Two different bills in Maryland could very soon expand cardiovascular presumptions – assuming they are not vetoed by Governor Wes Moore. The legislative session ends April 13th, and if vetoed, the legislature would not be able to override the veto in time.

House Bill 347 would establish that certain firefighters, fire fighting instructors, rescue squad members, advanced life support unit members, and members of the Office of the State Fire Marshal suffering from hypertension are presumed to have an occupational disease that is compensable under workers' compensation law and are presumed to be disabled if certain requirements are met.

The bill would require that the individual completed two years of cumulative service, was employed when the claim was filed, that the diagnosis was made by an authorized provider, and that medication for the treatment of hypertension was prescribed for at least 90 consecutive days.

House Bill 878  would extend the compensability under the workers' compensation law to include, subject to certain conditions, Carroll County correctional deputies who suffer from heart disease or hypertension resulting in partial disability or death.

This would include scenarios where such employees started the job with such conditions, but the conditions worsened over the course of employment. The bill notes that such employees would be required to undergo a medical exam to identify such changes.

Additionally, the bill would alter a certain definition of "public safety employee" so as to apply a certain workers' compensation provision relating to permanent partial disability benefits to correctional deputies employed by Carroll County.