This bill amends the Nebraska Workers' Compensation Act to provide specific provisions for the compensability of certain cancers in firefighters. It introduces definitions for "professional firefighter" and "volunteer firefighter," and establishes that cancer resulting in temporary or permanent disability or death is considered an occupational disease if it develops during the course of employment and is linked to exposure to known carcinogens. The bill outlines a list of substances deemed carcinogenic and associated with various types of cancer, such as diesel exhaust, formaldehyde, and benzene, among others.

Additionally, the bill creates rebuttable presumptions regarding the connection between a firefighter's cancer and their employment. For instance, if a firefighter is diagnosed with cancer during their employment, it is presumed to have arisen from their work. Similar presumptions apply to retired firefighters based on the timing of their diagnosis relative to their employment. The bill also specifies that service credit purchased in a retirement system will not count towards the years of service for these claims, and that retired professional firefighters filing claims after January 1, 2026, will only be entitled to medical benefits under the Workers' Compensation Act.