I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 948 
To amend chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code, to create a presumption 
that a disability or death of a Federal employee in fire protection activi-
ties caused by any of certain diseases is the result of the performance 
of such employee’s duty. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 10, 2009 
Mrs. CAPPS (for herself, Mr. PLATTS, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Ms. 
MATSUI, Ms. SUTTON, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. MORAN
of Virginia, Mr. 
BLUMENAUER, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. HARE, Mr. CARNEY, Mr. SHER-
MAN, Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. 
ROTHMAN of New Jersey, Mr. HINCHEY, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Ms. 
WOOLSEY, Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. SCHIFF, Mrs. MALONEY, Mr. COURTNEY, 
Mr. SHULER, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, 
Mr. MURTHA, Mr. STUPAK, Mr. MCHUGH, Mr. FILNER, Mrs. MILLER of 
Michigan, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. MICHAUD, Mrs. EMERSON, Mr. BRADY of 
Pennsylvania, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. ROSS, Mr. MILLER of 
North Carolina, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. WOLF, Mr. 
CONNOLLY of Virginia, Mr. SESTAK, Mr. TERRY, Mr. BISHOP of New 
York, Mr. CARNAHAN, Mr. ELLISON, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. WITTMAN, 
Mr. SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. LYNCH, Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California, Mr. 
SARBANES, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. FARR, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. 
MCMAHON, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. MARKEY of 
Massachusetts, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. DOYLE, Mr. MCINTYRE, Ms. PINGREE 
of Maine, Mr. GORDON of Tennessee, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr. CLAY, Mr. 
LUJA´N, Mr. HOLT, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. NYE, Mr. BOUCHER, Mr. TIM 
MURPHY of Pennsylvania, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. BERMAN, Ms. RICHARDSON, 
Ms. SHEA-PORTER, Mr. MCCOTTER, Mr. MURPHY of Connecticut, Mr. 
GONZALEZ, Mr. POE of Texas, Mr. ARCURI, Mr. COSTELLO, Mr. AN-
DREWS, Mr. BACA, and Mr. KAGEN) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 
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A BILL 
To amend chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code, to 
create a presumption that a disability or death of a 
Federal employee in fire protection activities caused by 
any of certain diseases is the result of the performance 
of such employee’s duty. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Federal Firefighters 
Fairness Act of 2009’’. 
SEC. 2. CERTAIN DISEASES PRESUMED TO BE WORK-RE-
LATED CAUSE OF DISABILITY OR DEATH FOR 
FEDERAL EMPLOYEES IN FIRE PROTECTION 
ACTIVITIES. 
(a) DEFINITION.—Section 8101 of title 5, United 
States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of 
paragraph (19), by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (20) and inserting ‘‘; and’’, and by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(21) ‘employee in fire protection activities’ 
means a firefighter, paramedic, emergency medical 
technician, rescue worker, ambulance personnel, or 
hazardous material worker, who— 
‘‘(A) is trained in fire suppression; 
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‘‘(B) has the legal authority and responsi-
bility to engage in fire suppression; 
‘‘(C) is engaged in the prevention, control, 
and extinguishment of fires or response to 
emergency situations where life, property, or 
the environment is at risk; and 
‘‘(D) performs such activities as a primary 
responsibility of his or her job.’’. 
(b) PRESUMPTION RELATING
TO EMPLOYEES
IN 
FIRE PROTECTION ACTIVITIES.—Section 8102 of title 5, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(c)(1) With regard to an employee in fire protection 
activities, a disease specified in paragraph (2) shall be pre-
sumed to be proximately caused by the employment of 
such employee, subject to the length of service require-
ments specified. The disability or death of an employee 
in fire protection activities due to such a disease shall be 
presumed to result from personal injury sustained while 
in the performance of such employee’s duty. Such pre-
sumptions may be rebutted by a preponderance of the evi-
dence. 
‘‘(2) The following diseases shall be presumed to be 
proximately caused by the employment of the employee: 
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‘‘(A) If the employee has been employed for a 
minimum of 5 years: 
‘‘(i) Heart disease. 
‘‘(ii) Lung disease. 
‘‘(iii) The following cancers: 
‘‘(I) Brain cancer. 
‘‘(II) Cancer of the blood or lymphatic 
systems. 
‘‘(III) Leukemia. 
‘‘(IV) Lymphoma (except Hodgkin’s 
disease). 
‘‘(V) Multiple myeloma. 
‘‘(VI) Bladder cancer. 
‘‘(VII) Kidney cancer. 
‘‘(VIII) Testicular cancer. 
‘‘(IX) Cancer of the digestive system. 
‘‘(X) Colon cancer. 
‘‘(XI) Liver cancer. 
‘‘(XII) Skin cancer. 
‘‘(XIII) Lung cancer. 
‘‘(iv) Any other cancer the contraction of 
which the Secretary of Labor determines to be 
related to the hazards to which an employee in 
fire protection activities may be subject. 
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