98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
SB1847

 

Introduced 2/15/2013, by Sen. Christine Radogno

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
820 ILCS 305/6  from Ch. 48, par. 138.6
820 ILCS 310/1  from Ch. 48, par. 172.36

    Amends the Workers' Compensation Act and the Workers' Occupational Diseases Act. Restricts specific rebuttable presumptions to firefighters and emergency medical technicians or paramedics who are cross trained as firefighters.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning workers.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Workers' Compensation Act is amended by
5changing Section 6 as follows:
 
6    (820 ILCS 305/6)  (from Ch. 48, par. 138.6)
7    Sec. 6. (a) Every employer within the provisions of this
8Act, shall, under the rules and regulations prescribed by the
9Commission, post printed notices in their respective places of
10employment in such number and at such places as may be
11determined by the Commission, containing such information
12relative to this Act as in the judgment of the Commission may
13be necessary to aid employees to safeguard their rights under
14this Act in event of injury.
15    In addition thereto, the employer shall post in a
16conspicuous place on the place of the employment a printed or
17typewritten notice stating whether he is insured or whether he
18has qualified and is operating as a self-insured employer. In
19the event the employer is insured, the notice shall state the
20name and address of his insurance carrier, the number of the
21insurance policy, its effective date and the date of
22termination. In the event of the termination of the policy for
23any reason prior to the termination date stated, the posted

 

 

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1notice shall promptly be corrected accordingly. In the event
2the employer is operating as a self-insured employer the notice
3shall state the name and address of the company, if any,
4servicing the compensation payments of the employer, and the
5name and address of the person in charge of making compensation
6payments.
7    (b) Every employer subject to this Act shall maintain
8accurate records of work-related deaths, injuries and illness
9other than minor injuries requiring only first aid treatment
10and which do not involve medical treatment, loss of
11consciousness, restriction of work or motion, or transfer to
12another job and file with the Commission, in writing, a report
13of all accidental deaths, injuries and illnesses arising out of
14and in the course of the employment resulting in the loss of
15more than 3 scheduled work days. In the case of death such
16report shall be made no later than 2 working days following the
17accidental death. In all other cases such report shall be made
18between the 15th and 25th of each month unless required to be
19made sooner by rule of the Commission. In case the injury
20results in permanent disability, a further report shall be made
21as soon as it is determined that such permanent disability has
22resulted or will result from the injury. All reports shall
23state the date of the injury, including the time of day or
24night, the nature of the employer's business, the name,
25address, age, sex, conjugal condition of the injured person,
26the specific occupation of the injured person, the direct cause

 

 

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1of the injury and the nature of the accident, the character of
2the injury, the length of disability, and in case of death the
3length of disability before death, the wages of the injured
4person, whether compensation has been paid to the injured
5person, or to his or her legal representative or his heirs or
6next of kin, the amount of compensation paid, the amount paid
7for physicians', surgeons' and hospital bills, and by whom
8paid, and the amount paid for funeral or burial expenses if
9known. The reports shall be made on forms and in the manner as
10prescribed by the Commission and shall contain such further
11information as the Commission shall deem necessary and require.
12The making of these reports releases the employer from making
13such reports to any other officer of the State and shall
14satisfy the reporting provisions as contained in the "Health
15and Safety Act" and "An Act in relation to safety inspections
16and education in industrial and commercial establishments and
17to repeal an Act therein named", approved July 18, 1955, as now
18or hereafter amended. The reports filed with the Commission
19pursuant to this Section shall be made available by the
20Commission to the Director of Labor or his representatives and
21to all other departments of the State of Illinois which shall
22require such information for the proper discharge of their
23official duties. Failure to file with the Commission any of the
24reports required in this Section is a petty offense.
25    Except as provided in this paragraph, all reports filed
26hereunder shall be confidential and any person having access to

 

 

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1such records filed with the Illinois Workers' Compensation
2Commission as herein required, who shall release any
3information therein contained including the names or otherwise
4identify any persons sustaining injuries or disabilities, or
5give access to such information to any unauthorized person,
6shall be subject to discipline or discharge, and in addition
7shall be guilty of a Class B misdemeanor. The Commission shall
8compile and distribute to interested persons aggregate
9statistics, taken from the reports filed hereunder. The
10aggregate statistics shall not give the names or otherwise
11identify persons sustaining injuries or disabilities or the
12employer of any injured or disabled person.
13    (c) Notice of the accident shall be given to the employer
14as soon as practicable, but not later than 45 days after the
15accident. Provided:
16    (1) In case of the legal disability of the employee or any
17dependent of a deceased employee who may be entitled to
18compensation under the provisions of this Act, the limitations
19of time by this Act provided do not begin to run against such
20person under legal disability until a guardian has been
21appointed.
22    (2) In cases of injuries sustained by exposure to
23radiological materials or equipment, notice shall be given to
24the employer within 90 days subsequent to the time that the
25employee knows or suspects that he has received an excessive
26dose of radiation.

 

 

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1    No defect or inaccuracy of such notice shall be a bar to
2the maintenance of proceedings on arbitration or otherwise by
3the employee unless the employer proves that he is unduly
4prejudiced in such proceedings by such defect or inaccuracy.
5    Notice of the accident shall give the approximate date and
6place of the accident, if known, and may be given orally or in
7writing.
8    (d) Every employer shall notify each injured employee who
9has been granted compensation under the provisions of Section 8
10of this Act of his rights to rehabilitation services and advise
11him of the locations of available public rehabilitation centers
12and any other such services of which the employer has
13knowledge.
14    In any case, other than one where the injury was caused by
15exposure to radiological materials or equipment or asbestos
16unless the application for compensation is filed with the
17Commission within 3 years after the date of the accident, where
18no compensation has been paid, or within 2 years after the date
19of the last payment of compensation, where any has been paid,
20whichever shall be later, the right to file such application
21shall be barred.
22    In any case of injury caused by exposure to radiological
23materials or equipment or asbestos, unless application for
24compensation is filed with the Commission within 25 years after
25the last day that the employee was employed in an environment
26of hazardous radiological activity or asbestos, the right to

 

 

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1file such application shall be barred.
2    If in any case except one where the injury was caused by
3exposure to radiological materials or equipment or asbestos,
4the accidental injury results in death application for
5compensation for death may be filed with the Commission within
63 years after the date of death where no compensation has been
7paid or within 2 years after the date of the last payment of
8compensation where any has been paid, whichever shall be later,
9but not thereafter.
10    If an accidental injury caused by exposure to radiological
11material or equipment or asbestos results in death within 25
12years after the last day that the employee was so exposed
13application for compensation for death may be filed with the
14Commission within 3 years after the date of death, where no
15compensation has been paid, or within 2 years after the date of
16the last payment of compensation where any has been paid,
17whichever shall be later, but not thereafter.
18    (e) Any contract or agreement made by any employer or his
19agent or attorney with any employee or any other beneficiary of
20any claim under the provisions of this Act within 7 days after
21the injury shall be presumed to be fraudulent.
22    (f) Any condition or impairment of health of an employee
23employed as a firefighter, or an emergency medical technician
24(EMT) cross trained as a firefighter , or a paramedic cross
25trained as a firefighter which results directly or indirectly
26from any bloodborne pathogen, lung or respiratory disease or

 

 

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1condition, heart or vascular disease or condition,
2hypertension, tuberculosis, or cancer resulting in any
3disability (temporary, permanent, total, or partial) to such
4the employee shall be rebuttably presumed to arise out of and
5in the course of such the employee's firefighting, EMT, or
6paramedic employment and, further, shall be rebuttably
7presumed to be causally connected to the hazards or exposures
8of the employment. This presumption shall also apply to any
9hernia or hearing loss suffered by such an employee employed as
10a firefighter, EMT, or paramedic. However, this presumption
11shall not apply to any employee who has been employed as a
12firefighter, EMT, or paramedic for less than 5 years at the
13time he or she files an Application for Adjustment of Claim
14concerning this condition or impairment with the Illinois
15Workers' Compensation Commission. The Finding and Decision of
16the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission under only the
17rebuttable presumption provision of this subsection shall not
18be admissible or be deemed res judicata in any disability claim
19under the Illinois Pension Code arising out of the same medical
20condition; however, this sentence makes no change to the law
21set forth in Krohe v. City of Bloomington, 204 Ill.2d 392.
22(Source: P.A. 95-316, eff. 1-1-08.)
 
23    Section 10. The Workers' Occupational Diseases Act is
24amended by changing Section 1 as follows:
 

 

 

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1    (820 ILCS 310/1)  (from Ch. 48, par. 172.36)
2    Sec. 1. This Act shall be known and may be cited as the
3"Workers' Occupational Diseases Act".
4    (a) The term "employer" as used in this Act shall be
5construed to be:
6        1. The State and each county, city, town, township,
7    incorporated village, school district, body politic, or
8    municipal corporation therein.
9        2. Every person, firm, public or private corporation,
10    including hospitals, public service, eleemosynary,
11    religious or charitable corporations or associations, who
12    has any person in service or under any contract for hire,
13    express or implied, oral or written.
14        3. Where an employer operating under and subject to the
15    provisions of this Act loans an employee to another such
16    employer and such loaned employee sustains a compensable
17    occupational disease in the employment of such borrowing
18    employer and where such borrowing employer does not provide
19    or pay the benefits or payments due such employee, such
20    loaning employer shall be liable to provide or pay all
21    benefits or payments due such employee under this Act and
22    as to such employee the liability of such loaning and
23    borrowing employers shall be joint and several, provided
24    that such loaning employer shall in the absence of
25    agreement to the contrary be entitled to receive from such
26    borrowing employer full reimbursement for all sums paid or

 

 

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1    incurred pursuant to this paragraph together with
2    reasonable attorneys' fees and expenses in any hearings
3    before the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission or in
4    any action to secure such reimbursement. Where any benefit
5    is provided or paid by such loaning employer, the employee
6    shall have the duty of rendering reasonable co-operation in
7    any hearings, trials or proceedings in the case, including
8    such proceedings for reimbursement.
9        Where an employee files an Application for Adjustment
10    of Claim with the Illinois Workers' Compensation
11    Commission alleging that his or her claim is covered by the
12    provisions of the preceding paragraph, and joining both the
13    alleged loaning and borrowing employers, they and each of
14    them, upon written demand by the employee and within 7 days
15    after receipt of such demand, shall have the duty of filing
16    with the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission a
17    written admission or denial of the allegation that the
18    claim is covered by the provisions of the preceding
19    paragraph and in default of such filing or if any such
20    denial be ultimately determined not to have been bona fide
21    then the provisions of Paragraph K of Section 19 of this
22    Act shall apply.
23        An employer whose business or enterprise or a
24    substantial part thereof consists of hiring, procuring or
25    furnishing employees to or for other employers operating
26    under and subject to the provisions of this Act for the

 

 

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1    performance of the work of such other employers and who
2    pays such employees their salary or wage notwithstanding
3    that they are doing the work of such other employers shall
4    be deemed a loaning employer within the meaning and
5    provisions of this Section.
6    (b) The term "employee" as used in this Act, shall be
7construed to mean:
8        1. Every person in the service of the State, county,
9    city, town, township, incorporated village or school
10    district, body politic or municipal corporation therein,
11    whether by election, appointment or contract of hire,
12    express or implied, oral or written, including any official
13    of the State, or of any county, city, town, township,
14    incorporated village, school district, body politic or
15    municipal corporation therein and except any duly
16    appointed member of the fire department in any city whose
17    population exceeds 500,000 according to the last Federal or
18    State census, and except any member of a fire insurance
19    patrol maintained by a board of underwriters in this State.
20    One employed by a contractor who has contracted with the
21    State, or a county, city, town, township, incorporated
22    village, school district, body politic or municipal
23    corporation therein, through its representatives, shall
24    not be considered as an employee of the State, county,
25    city, town, township, incorporated village, school
26    district, body politic or municipal corporation which made

 

 

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1    the contract.
2        2. Every person in the service of another under any
3    contract of hire, express or implied, oral or written, who
4    contracts an occupational disease while working in the
5    State of Illinois, or who contracts an occupational disease
6    while working outside of the State of Illinois but where
7    the contract of hire is made within the State of Illinois,
8    and any person whose employment is principally localized
9    within the State of Illinois, regardless of the place where
10    the disease was contracted or place where the contract of
11    hire was made, including aliens, and minors who, for the
12    purpose of this Act, except Section 3 hereof, shall be
13    considered the same and have the same power to contract,
14    receive payments and give quittances therefor, as adult
15    employees. An employee or his or her dependents under this
16    Act who shall have a cause of action by reason of an
17    occupational disease, disablement or death arising out of
18    and in the course of his or her employment may elect or
19    pursue his or her remedy in the State where the disease was
20    contracted, or in the State where the contract of hire is
21    made, or in the State where the employment is principally
22    localized.
23    (c) "Commission" means the Illinois Workers' Compensation
24Commission created by the Workers' Compensation Act, approved
25July 9, 1951, as amended.
26    (d) In this Act the term "Occupational Disease" means a

 

 

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1disease arising out of and in the course of the employment or
2which has become aggravated and rendered disabling as a result
3of the exposure of the employment. Such aggravation shall arise
4out of a risk peculiar to or increased by the employment and
5not common to the general public.
6    A disease shall be deemed to arise out of the employment if
7there is apparent to the rational mind, upon consideration of
8all the circumstances, a causal connection between the
9conditions under which the work is performed and the
10occupational disease. The disease need not to have been
11foreseen or expected but after its contraction it must appear
12to have had its origin or aggravation in a risk connected with
13the employment and to have flowed from that source as a
14rational consequence.
15    An employee shall be conclusively deemed to have been
16exposed to the hazards of an occupational disease when, for any
17length of time however short, he or she is employed in an
18occupation or process in which the hazard of the disease
19exists; provided however, that in a claim of exposure to atomic
20radiation, the fact of such exposure must be verified by the
21records of the central registry of radiation exposure
22maintained by the Department of Public Health or by some other
23recognized governmental agency maintaining records of such
24exposures whenever and to the extent that the records are on
25file with the Department of Public Health or the agency.
26    Any injury to or disease or death of an employee arising

 

 

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1from the administration of a vaccine, including without
2limitation smallpox vaccine, to prepare for, or as a response
3to, a threatened or potential bioterrorist incident to the
4employee as part of a voluntary inoculation program in
5connection with the person's employment or in connection with
6any governmental program or recommendation for the inoculation
7of workers in the employee's occupation, geographical area, or
8other category that includes the employee is deemed to arise
9out of and in the course of the employment for all purposes
10under this Act. This paragraph added by Public Act 93-829 is
11declarative of existing law and is not a new enactment.
12    The employer liable for the compensation in this Act
13provided shall be the employer in whose employment the employee
14was last exposed to the hazard of the occupational disease
15claimed upon regardless of the length of time of such last
16exposure, except, in cases of silicosis or asbestosis, the only
17employer liable shall be the last employer in whose employment
18the employee was last exposed during a period of 60 days or
19more after the effective date of this Act, to the hazard of
20such occupational disease, and, in such cases, an exposure
21during a period of less than 60 days, after the effective date
22of this Act, shall not be deemed a last exposure. If a miner
23who is suffering or suffered from pneumoconiosis was employed
24for 10 years or more in one or more coal mines there shall,
25effective July 1, 1973 be a rebuttable presumption that his or
26her pneumoconiosis arose out of such employment.

 

 

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1    If a deceased miner was employed for 10 years or more in
2one or more coal mines and died from a respirable disease there
3shall, effective July 1, 1973, be a rebuttable presumption that
4his or her death was due to pneumoconiosis.
5    Any condition or impairment of health of an employee
6employed as a firefighter, or an emergency medical technician
7(EMT) cross trained as a firefighter , or a paramedic cross
8trained as a firefighter which results directly or indirectly
9from any bloodborne pathogen, lung or respiratory disease or
10condition, heart or vascular disease or condition,
11hypertension, tuberculosis, or cancer resulting in any
12disability". (temporary, permanent, total, or partial) to such
13the employee shall be rebuttably presumed to arise out of and
14in the course of such the employee's firefighting, EMT, or
15paramedic employment and, further, shall be rebuttably
16presumed to be causally connected to the hazards or exposures
17of the employment. This presumption shall also apply to any
18hernia or hearing loss suffered by such an employee employed as
19a firefighter, EMT, or paramedic. However, this presumption
20shall not apply to any employee who has been employed as a
21firefighter, EMT, or paramedic for less than 5 years at the
22time he or she files an Application for Adjustment of Claim
23concerning this condition or impairment with the Illinois
24Workers' Compensation Commission. The Finding and Decision of
25the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission under only the
26rebuttable presumption provision of this paragraph shall not be

 

 

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1admissible or be deemed res judicata in any disability claim
2under the Illinois Pension Code arising out of the same medical
3condition; however, this sentence makes no change to the law
4set forth in Krohe v. City of Bloomington, 204 Ill.2d 392.
5    The insurance carrier liable shall be the carrier whose
6policy was in effect covering the employer liable on the last
7day of the exposure rendering such employer liable in
8accordance with the provisions of this Act.
9    (e) "Disablement" means an impairment or partial
10impairment, temporary or permanent, in the function of the body
11or any of the members of the body, or the event of becoming
12disabled from earning full wages at the work in which the
13employee was engaged when last exposed to the hazards of the
14occupational disease by the employer from whom he or she claims
15compensation, or equal wages in other suitable employment; and
16"disability" means the state of being so incapacitated.
17    (f) No compensation shall be payable for or on account of
18any occupational disease unless disablement, as herein
19defined, occurs within two years after the last day of the last
20exposure to the hazards of the disease, except in cases of
21occupational disease caused by berylliosis or by the inhalation
22of silica dust or asbestos dust and, in such cases, within 3
23years after the last day of the last exposure to the hazards of
24such disease and except in the case of occupational disease
25caused by exposure to radiological materials or equipment, and
26in such case, within 25 years after the last day of last

 

 

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1exposure to the hazards of such disease.
2(Source: P.A. 95-316, eff. 1-1-08; 95-331, eff. 8-21-07.)