HB3837 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB102 14982 RPS 20337 b

102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB3837

Introduced 2/22/2021, by Rep. Lindsey LaPointe

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

See Index

Amends the Chicago Police and Chicago Firefighter Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that for certain death benefits, the death of any policeman or fireman as a result of post-traumatic stress disorder shall be rebuttably presumed to have been contracted while in the performance of an act of duty and he or she shall be rebuttably presumed to have been fatally injured while in active service. Provides that any active policeman or fireman who has completed 7 or more years of service and is unable to perform his or her duties in the department by reason of a disabling post-traumatic stress disorder that develops or manifests itself while the policeman or fireman is in the service of the department shall be entitled to receive an occupational disease disability benefit. Amends the Workers' Compensation Act and the Workers' Occupational Diseases Act. Provides that a person employed as a firefighter, emergency medical technician (EMT), emergency medical technician-intermediate (EMT-I), advanced emergency medical technician (A-EMT), or paramedic may recover for post-traumatic stress disorder. Provides that any condition or impairment of health of an employee employed as a police officer, as defined in the Downstate Police Article of the Illinois Pension Code, that results directly or indirectly from post-traumatic stress disorder resulting in any disability to the employee shall be rebuttably presumed to arise out of and in the course of the employee's police employment and shall be rebuttably presumed to be causally connected to the hazards or exposures of the employment. Makes other changes. Amends the State Mandate Act to require implementation without reimbursement by the State. Effective immediately.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

PENSION IMPACT NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning employment.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Pension Code is amended by changing Sections 5-144, 5-154.1, 6-140, and 6-151.1 as follows:

(40 ILCS 5/5-144) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 5-144)

Sec. 5-144. Death from injury in the performance of acts of duty; compensation annuity and supplemental annuity.

(a) Beginning January 1, 1986, and without regard to whether or not the annuity in question began before that date, if the annuity for the widow of a policeman whose death, on or after January 1, 1940, results from injury incurred in the performance of an act or acts of duty, is not equal to the sum hereinafter stated, "compensation annuity" equal to the difference between the annuity and an amount equal to 75% of the policeman's salary attached to the position he held by certification and appointment as a result of competitive civil service examination that would ordinarily have been paid to him as though he were in active discharge of his duties shall be payable to the widow until the policeman, had he lived, would have attained age 63. The total amount of the widow's annuity and children's awards payable to the family of such policeman shall not exceed the amounts stated in Section 5-152.

For the purposes of this Section only, the death of any policeman as a result of the exposure to and contraction of COVID-19, as evidenced by either (i) a confirmed positive laboratory test for COVID-19 or COVID-19 antibodies or (ii) a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 from a licensed medical professional, shall be rebuttably presumed to have been contracted while in the performance of an act or acts of duty and the policeman shall be rebuttably presumed to have been fatally injured while in active service. The presumption shall apply to any policeman who was exposed to and contracted COVID-19 on or after March 9, 2020 and on or before December 31, 2020; except that the presumption shall not apply if the policeman was on a leave of absence from his or her employment or otherwise not required to report for duty for a period of 14 or more consecutive days immediately prior to the date of contraction of COVID-19. For the purposes of determining when a policeman contracted COVID-19 under this paragraph, the date of contraction is either the date that the policeman was diagnosed with COVID-19 or was unable to work due to symptoms that were later diagnosed as COVID-19, whichever occurred first.

For the purposes of this Section, the death of any policeman as a result of post-traumatic stress disorder shall be rebuttably presumed to have been contracted while in the performance of an act or acts of duty and the policeman shall be rebuttably presumed to have been fatally injured while in active service.

The provisions of this Section, as amended by Public Act 84-1104, including the reference to the date upon which the deceased policeman would have attained age 63, shall apply to all widows of policemen whose death occurs on or after January 1, 1940 due to injury incurred in the performance of an act of duty, regardless of whether such death occurred prior to September 17, 1969. For those widows of policemen that died prior to September 17, 1969, who became eligible for compensation annuity by the action of Public Act 84-1104, such compensation annuity shall begin and be calculated from January 1, 1986. The provisions of this amendatory Act of 1987 are intended to restate and clarify the intent of Public Act 84-1104, and do not make any substantive change.

(b) Upon termination of the compensation annuity, "supplemental annuity" shall become payable to the widow, equal to the difference between the annuity for the widow and an amount equal to 75% of the annual salary (including all salary increases and longevity raises) that the policeman would have been receiving when he attained age 63 if the policeman had continued in service at the same rank (whether career service or exempt) that he last held in the police department. The increase in supplemental annuity resulting from this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly applies without regard to whether the deceased policeman was in service on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act and is payable from July 1, 2002 or the date upon which the supplemental annuity begins, whichever is later.

(c) Neither compensation nor supplemental annuity shall be paid unless the death of the policeman was a direct result of the injury, or the injury was of such character as to prevent him from subsequently resuming service as a policeman; nor shall compensation or supplemental annuity be paid unless the widow was the wife of the policeman when the injury occurred.

(Source: P.A. 101-633, eff. 6-5-20.)

(40 ILCS 5/5-154.1) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 5-154.1)

Sec. 5-154.1. Occupational disease disability benefit.

(a) The General Assembly finds that service in the police department requires police officers in times of stress and danger to perform unusual tasks; that police officers are subject to exposure to extreme heat or extreme cold in certain seasons while performing their duties; and that these conditions exist and arise out of or in the course of employment.

(b) Any police officer with at least 10 years of service who suffers a heart attack or any other disabling heart disease but is not entitled to a benefit under Section 5-154 is entitled to receive an occupational disease disability benefit under this Section. The occupational disease disability benefit shall be 65% of the salary attached to the rank held by the police officer in the police service at the time of his or her removal from the police department payroll. However, no occupational disease disability benefit that has been payable under this Section for at least 10 years shall be less than 50% of the current salary attached from time to time to the rank held by the police officer at the time of his or her removal from the police department payroll.

The police officer is also entitled to a child's disability benefit of $100 per month for each natural or legally adopted unmarried child less than age 18 dependent upon the police officer for support. The total child's disability benefit shall not exceed 10% of the police officer's salary at the time of removal from the police department payroll. The increase in child's disability benefit provided by this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly applies beginning January 1, 2000 to all such benefits payable on or after that date, regardless of whether the disabled policeman is in active service on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act.

The occupational disease disability benefit is payable during the period of disability until the police officer attains age 63 or compulsory retirement age, whichever occurs later; thereafter the police officer shall receive the benefits provided under the other provisions of this Article. If the police officer ceases to be disabled, the occupational disease disability benefit shall cease.

The child's disability benefit is payable during the period of disability until the child attains age 18 or marries, whichever event occurs first, except that a benefit payable on account of a child under this Section shall not be reduced or terminated by reason of the child's attainment of age 18 if he or she is then dependent by reason of a physical or mental disability, but shall continue to be paid as long as the child's dependency and disability continue.

Any active policeman who has completed 7 or more years of service and is unable to perform his or her duties in the police department by reason of a disabling post-traumatic stress disorder that develops or manifests itself during a period while the policeman is in the service of the department shall be entitled to receive an occupational disease disability benefit during any period of such disability for which he or she does not have a right to receive salary. This entitlement may be rebutted by the city by competent medical evidence.

(Source: P.A. 92-52, eff. 7-12-01.)

(40 ILCS 5/6-140) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 6-140)

Sec. 6-140. Death in the line of duty.

(a) The annuity for the widow of a fireman whose death results from the performance of an act or acts of duty shall be an amount equal to 50% of the current annual salary attached to the classified position to which the fireman was certified at the time of his death and 75% thereof after December 31, 1972.

Unless the performance of an act or acts of duty results directly in the death of the fireman, or prevents him from subsequently resuming active service in the fire department, the annuity herein provided shall not be paid; nor shall such annuities be paid unless the widow was the wife of the fireman at the time of the act or acts of duty which resulted in his death.

For the purposes of this Section only, the death of any fireman as a result of the exposure to and contraction of COVID-19, as evidenced by either (i) a confirmed positive laboratory test for COVID-19 or COVID-19 antibodies or (ii) a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 from a licensed medical professional, shall be rebuttably presumed to have been contracted while in the performance of an act or acts of duty and the fireman shall be rebuttably presumed to have been fatally injured while in active service. The presumption shall apply to any fireman who was exposed to and contracted COVID-19 on or after March 9, 2020 and on or before December 31, 2020; except that the presumption shall not apply if the fireman was on a leave of absence from his or her employment or otherwise not required to report for duty for a period of 14 or more consecutive days immediately prior to the date of contraction of COVID-19. For the purposes of determining when a fireman contracted COVID-19 under this paragraph, the date of contraction is either the date that the fireman was diagnosed with COVID-19 or was unable to work due to symptoms that were later diagnosed as COVID-19, whichever occurred first.

For the purposes of this Section, the death of any fireman as a result of post-traumatic stress disorder shall be rebuttably presumed to have been contracted while in the performance of an act or acts of duty and the fireman shall be rebuttably presumed to have been fatally injured while in active service.

(b) The changes made to this Section by this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly apply without regard to whether the deceased fireman was in service on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act. In the case of a widow receiving an annuity under this Section that has been reduced to 40% of current salary because the fireman, had he lived, would have attained the age prescribed for compulsory retirement, the annuity shall be restored to the amount provided in subsection (a), with the increase beginning to accrue on the later of January 1, 2001 or the day the annuity first became payable.

(Source: P.A. 101-633, eff. 6-5-20.)

(40 ILCS 5/6-151.1) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 6-151.1)

Sec. 6-151.1. The General Assembly finds and declares that service in the Fire Department requires that firemen, in times of stress and danger, must perform unusual tasks; that by reason of their occupation, firemen are subject to exposure to great heat and to extreme cold in certain seasons while in performance of their duties; that by reason of their employment firemen are required to work in the midst of and are subject to heavy smoke fumes and carcinogenic, poisonous, toxic or chemical gases from fires; and that in the course of their rescue and paramedic duties firemen are exposed to disabling infectious diseases, including AIDS, hepatitis C, and stroke. The General Assembly further finds and declares that all the aforementioned conditions exist and arise out of or in the course of such employment.

Any active fireman who has completed 7 or more years of service and is unable to perform his duties in the Fire Department by reason of heart disease, tuberculosis, any disease of the lungs or respiratory tract, AIDS, hepatitis C, or stroke resulting from his service as a fireman, shall be entitled to receive an occupational disease disability benefit during any period of such disability for which he does not have a right to receive salary.

Any active fireman who has completed 7 or more years of service and is unable to perform his duties in the fire department by reason of a disabling cancer, which develops or manifests itself during a period while the fireman is in the service of the department, shall be entitled to receive an occupational disease disability benefit during any period of such disability for which he does not have a right to receive salary. In order to receive this occupational disease disability benefit, the type of cancer involved must be a type which may be caused by exposure to heat, radiation or a known carcinogen as defined by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Any fireman who shall enter the service after the effective date of this amendatory Act shall be examined by one or more practicing physicians appointed by the Board, and if that examination discloses impairment of the heart, lungs, or respiratory tract, or the existence of AIDS, hepatitis C, stroke, or cancer, then the fireman shall not be entitled to receive an occupational disease disability benefit unless and until a subsequent examination reveals no such impairment, AIDS, hepatitis C, stroke, or cancer.

Any active fireman who has completed 7 or more years of service and is unable to perform his or her duties in the fire department by reason of a disabling post-traumatic stress disorder, which develops or manifests itself during a period while the fireman is in the service of the department, shall be entitled to receive an occupational disease disability benefit during any period of such disability for which he or she does not have a right to receive salary. This entitlement may be rebutted by the city by competent medical evidence.

The occupational disease disability benefit shall be 65% of the fireman's salary at the time of his removal from the Department payroll. However, beginning January 1, 1994, no occupational disease disability benefit that has been payable under this Section for at least 10 years shall be less than 50% of the current salary attached from time to time to the rank and grade held by the fireman at the time of his removal from the Department payroll, regardless of whether that removal occurred before the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1993.

Such fireman also shall have a right to receive child's disability benefit of $30 per month on account of each unmarried child who is less than 18 years of age or handicapped, dependent upon the fireman for support, and either the issue of the fireman or legally adopted by him. The total amount of child's disability benefit payable to the fireman, when added to his occupational disease disability benefit, shall not exceed 75% of the amount of salary which he was receiving at the time of the grant of occupational disease disability benefit.

The first payment of occupational disease disability benefit or child's disability benefit shall be made not later than one month after the benefit is granted. Each subsequent payment shall be made not later than one month after the date of the latest payment.

Occupational disease disability benefit shall be payable during the period of the disability until the fireman reaches the age of compulsory retirement. Child's disability benefit shall be paid to such a fireman during the period of disability until such child or children attain age 18 or marry, whichever event occurs first; except that attainment of age 18 by a child who is so physically or mentally handicapped as to be dependent upon the fireman for support, shall not render the child ineligible for child's disability benefit. The fireman thereafter shall receive such annuity or annuities as are provided for him in accordance with other provisions of this Article.

(Source: P.A. 93-654, eff. 1-16-04.)

Section 10. The Workers' Compensation Act is amended by changing Section 6 as follows:

(820 ILCS 305/6) (from Ch. 48, par. 138.6)

Sec. 6. (a) Every employer within the provisions of this Act, shall, under the rules and regulations prescribed by the Commission, post printed notices in their respective places of employment in such number and at such places as may be determined by the Commission, containing such information relative to this Act as in the judgment of the Commission may be necessary to aid employees to safeguard their rights under this Act in event of injury.

In addition thereto, the employer shall post in a conspicuous place on the place of the employment a printed or typewritten notice stating whether he is insured or whether he has qualified and is operating as a self-insured employer. In the event the employer is insured, the notice shall state the name and address of his insurance carrier, the number of the insurance policy, its effective date and the date of termination. In the event of the termination of the policy for any reason prior to the termination date stated, the posted notice shall promptly be corrected accordingly. In the event the employer is operating as a self-insured employer the notice shall state the name and address of the company, if any, servicing the compensation payments of the employer, and the name and address of the person in charge of making compensation payments.

(b) Every employer subject to this Act shall maintain accurate records of work-related deaths, injuries and illness other than minor injuries requiring only first aid treatment and which do not involve medical treatment, loss of consciousness, restriction of work or motion, or transfer to another job and file with the Commission, in writing, a report of all accidental deaths, injuries and illnesses arising out of and in the course of the employment resulting in the loss of more than 3 scheduled work days. In the case of death such report shall be made no later than 2 working days following the accidental death. In all other cases such report shall be made between the 15th and 25th of each month unless required to be made sooner by rule of the Commission. In case the injury results in permanent disability, a further report shall be made as soon as it is determined that such permanent disability has resulted or will result from the injury. All reports shall state the date of the injury, including the time of day or night, the nature of the employer's business, the name, address, age, sex, conjugal condition of the injured person, the specific occupation of the injured person, the direct cause of the injury and the nature of the accident, the character of the injury, the length of disability, and in case of death the length of disability before death, the wages of the injured person, whether compensation has been paid to the injured person, or to his or her legal representative or his heirs or next of kin, the amount of compensation paid, the amount paid for physicians', surgeons' and hospital bills, and by whom paid, and the amount paid for funeral or burial expenses if known. The reports shall be made on forms and in the manner as prescribed by the Commission and shall contain such further information as the Commission shall deem necessary and require. The making of these reports releases the employer from making such reports to any other officer of the State and shall satisfy the reporting provisions as contained in the Safety Inspection and Education Act, the Health and Safety Act, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The reports filed with the Commission pursuant to this Section shall be made available by the Commission to the Director of Labor or his representatives and to all other departments of the State of Illinois which shall require such information for the proper discharge of their official duties. Failure to file with the Commission any of the reports required in this Section is a petty offense.

Except as provided in this paragraph, all reports filed hereunder shall be confidential and any person having access to such records filed with the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission as herein required, who shall release any information therein contained including the names or otherwise identify any persons sustaining injuries or disabilities, or give access to such information to any unauthorized person, shall be subject to discipline or discharge, and in addition shall be guilty of a Class B misdemeanor. The Commission shall compile and distribute to interested persons aggregate statistics, taken from the reports filed hereunder. The aggregate statistics shall not give the names or otherwise identify persons sustaining injuries or disabilities or the employer of any injured person or person with a disability.

(c) Notice of the accident shall be given to the employer as soon as practicable, but not later than 45 days after the accident. Provided:

(1) In case of the legal disability of the employee or any dependent of a deceased employee who may be entitled to compensation under the provisions of this Act, the limitations of time by this Act provided do not begin to run against such person under legal disability until a guardian has been appointed.

(2) In cases of injuries sustained by exposure to radiological materials or equipment, notice shall be given to the employer within 90 days subsequent to the time that the employee knows or suspects that he has received an excessive dose of radiation.

No defect or inaccuracy of such notice shall be a bar to the maintenance of proceedings on arbitration or otherwise by the employee unless the employer proves that he is unduly prejudiced in such proceedings by such defect or inaccuracy.

Notice of the accident shall give the approximate date and place of the accident, if known, and may be given orally or in writing.

(d) Every employer shall notify each injured employee who has been granted compensation under the provisions of Section 8 of this Act of his rights to rehabilitation services and advise him of the locations of available public rehabilitation centers and any other such services of which the employer has knowledge.

In any case, other than one where the injury was caused by exposure to radiological materials or equipment or asbestos unless the application for compensation is filed with the Commission within 3 years after the date of the accident, where no compensation has been paid, or within 2 years after the date of the last payment of compensation, where any has been paid, whichever shall be later, the right to file such application shall be barred.

In any case of injury caused by exposure to radiological materials or equipment or asbestos, unless application for compensation is filed with the Commission within 25 years after the last day that the employee was employed in an environment of hazardous radiological activity or asbestos, the right to file such application shall be barred.

If in any case except one where the injury was caused by exposure to radiological materials or equipment or asbestos, the accidental injury results in death application for compensation for death may be filed with the Commission within 3 years after the date of death where no compensation has been paid or within 2 years after the date of the last payment of compensation where any has been paid, whichever shall be later, but not thereafter.

If an accidental injury caused by exposure to radiological material or equipment or asbestos results in death within 25 years after the last day that the employee was so exposed application for compensation for death may be filed with the Commission within 3 years after the date of death, where no compensation has been paid, or within 2 years after the date of the last payment of compensation where any has been paid, whichever shall be later, but not thereafter.

(e) Any contract or agreement made by any employer or his agent or attorney with any employee or any other beneficiary of any claim under the provisions of this Act within 7 days after the injury shall be presumed to be fraudulent.

(f) Any condition or impairment of health of an employee employed as a firefighter, emergency medical technician (EMT), emergency medical technician-intermediate (EMT-I), advanced emergency medical technician (A-EMT), or paramedic which results directly or indirectly from any bloodborne pathogen, lung or respiratory disease or condition, heart or vascular disease or condition, hypertension, tuberculosis, or cancer, or post-traumatic stress disorder resulting in any disability (temporary, permanent, total, or partial) to the employee shall be rebuttably presumed to arise out of and in the course of the employee's firefighting, EMT, or paramedic employment and, further, shall be rebuttably presumed to be causally connected to the hazards or exposures of the employment. This presumption shall also apply to any hernia or hearing loss suffered by an employee employed as a firefighter, EMT, EMT-I, A-EMT, or paramedic. However, this presumption shall not apply to any employee who has been employed as a firefighter, EMT, or paramedic for less than 5 years at the time he or she files an Application for Adjustment of Claim concerning this condition or impairment with the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission. The rebuttable presumption established under this subsection, however, does not apply to an emergency medical technician (EMT), emergency medical technician-intermediate (EMT-I), advanced emergency medical technician (A-EMT), or paramedic employed by a private employer if the employee spends the preponderance of his or her work time for that employer engaged in medical transfers between medical care facilities or non-emergency medical transfers to or from medical care facilities. The changes made to this subsection by Public Act 98-291 shall be narrowly construed.

Any condition or impairment of health of an employee employed as a police officer that results directly or indirectly from post-traumatic stress disorder resulting in any disability (temporary, permanent, total, or partial) to the employee shall be rebuttably presumed to arise out of and in the course of the employee's police employment and, further, shall be rebuttably presumed to be causally connected to the hazards or exposures of the employment. For these purposes, "police officer" has the same meaning given to that term in Section 3-106 of the Illinois Pension Code.

The Finding and Decision of the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission under only the rebuttable presumption provision of this subsection shall not be admissible or be deemed res judicata in any disability claim under the Illinois Pension Code arising out of the same medical condition; however, this sentence makes no change to the law set forth in Krohe v. City of Bloomington, 204 Ill.2d 392.

(g) In this Section, "condition or impairment of health" includes post-traumatic stress disorder arising out of and in the course of employment affecting a person employed as a firefighter, emergency medical technician (EMT), emergency medical technician-intermediate (EMT-I), advanced emergency medical technician (A-EMT), or paramedic.

(Source: P.A. 98-291, eff. 1-1-14; 98-874, eff. 1-1-15; 98-973, eff. 8-15-14; 99-78, eff. 7-20-15; 99-143, eff. 7-27-15.)

Section 15. The Workers' Occupational Diseases Act is amended by changing Section 1 as follows:

(820 ILCS 310/1) (from Ch. 48, par. 172.36)

Sec. 1. This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Workers' Occupational Diseases Act".

(a) The term "employer" as used in this Act shall be construed to be:

1. The State and each county, city, town, township, incorporated village, school district, body politic, or municipal corporation therein.

2. Every person, firm, public or private corporation, including hospitals, public service, eleemosynary, religious or charitable corporations or associations, who has any person in service or under any contract for hire, express or implied, oral or written.

3. Where an employer operating under and subject to the provisions of this Act loans an employee to another such employer and such loaned employee sustains a compensable occupational disease in the employment of such borrowing employer and where such borrowing employer does not provide or pay the benefits or payments due such employee, such loaning employer shall be liable to provide or pay all benefits or payments due such employee under this Act and as to such employee the liability of such loaning and borrowing employers shall be joint and several, provided that such loaning employer shall in the absence of agreement to the contrary be entitled to receive from such borrowing employer full reimbursement for all sums paid or incurred pursuant to this paragraph together with reasonable attorneys' fees and expenses in any hearings before the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission or in any action to secure such reimbursement. Where any benefit is provided or paid by such loaning employer, the employee shall have the duty of rendering reasonable co-operation in any hearings, trials or proceedings in the case, including such proceedings for reimbursement.

Where an employee files an Application for Adjustment of Claim with the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission alleging that his or her claim is covered by the provisions of the preceding paragraph, and joining both the alleged loaning and borrowing employers, they and each of them, upon written demand by the employee and within 7 days after receipt of such demand, shall have the duty of filing with the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission a written admission or denial of the allegation that the claim is covered by the provisions of the preceding paragraph and in default of such filing or if any such denial be ultimately determined not to have been bona fide then the provisions of Paragraph K of Section 19 of this Act shall apply.

An employer whose business or enterprise or a substantial part thereof consists of hiring, procuring or furnishing employees to or for other employers operating under and subject to the provisions of this Act for the performance of the work of such other employers and who pays such employees their salary or wage notwithstanding that they are doing the work of such other employers shall be deemed a loaning employer within the meaning and provisions of this Section.

(b) The term "employee" as used in this Act, shall be construed to mean:

1. Every person in the service of the State, county, city, town, township, incorporated village or school district, body politic or municipal corporation therein, whether by election, appointment or contract of hire, express or implied, oral or written, including any official of the State, or of any county, city, town, township, incorporated village, school district, body politic or municipal corporation therein and except any duly appointed member of the fire department in any city whose population exceeds 500,000 according to the last Federal or State census, and except any member of a fire insurance patrol maintained by a board of underwriters in this State. One employed by a contractor who has contracted with the State, or a county, city, town, township, incorporated village, school district, body politic or municipal corporation therein, through its representatives, shall not be considered as an employee of the State, county, city, town, township, incorporated village, school district, body politic or municipal corporation which made the contract.

2. Every person in the service of another under any contract of hire, express or implied, oral or written, who contracts an occupational disease while working in the State of Illinois, or who contracts an occupational disease while working outside of the State of Illinois but where the contract of hire is made within the State of Illinois, and any person whose employment is principally localized within the State of Illinois, regardless of the place where the disease was contracted or place where the contract of hire was made, including aliens, and minors who, for the purpose of this Act, except Section 3 hereof, shall be considered the same and have the same power to contract, receive payments and give quittances therefor, as adult employees. An employee or his or her dependents under this Act who shall have a cause of action by reason of an occupational disease, disablement or death arising out of and in the course of his or her employment may elect or pursue his or her remedy in the State where the disease was contracted, or in the State where the contract of hire is made, or in the State where the employment is principally localized.

(c) "Commission" means the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission created by the Workers' Compensation Act, approved July 9, 1951, as amended.

(d) In this Act the term "Occupational Disease" means a disease arising out of and in the course of the employment or which has become aggravated and rendered disabling as a result of the exposure of the employment. Such aggravation shall arise out of a risk peculiar to or increased by the employment and not common to the general public.

"Occupational disease" includes post-traumatic stress disorder arising out of and in the course of employment affecting a person employed as a firefighter, emergency medical technician (EMT), emergency medical technician-intermediate (EMT-I), advanced emergency medical technician (A-EMT), or paramedic.

A disease shall be deemed to arise out of the employment if there is apparent to the rational mind, upon consideration of all the circumstances, a causal connection between the conditions under which the work is performed and the occupational disease. The disease need not to have been foreseen or expected but after its contraction it must appear to have had its origin or aggravation in a risk connected with the employment and to have flowed from that source as a rational consequence.

An employee shall be conclusively deemed to have been exposed to the hazards of an occupational disease when, for any length of time however short, he or she is employed in an occupation or process in which the hazard of the disease exists; provided however, that in a claim of exposure to atomic radiation, the fact of such exposure must be verified by the records of the central registry of radiation exposure maintained by the Department of Public Health or by some other recognized governmental agency maintaining records of such exposures whenever and to the extent that the records are on file with the Department of Public Health or the agency.

Any injury to or disease or death of an employee arising from the administration of a vaccine, including without limitation smallpox vaccine, to prepare for, or as a response to, a threatened or potential bioterrorist incident to the employee as part of a voluntary inoculation program in connection with the person's employment or in connection with any governmental program or recommendation for the inoculation of workers in the employee's occupation, geographical area, or other category that includes the employee is deemed to arise out of and in the course of the employment for all purposes under this Act. This paragraph added by Public Act 93-829 is declarative of existing law and is not a new enactment.

The employer liable for the compensation in this Act provided shall be the employer in whose employment the employee was last exposed to the hazard of the occupational disease claimed upon regardless of the length of time of such last exposure, except, in cases of silicosis or asbestosis, the only employer liable shall be the last employer in whose employment the employee was last exposed during a period of 60 days or more after the effective date of this Act, to the hazard of such occupational disease, and, in such cases, an exposure during a period of less than 60 days, after the effective date of this Act, shall not be deemed a last exposure. If a miner who is suffering or suffered from pneumoconiosis was employed for 10 years or more in one or more coal mines there shall, effective July 1, 1973 be a rebuttable presumption that his or her pneumoconiosis arose out of such employment.

If a deceased miner was employed for 10 years or more in one or more coal mines and died from a respirable disease there shall, effective July 1, 1973, be a rebuttable presumption that his or her death was due to pneumoconiosis.

Any condition or impairment of health of an employee employed as a firefighter, emergency medical technician (EMT), emergency medical technician-intermediate (EMT-I), advanced emergency medical technician (A-EMT), or paramedic which results directly or indirectly from any bloodborne pathogen, lung or respiratory disease or condition, heart or vascular disease or condition, hypertension, tuberculosis, or cancer, or post-traumatic stress disorder resulting in any disability (temporary, permanent, total, or partial) to the employee shall be rebuttably presumed to arise out of and in the course of the employee's firefighting, EMT, EMT-I, A-EMT, or paramedic employment and, further, shall be rebuttably presumed to be causally connected to the hazards or exposures of the employment. This presumption shall also apply to any hernia or hearing loss suffered by an employee employed as a firefighter, EMT, EMT-I, A-EMT, or paramedic. However, this presumption shall not apply to any employee who has been employed as a firefighter, EMT, EMT-I, A-EMT, or paramedic for less than 5 years at the time he or she files an Application for Adjustment of Claim concerning this condition or impairment with the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission. The rebuttable presumption established under this subsection, however, does not apply to an emergency medical technician (EMT), emergency medical technician-intermediate (EMT-I), advanced emergency medical technician (A-EMT), or paramedic employed by a private employer if the employee spends the preponderance of his or her work time for that employer engaged in medical transfers between medical care facilities or non-emergency medical transfers to or from medical care facilities. The changes made to this subsection by this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly shall be narrowly construed.

Any condition or impairment of health of an employee employed as a police officer that results directly or indirectly from post-traumatic stress disorder resulting in any disability (temporary, permanent, total, or partial) to the employee shall be rebuttably presumed to arise out of and in the course of the employee's police employment and, further, shall be rebuttably presumed to be causally connected to the hazards or exposures of the employment. For these purposes, "police officer" has the same meaning given to that term in Section 3-106 of the Illinois Pension Code.

The Finding and Decision of the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission under only the rebuttable presumption provision of this paragraph shall not be admissible or be deemed res judicata in any disability claim under the Illinois Pension Code arising out of the same medical condition; however, this sentence makes no change to the law set forth in Krohe v. City of Bloomington, 204 Ill.2d 392.

The insurance carrier liable shall be the carrier whose policy was in effect covering the employer liable on the last day of the exposure rendering such employer liable in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

(e) "Disablement" means an impairment or partial impairment, temporary or permanent, in the function of the body or any of the members of the body, or the event of becoming disabled from earning full wages at the work in which the employee was engaged when last exposed to the hazards of the occupational disease by the employer from whom he or she claims compensation, or equal wages in other suitable employment; and "disability" means the state of being so incapacitated.

(f) No compensation shall be payable for or on account of any occupational disease unless disablement, as herein defined, occurs within two years after the last day of the last exposure to the hazards of the disease, except in cases of occupational disease caused by berylliosis or by the inhalation of silica dust or asbestos dust and, in such cases, within 3 years after the last day of the last exposure to the hazards of such disease and except in the case of occupational disease caused by exposure to radiological materials or equipment, and in such case, within 25 years after the last day of last exposure to the hazards of such disease.

(g)(1) In any proceeding before the Commission in which the employee is a COVID-19 first responder or front-line worker as defined in this subsection, if the employee's injury or occupational disease resulted from exposure to and contraction of COVID-19, the exposure and contraction shall be rebuttably presumed to have arisen out of and in the course of the employee's first responder or front-line worker employment and the injury or occupational disease shall be rebuttably presumed to be causally connected to the hazards or exposures of the employee's first responder or front-line worker employment.

(2) The term "COVID-19 first responder or front-line worker" means: all individuals employed as police, fire personnel, emergency medical technicians, or paramedics; all individuals employed and considered as first responders; all workers for health care providers, including nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities and home care workers; corrections officers; and any individuals employed by essential businesses and operations as defined in Executive Order 2020-10 dated March 20, 2020, as long as individuals employed by essential businesses and operations are required by their employment to encounter members of the general public or to work in employment locations of more than 15 employees. For purposes of this subsection only, an employee's home or place of residence is not a place of employment, except for home care workers.

(3) The presumption created in this subsection may be rebutted by evidence, including, but not limited to, the following:

(A) the employee was working from his or her home, on leave from his or her employment, or some combination thereof, for a period of 14 or more consecutive days immediately prior to the employee's injury, occupational disease, or period of incapacity resulted from exposure to COVID-19; or

(B) the employer was engaging in and applying to the fullest extent possible or enforcing to the best of its ability industry-specific workplace sanitation, social distancing, and health and safety practices based on updated guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or Illinois Department of Public Health or was using a combination of administrative controls, engineering controls, or personal protective equipment to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 to all employees for at least 14 consecutive days prior to the employee's injury, occupational disease, or period of incapacity resulting from exposure to COVID-19. For purposes of this subsection, "updated" means the guidance in effect at least 14 days prior to the COVID-19 diagnosis. For purposes of this subsection, "personal protective equipment" means industry-specific equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause illnesses or serious injuries, which may result from contact with biological, chemical, radiological, physical, electrical, mechanical, or other workplace hazards. "Personal protective equipment" includes, but is not limited to, items such as face coverings, gloves, safety glasses, safety face shields, barriers, shoes, earplugs or muffs, hard hats, respirators, coveralls, vests, and full body suits; or

(C) the employee was exposed to COVID-19 by an alternate source.

(4) The rebuttable presumption created in this subsection applies to all cases tried after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly and in which the diagnosis of COVID-19 was made on or after March 9, 2020 and on or before December 31, 2020.

(5) Under no circumstances shall any COVID-19 case increase or affect any employer's workers' compensation insurance experience rating or modification, but COVID-19 costs may be included in determining overall State loss costs.

(6) In order for the presumption created in this subsection to apply at trial, for COVID-19 diagnoses occurring on or before June 15, 2020, an employee must provide a confirmed medical diagnosis by a licensed medical practitioner or a positive laboratory test for COVID-19 or for COVID-19 antibodies; for COVID-19 diagnoses occurring after June 15, 2020, an employee must provide a positive laboratory test for COVID-19 or for COVID-19 antibodies.

(7) The presumption created in this subsection does not apply if the employee's place of employment was solely the employee's home or residence for a period of 14 or more consecutive days immediately prior to the employee's injury, occupational disease, or period of incapacity resulted from exposure to COVID-19.

(8) The date of injury or the beginning of the employee's occupational disease or period of disability is either the date that the employee was unable to work due to contraction of COVID-19 or was unable to work due to symptoms that were later diagnosed as COVID-19, whichever came first.

(9) An employee who contracts COVID-19, but fails to establish the rebuttable presumption is not precluded from filing for compensation under this Act or under the Workers' Compensation Act.

(10) To qualify for temporary total disability benefits under the presumption created in this subsection, the employee must be certified for or recertified for temporary disability.

(11) An employer is entitled to a credit against any liability for temporary total disability due to an employee as a result of the employee contracting COVID-19 for (A) any sick leave benefits or extended salary benefits paid to the employee by the employer under Emergency Family Medical Leave Expansion Act, Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, or any other federal law, or (B) any other credit to which an employer is entitled under the Workers' Compensation Act.

(Source: P.A. 101-633, eff. 6-5-20.)

Section 90. The State Mandates Act is amended by adding Section 8.45 as follows:

(30 ILCS 805/8.45 new)

Sec. 8.45. Exempt mandate. Notwithstanding Sections 6 and 8 of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is required for the implementation of any mandate created by this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.