Florida Senate Bill 366 and House Bill 269 were introduced, seeking to clarify the definition of heart disease for first responders and expand the state’s heart disease presumption.

Statutes from 1965 that recognize heart disease as compensable for first responders did not include a definition of heart disease. Florida’s State Fire Marshall recently spoke against a definition of heart disease presented by an appellate court, which excluded atrial fibrillation from the presumption of work-related heart disease.

These new bills would ensure conditions like heart disease, hypertension, and tuberculosis are compensable under workers' comp laws. The new definition would describe heart disease as "any organic, mechanical, or functional abnormality of the heart or coronary arteries."

If enacted, the changes would take effect July 1, 2025.