Workers’ compensation: firefighters.

Senator Laird's workers' compensation legislation extends injury presumptions for firefighters at commercial airports, defense installations, and NASA facilities, placing them on equal footing with their municipal counterparts. The bill modifies seven sections of California's Labor Code to include these firefighters under existing provisions that create rebuttable presumptions for job-related injuries.

For injuries occurring after January 1, 2026, the measure applies to active firefighting members at commercial airports regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration, United States Department of Defense installations, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration facilities. These personnel must meet specific certification requirements, including FAA standards and State Fire Marshal training protocols. The covered conditions include cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, tuberculosis, blood-borne infectious diseases, and other occupational injuries currently presumed work-related for municipal firefighters.

The legislation maintains the existing framework where these presumptions can be challenged with contrary evidence but otherwise must be accepted by appeals boards. It preserves post-employment presumption periods, typically extending three months for each year of service up to maximum caps ranging from 60 to 120 months depending on the specific injury. For post-traumatic stress disorder claims, the bill requires the Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation to analyze implementation data through 2025 and report findings to legislative committees by January 2027.