Bill > HB2687

This bill amends the Virginia workers' compensation law to expand the presumption of occupational disease coverage for certain cancers to include sheriffs and deputy sheriffs. Specifically, the bill adds sheriffs and deputy sheriffs to the list of professions that can receive workers' compensation presumptions for specific types of cancer (including leukemia, pancreatic, prostate, rectal, throat, ovarian, breast, colon, brain, testicular, bladder, and thyroid cancers) if they have completed five years of service and the cancer causes death or disability. To qualify for this presumption, employees must have passed a pre-employment physical examination that found them free of cancer, and employers can request additional medical examinations or postmortem examinations to verify the claim. The presumption can be overcome by preponderance of competent evidence to the contrary, and there are specific date restrictions for certain types of cancer. The bill aims to provide additional protection and support for sheriffs and deputy sheriffs who develop cancer potentially related to their line of work, recognizing the potential health risks associated with their professional duties.