemias,
o Lung cancer,
o Mesothelioma,
o Multiple myeloma,
o Non-Hodgkin lymphoma,
o Prostate cancer,
o Skin cancer (melanoma),
o Testicular cancer,
o Thyroid cancer, and
o Sudden cardiac event or stroke not later than 24 hours after working in fire protection activities.
- Requires the Secretary of Labor to evaluate the latest science on breast cancer risks for firefighters and determine within 3 years of passage of the Act whether breast cancer should be added to the list.
- Enables any person to propose additions to the initial disease list. The Secretary of Labor would be directed to review and authorized to add additional diseases to the list if the science demonstrates that there is a significant risk to employees in fire protection activities of developing the disease.
- Directs the Secretary to inform any federal firefighter submitting a FECA claim about the opportunity to participate in the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's National Firefighter Registry Program, which will further develop scientific understanding of the unique health risks firefighters face.
The legislation is endorsed by: International Association of Fire Chiefs, International Association of Fire Fighters, and American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and enjoys bipartisan support with 135 Democratic and 15 Republican cosponsors.
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