Workers' compensation: presumed injuries.

Existing law establishes a workers' compensation system, administered by the Administrative Director of the Division of Workers' Compensation, to compensate an employee for injuries sustained in the course of employment. Existing law creates a rebuttable presumption that specified injuries, such as meningitis, tuberculosis, or hernia, sustained in the course of employment of a specified member of law enforcement or a specified first responder arose out of and in the course of employment. Existing law creates a rebuttable presumption that skin cancer that develops or manifests in the course of employment of a lifeguard, as specified, arose out of and in the course of employment. Existing law authorizes a lifeguard to file a claim for skin cancer after employment has terminated for a specified period based on years of employment, not to exceed 60 months. This bill would expand presumptions for hernia, pneumonia, heart trouble, cancer, tuberculosis, bloodborne infectious disease, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus skin infection, and meningitis-related illnesses and injuries to a lifeguard employed on a year-round, full-time basis in the Boating Safety Unit by the City of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. The bill would increase the period of time after termination of employment that a lifeguard employed on a year-round, full-time basis in the Boating Safety Unit by the City of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department can file a claim for skin cancer. The bill would expand the presumptions for illness or injury related to post-traumatic stress disorder or exposure to biochemical substances, as defined, to a lifeguard employed in the Boating Safety Unit by the City of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the City of San Diego. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 3212.11 of the Labor Code proposed by SB 391 to be operative only if this bill and SB 391 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.