By Leila Merrill
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Federal Firefighter Fairness Act (HR 2499) Wednesday with a 288-131 vote.
The act would provide federal workers’ compensation benefits to federal firefighters who contract certain illnesses due to their service. Heart disease, lung disease, and multiple types of cancer are listed.
The act includes a presumption that firefighters with at least five years of service who develop any of the listed conditions have them because of working conditions.
“Currently, federal fire fighters battling cancer face extreme difficulty obtaining the benefits they deserve. All too often, federal fighters face an insurmountable hurdle in identifying the specific exposure in their career that caused their cancer,” the International Association of Fire Fighters stated on its website.
IAFF General President Edward Kelly said the bill has been a long time in coming.
“I urge the Senate to pass this bill as quickly as possible and send it to President Biden’s desk. Our members have earned it,” said Kelly.