An Act relative to disability or death caused by infectious diseases, presumption

This bill creates a legal presumption that full-time police, fire, and emergency medical service members in Massachusetts who contract specific contagious diseases while on duty suffered those injuries in the line of duty. It applies to illnesses such as COVID-19, HIV, and Hepatitis, provided the disease can result from exposure to blood or body fluids and the employee passed a health check before or shortly after joining the force. To qualify for benefits, the individual must have actively responded to calls during their service and must report the condition within five years of their last active duty day. The law shifts the burden of proof to the employee to show that non-work-related factors caused their illness, unless they can demonstrate a pre-existing condition was ruled out by a recent physical exam.