The bill establishes a presumption for accidental disability retirement for emergency medical technicians, firefighters, and police officers who are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease under the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) and the Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS). It states that if a member is diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, it is presumed that the condition is work-related, unless proven otherwise. This presumption is designed to ease the retirement process for affected members by acknowledging the connection between their occupational duties and the development of the disease.

To qualify for this presumption, the member must have passed a physical examination prior to enrollment that showed no evidence of Parkinson's disease. The retirement system will be responsible for determining the necessary documentation to confirm that the member was free of the disease at the time of joining. This legislative change aims to provide support for first responders facing health challenges due to their work, and the act is set to take effect immediately upon passage.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 43:15A-43, 43:16A-7