§36-30-40. Definitions.

As used in this article, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(1) BENEFIT. Any monetary allowance payable by the state for a firefighter on account of his or her disability or to his or her dependents on account of his or her death, irrespective of whether the same is payable under a pension law of the state or under some other law of the state.

(2) DISABILITY. Disability to perform duties as a firefighter.

(3) FIREFIGHTER. A person employed as a firefighter by the state.

(4) FIREFIGHTER'S OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE. Any condition or impairment of health caused by any of the following:

a. Hypertension.

b. Heart disease.

c. Respiratory disease.

d. Cancer which manifests itself in a firefighter during the period in which the firefighter is in the service of the state, provided the firefighter demonstrates that he or she, while in the employ of the state, was exposed to a known carcinogen which is reasonably linked to the disabling cancer, and the cancer shall be presumed to arise out of and in the course of the firefighter's employment unless the state demonstrates by a preponderance of the evidence that the cancer was caused by some other means.

e. HIV which manifests itself in a firefighter during the period in which the firefighter is in the service of the state, provided the firefighter demonstrates by sufficient evidence that he or she was exposed to HIV while in the line and scope of his or her employment with the state.

f. Hepatitis which manifests itself in a firefighter during the period in which the firefighter is in the service of the state, provided the firefighter demonstrates that he or she was exposed to hepatitis while in the line and scope of his or her employment with the state.

(Act 2012-559, p. 1643, §1.)