MACo Associate Director Les Knapp and a panel of county attorneys and health officers testified in opposition to HB1280 before the House Economic Matters Committee on March 3. The bill, sponsored by Delegate Brian Feldman, would greatly expand the number of cancers and diseases subject to a workers compensation presumption for firefighters and rescue workers.
The MACo panel argued that the cancers and diseases covered by the bill had numerous causes that were beyond a county’s control to manage and impose a significant fiscal burden on county governments at a time when they are struggling with their own budget challenges. The panel also noted that Maryland’s burden of proof regarding presumptions is much higher than in other states, making it very difficult for a county to challenge to rebut.
