Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Firefighters topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate adds Parkinson’s disease to firefighters' occupational-disease presumption and passes bill
Summary
Lawmakers approved SB 332 to add Parkinson’s disease to the list of presumptive occupational diseases for firefighters who demonstrate on‑the‑job exposure to known toxins; sponsor cited research tying exposure to later diagnoses and emphasized financial need for affected families.
The Alabama Senate on its special-order calendar passed Senate Bill 332, which adds Parkinson’s disease to the list of occupational conditions presumed to arise out of firefighters’ service when the employee demonstrates exposure to a known toxin linked to that disease.
Sponsor Senator Coleman told colleagues that studies show a connection between toxins firefighters can encounter on the job and later development of Parkinson’s disease. "What this bill does is it actually adds Parkinson disease as 1 of those elements," she said on the floor while explaining the bill’s structure and the presumption standard for service-connected disability.
The measure amends the statutory list of disabling conditions for first responders and creates a presumption that certain diagnoses are work-related if the firefighter can show qualifying exposure during employment. Coleman told the chamber the change is intended to address cases in which firefighters and their families face financial hardship after a disabling diagnosis. She described a constituent family living on roughly 30% of prior household income while seeking a proper retirement percentage.
Senators debated the bill briefly and then moved for final passage; the measure passed on a recorded roll call with unanimous support among those voting. The bill's language ties the presumption to demonstrable exposure to toxins "associated with an increased risk of Parkinson's disease," and mirrors previous legislative steps that extended presumptions for respiratory disease and cancer to first responders.
Supporters said the bill aligns benefit presumptions with emerging medical research and provides administrative clarity for claims by disabled firefighters. The sponsor and backers did not offer fresh fiscal estimates on the floor; implementation and benefit determinations will be handled under the state's existing pension and disability frameworks.
The Senate recorded the final passage on the day's calendar; the bill now moves to the next steps for enrollment and implementation consistent with statutory processes.
The chamber adjourned after concluding the special-order calendar and other business.
