Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett signed House Bill No. 797 into law, amending the Workers' Compensation Act to extend coverage to firefighters suffering from a cancer caused by exposure to certain known carcinogens. The new provisions let firefighters who have retired in the past 300 weeks (approximately 5.7 years) apply for compensation benefits and receive a presumption of work relatedness for these types of cancers.

This legislation, effective immediately, provides a “work-related” presumption for cancers caused by the Group 1 carcinogens. Compensation available under this new provision is available to those firefighters

1. Who have served four or more years in continuous firefighting duties,
2. Who can establish direct exposure to a Group 1 carcinogen, and
3. Who passed a physical exam prior to asserting a claim, or prior to engaging in firefighting, and the exam failed to reveal any evidence of cancer.

The full text of the legislation may be found here.