H.R. 2244: Michael Lecik Military Firefighters Protection Act

This bill, known as the Michael Lecik Military Firefighters Protection Act, aims to amend existing laws related to veterans' health benefits by establishing presumptions of service connection for certain diseases associated with firefighting. Here’s a breakdown of the key aspects of the bill:

1. Purpose of the Bill

The main goal of the bill is to recognize specific health conditions as being linked to firefighters who served in the military. By doing this, it aims to make it easier for veterans suffering from these diseases to obtain benefits without needing to prove that their condition is directly related to their military service.

2. Establishing Presumptions of Service Connection

The bill proposes adding a new section to the United States Code, specifically addressing presumptions of service connection for diseases associated with firefighting. This means that if certain diseases manifest in veterans who meet specific criteria, those diseases will be automatically considered to have occurred due to their service.

3. Specified Diseases

The diseases that would be recognized under this legislation include:

• Heart disease
• Lung disease
• Brain cancer
• Cancers of the blood or lymphatic systems
• Leukemia
• Lymphoma (except Hodgkin’s disease)
• Multiple myeloma
• Bladder cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Cancers of the reproductive system (including testicular cancer)
• Cancers of the digestive system
• Colon cancer
• Liver cancer
• Skin cancer
• Lung cancer
• Breast cancer
• Any other diseases determined by the Secretary that have a positive association with firefighting

4. Eligibility Criteria for Veterans

To be eligible for these presumptions, a veteran must:

• Be trained in fire suppression
• Have served on active duty in a role primarily focused on firefighting or damage control for at least five years in total

5. Degree of Disability

Veterans must have a degree of disability of 10 percent or more for their condition to be recognized under this act.

6. Timeframe for Manifestation

The diseases must manifest within 15 years of the veteran's separation from active service to qualify for the presumptive service connection.

7. Award Determination

The effective date for any awards under this act will be determined in accordance with existing regulations regarding veterans' benefits.

Relevant Companies

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