Arizona has enacted two bills that expand existing workers’ comp presumptions for first responders.

Arizona Senate Bill 1215 expands the state’s existing cancer presumptions for firefighters, fire investigators, and peace officers by listing out specific cancer types that can be covered by workers’ comp as occupational diseases. Originally, the cancer presumption covered “adenocarcinoma or mesothelioma of the respiratory tract,” which has been interpreted in such a way to allow for the denial of adenocarcinoma claims that are not of the respiratory tract. The proposed language changes would make it so that such claims could be accepted.

Furthermore, the bill would add five years of retroactive effect, allowing certain individuals who were denied claims to file once more. This would apply to claims arising on or after June 30, 2021.

Meanwhile, Arizona Senate Bill 1136 establishes wage-based survivor benefits for qualifying first responders, allowing surviving spouses and dependents to receive a percentage of the decedent’s average monthly wage. Benefit levels vary based on family composition, including higher payments for single surviving children. For payers managing first responder claims, laws such as these may affect compensability analysis, benefit expectations, and claim cost projections. These changes reflect continued state-level focus on expanding and clarifying first responder protections.