Florida Senate - 2026 SB 330 By Senator Bradley 6-00561A-26 2026330__ Page 1 of 8 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. A bill to be entitled 1

An act relating to disability provisions for 2 firefighters and law enforcement and correctional 3 officers; amending s. 112.18, F.S.; defining the terms 4 “employing agency” and “heart disease”; revising 5

definitions; providing that a certain previously 6 conducted physical examination satisfies a requirement 7 for a presumption; deleting obsolete language; making 8 technical changes; amending s. 943.13, F.S.; 9 authorizing law enforcement officers, correctional 10 officers, and correctional probation officers, under a 11 specified condition, to use a physical examination 12 from a former employer for the purpose of claiming a 13 specified presumption; providing an effective date. 14 15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 16 17

Section

Section 112.18, Florida Statutes, is amended to 18 read: 19 112.18 Firefighters and law enforcement or correctional 20 officers; special provisions relative to disability.— 21

(1) As used in this section, the term: 22 (a) “Correctional officer” has the same meaning as in s. 23 943.10(2). 24 (b) “Correctional probation officer” has the same meaning 25 as in s. 943.10(3). 26 (c) “Employing agency” has the same meaning as in s. 27 943.10(4). 28 (d) “Fire service provider” has the same meaning as in s. 29

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 330 6-00561A-26 2026330__ Page 2 of 8 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 633.102(13). 30 (e) “Heart disease” means any organic, mechanical, or 31 functional abnormality of the heart or its structures or of the 32 coronary arteries. 33 (f) “Law enforcement officer” has the same meaning as in s. 34 943.10(1). 35 (g) “Medical specialist” means a physician licensed under 36

chapter 458 or

chapter 459 who has a board certification in a 37 medical specialty inclusive of care and treatment of 38 tuberculosis, heart disease, or hypertension. 39 (h) “Prescribed course of treatment” means prescribed 40 medical courses of action and prescribed medicines for the 41 specific disease or diseases claimed, as documented by the 42 prescribing physician in the patient’s medical records. 43 (2)(a)(1)(

a) Any condition or impairment of health of any 44 Florida state, municipal, county, port authority, special tax 45 district, or fire control district firefighter or any law 46 enforcement officer, correctional officer, or correctional 47 probation officer as defined in s. 943.10(1), (2), or (3) caused 48 by tuberculosis, heart disease, or hypertension resulting in 49 total or partial disability or death shall be presumed to have 50 been accidental and to have been suffered in the line of duty 51 unless the contrary be shown by competent evidence.

However, any 52 such firefighter, law enforcement officer, correctional officer, 53 or correctional probation officer must have successfully passed 54 a physical examination upon entering into any such service as a 55 firefighter, law enforcement officer, correctional officer, or 56 correctional probation officer, which examination failed to 57 reveal any evidence of any such condition. Such presumption does 58

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 330 6-00561A-26 2026330__ Page 3 of 8 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. not apply to benefits payable under or granted in a policy of 59 life insurance or disability insurance, unless the insurer and 60 insured have negotiated for such additional benefits to be 61 included in the policy contract. 62 (b)1.

If a firefighter did not undergo a preemployment 63 physical examination, the medical examination required by s. 64 633.412(5) is shall be deemed to satisfy the physical 65 examination requirement under paragraph (a), if the medical 66 examination completed pursuant to s. 633.412(5) failed to reveal 67 any evidence of tuberculosis, heart disease, or hypertension. 68 2.

If a firefighter underwent a preemployment physical 69 examination, the employing fire service provider, as defined in 70 s. 633.102, must maintain records of the physical examination 71 for at least 5 years after the employee’s separation from the 72 employing fire service provider. If the employing fire service 73 provider fails to maintain the records of the physical 74 examination for the 5-year period after the employee’s 75 separation, it is presumed that the employee has met the 76 requirements of paragraph (a). 77 (

c) If a current law enforcement officer, correctional 78 officer, or correctional probation officer did not undergo a 79 preemployment physical examination upon entering service with 80 his or her current employing agency, but such officer underwent 81 a medical examination as required by s. 943.13(6) upon entering 82 service with his or her former employing agency, the previously 83 conducted medical examination conducted pursuant to s. 943.13(6) 84 is deemed to satisfy the physical examination requirement under 85 paragraph (a), if such examination was completed and failed to 86 reveal any evidence of tuberculosis, heart disease, or 87

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 330 6-00561A-26 2026330__ Page 4 of 8 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hypertension. 88 (d)1. For any workers’ compensation claim filed under this 89

section and

chapter 440 occurring on or after July 1, 2010, a 90 law enforcement officer, correctional officer, or correctional 91 probation officer as defined in s. 943.10(1), (2), or (3) 92 suffering from tuberculosis, heart disease, or hypertension is 93 presumed not to have incurred such disease in the line of duty 94 as provided in this

section if the law enforcement officer, 95 correctional officer, or correctional probation officer: 96 a. Departed in a material fashion from the prescribed 97 course of treatment of his or her personal physician and the 98 departure is demonstrated to have resulted in a significant 99 aggravation of the tuberculosis, heart disease, or hypertension 100 resulting in disability or increasing the disability or need for 101 medical treatment; or 102 b. Was previously compensated pursuant to this

section and 103

chapter 440 for tuberculosis, heart disease, or hypertension and 104 thereafter sustains and reports a new compensable workers’ 105 compensation claim under this

section and

chapter 440, and the 106 law enforcement officer, correctional officer, or correctional 107 probation officer has departed in a material fashion from the 108 prescribed course of treatment of an authorized physician for 109 the preexisting workers’ compensation claim and the departure is 110 demonstrated to have resulted in a significant aggravation of 111 the tuberculosis, heart disease, or hypertension resulting in 112 disability or increasing the disability or need for medical 113 treatment. 114 2. As used in this paragraph, “prescribed course of 115 treatment” means prescribed medical courses of action and 116

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 330 6-00561A-26 2026330__ Page 5 of 8 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. prescribed medicines for the specific disease or diseases 117 claimed and as documented in the prescribing physician’s medical 118 records. 119 2.3.

If there is a dispute as to the appropriateness of the 120 course of treatment prescribed by a physician under sub-121 subparagraph 1.a. or sub-subparagraph 1.b. or whether a 122 departure in a material fashion from the prescribed course of 123 treatment is demonstrated to have resulted in a significant 124 aggravation of the tuberculosis, heart disease, or hypertension 125 resulting in disability or increasing the disability or need for 126 medical treatment, the law enforcement officer, correctional 127 officer, or correctional probation officer is entitled to seek 128 an independent medical examination pursuant to s. 440.13(5). 129 3.4.

A law enforcement officer, correctional officer, or 130 correctional probation officer is not entitled to the 131 presumption provided in this

section unless a claim for benefits 132 is made prior to or within 180 days after leaving the employment 133 of the employing agency. 134 (3)

(2) This

section authorizes each governmental entity 135 specified in subsection (2) (1) to negotiate policy contracts 136 for life and disability insurance to include accidental death 137 benefits or double indemnity coverage which includes shall 138 include the presumption that any condition or impairment of 139 health of any firefighter, law enforcement officer, or 140 correctional officer caused by tuberculosis, heart disease, or 141 hypertension resulting in total or partial disability or death 142 was accidental and suffered in the line of duty, unless the 143 contrary be shown by competent evidence. 144 (4)(3)(

a) Notwithstanding s. 440.13(2)(c), a firefighter, 145

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 330 6-00561A-26 2026330__ Page 6 of 8 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. law enforcement officer, correctional officer, or correctional 146 probation officer requiring medical treatment for a compensable 147 presumptive condition listed in subsection (2) (1) may be 148 treated by a medical specialist.

Except in emergency situations, 149 a firefighter, law enforcement officer, correctional officer, or 150 correctional probation officer entitled to access a medical 151 specialist under this subsection must provide written notice of 152 his or her selection of a medical specialist to the 153 firefighter’s or officer’s workers’ compensation carrier, self-154 insured employer, or third-party administrator, and the carrier, 155 self-insured employer, or third-party administrator must 156 authorize the selected medical specialist or authorize an 157 alternative medical specialist with the same or greater 158 qualifications.

Within 5 business days after receipt of the 159 written notice, the workers’ compensation carrier, self-insured 160 employer, or third-party administrator must authorize treatment 161 and

schedule an appointment, which must be held within 30 days 162 after receipt of the written notice, with the selected medical 163 specialist or the alternative medical specialist. If the 164 workers’ compensation carrier, self-insured employer, or third-165 party administrator fails to authorize an alternative medical 166 specialist within 5 business days after receipt of the written 167 notice, the medical specialist selected by the firefighter or 168 officer is authorized.

The continuing care and treatment by a 169 medical specialist must be reasonable, necessary, and related to 170 tuberculosis, heart disease, or hypertension; be reimbursed at 171 no more than 200 percent of the Medicare rate for a selected 172 medical specialist; and be authorized by the firefighter’s or 173 officer’s workers’ compensation carrier, self-insured employer, 174

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 330 6-00561A-26 2026330__ Page 7 of 8 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. or third-party administrator. 175 (

b) For purposes of this subsection, the term “medical 176 specialist” means a physician licensed under

chapter 458 or 177

chapter 459 who has board certification in a medical specialty 178 inclusive of care and treatment of tuberculosis, heart disease, 179 or hypertension. 180

Section 2. Subsection (6) of

section 943.13, Florida 181 Statutes, is amended to read: 182 943.13 Officers’ minimum qualifications for employment or 183 appointment.—On or after October 1, 1984, any person employed or 184 appointed as a full-time, part-time, or auxiliary law 185 enforcement officer or correctional officer; on or after October 186 1, 1986, any person employed as a full-time, part-time, or 187 auxiliary correctional probation officer; and on or after 188 October 1, 1986, any person employed as a full-time, part-time, 189 or auxiliary correctional officer by a private entity under 190 contract to the Department of Corrections or to a county 191 commission shall: 192

(6) Have passed a physical examination by a licensed 193 physician, physician assistant, or licensed advanced practice 194 registered nurse, based on specifications established by the 195 commission.

In order to be eligible for the presumption set 196 forth in s. 112.18 while employed with an employing agency, a 197 law enforcement officer, correctional officer, or correctional 198 probation officer must have successfully passed the physical 199 examination required by this subsection upon entering into 200 service as a law enforcement officer, correctional officer, or 201 correctional probation officer with the employing agency, which 202 examination must have failed to reveal any evidence of 203

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 330 6-00561A-26 2026330__ Page 8 of 8 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. tuberculosis, heart disease, or hypertension.

A law enforcement 204 officer, correctional officer, or correctional probation officer 205 may not use a physical examination from a former employing 206 agency for purposes of claiming the presumption set forth in s. 207 112.18 against the current employing agency only if the current 208 employing agency did not require the law enforcement officer, 209 correctional officer, or correctional probation officer to 210 undergo a physical examination as required by this subsection. 211 The employing agency must maintain records of the physical 212 examination for at least 5 years after the employee’s separation 213 from the employing agency.

If the employing agency fails to 214 maintain the records of the physical examination for the 5-year 215 period after the employee’s separation, it is presumed that the 216 employee has met the requirements of this subsection. 217

Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 218