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H 7186Worker Benefits

Health and Safety - Notification of Fire Fighters, Police Officers and Emergency Medical Technicians After Exposure to Infectious Diseases

This bill adds COVID-19 to the list of occupational diseases for first responders and ensures police and EMTs receive disability benefits.

Held for study
Population
Affected
15
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Introduced Jan 21, 2026Committee House Health & Human Services

Plain-English Summary

This legislation updates existing Rhode Island laws regarding first responders and exposure to infectious diseases. Specifically, it adds COVID-19 to the legal definition of infectious diseases, alongside HIV and Hepatitis. Additionally, the bill amends the section regarding occupational disability to explicitly include police officers and emergency medical technicians (EMTs), ensuring they have the same access to disability benefits as firefighters if they contract an infectious disease while on duty. This grants these workers access to specific state and municipal disability pension benefits if they are unable to work due to such an illness.

For younger readers

This bill helps the people who protect us, like police officers, firefighters, and ambulance workers (EMTs). Sometimes, these workers can get sick from germs they find while doing their jobs. This new rule adds the germ that causes COVID-19 to the list of sicknesses the law recognizes. It also makes sure that if police officers or ambulance workers get too sick to work because of these germs, they will still get paid and taken care of, just like firefighters already do. It ensures they are safe if they get hurt helping others.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Police officersEmergency medical technicians (EMTs)Fire fightersMunicipal governmentsState Retirement System
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
Amount unknown
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Strengthens the social safety net for essential public sector workers by guaranteeing disability benefits for those who contract serious illnesses, including COVID-19, while serving the community.
  • Corrects an inequity in labor rights by ensuring police officers and EMTs receive the same occupational health protections and benefits previously focused primarily on firefighters.
  • Formally recognizes COVID-19 as a legitimate occupational hazard, validating the risks frontline workers face and setting a precedent for workplace safety standards.
  • Increases financial support and benefits specifically for police departments, which may face criticism from activists who believe police funding should be reallocated to other social services.
  • The expansion of benefits is limited to uniformed first responders and does not extend to other essential frontline workers (such as nurses, teachers, or social workers) who face similar risks.
  • Could place a financial strain on municipal budgets, potentially limiting available funds for other community welfare programs or public services.
For Conservatives
  • Demonstrates strong support for law enforcement and first responders by ensuring they are taken care of if injured or sickened in the line of duty.
  • Clarifies the specific definitions of infectious diseases and eligible personnel, reducing legal ambiguity and potential litigation over benefit eligibility.
  • Helps maintain public safety readiness by ensuring that those serving in physically demanding roles are healthy and that those who are incapacitated are properly processed out of active duty.
  • Expands government spending and long-term pension liabilities for the state and municipalities, increasing the burden on taxpayers.
  • Codifies COVID-19 as a permanent compensable disability condition, which some may view as an overreach or an unnecessary long-term cost as the pandemic subsides.
  • Increases the size and scope of the government administrative state by expanding the categories of individuals eligible for state-funded payouts.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 17 additions · 6 deletions

SECTION 1. Sections 23-28.36-1, 23-28.36-2 and 23-28.36-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-28.36 entitled "Notification of Fire Fighters, Police Officers and Emergency Medical Technicians After Exposure to Infectious Diseases" are hereby amended to read as follows: 23-28.36-1. Legislative findings. The general assembly finds and declares that by reason of their employment, fire fighters, police officers, and emergency medical technicians are required to work in the midst of, and are subject to, exposure to infectious diseases, including, but not limited to, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) ), and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); that after exposure, fire fighters, police officers, and emergency medical technicians are not informed of the exposures; that fire fighters, police officers, and emergency medical technicians so exposed can potentially and unwittingly expose coworkers, families, and members of the public to infectious diseases. The general assembly further finds and declares that all the aforementioned conditions exist and arise out of or in the course of employment. 23-28.36-2. Definitions. The following terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings herein ascribed:

(1) “Contagious disease” means an infectious disease.

(2) “Disability” means a condition of physical incapacity to perform any assigned duty or duties in the fire department or emergency medical service.

(3) “Emergency medical technician” means a person licensed pursuant to chapter 4.1 of this title to provide emergency medical services.

(4) “Fire department” means service groups (paid or volunteer) that are organized and trained for the prevention and control of loss of life and property from fire or other emergency.

(5) “Fire fighter” means an individual who is assigned to fire fighting activity and is required to respond to alarms and perform emergency action at the location of a fire, hazardous materials, or other emergency incident.

(6) “Infectious disease” means interruption, cessation, or disorder of body functions, systems, or organs transmissible by association with the sick or their secretions or excretions, excluding the common cold. Infectious disease includes, but is not limited to, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) ), and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

(7) “Licensed facility” means a hospital, nursing home, dialysis center, physician’s office operatory, or the like, as may be licensed by the state to provide medical care.

(8) “Police officer” means any permanently employed city or town police officer, state police officer, committing squad member, or other permanent law enforcement officer as defined in § 12-7-21; provided, however, this shall not include the highest ranking officer of any of the departments.

(9) “Strike force member” means any member of the statewide strike force of the department of attorney general. 23-28.36-4. Occupational disability for fire fighters Occupational disability of fire fighters, police officers and emergency medical technicians. Any active fire fighter or, police officer or emergency medical technician who is unable to perform his or her duties in his or her department by reason of exposure to infectious disease as defined in § 23-28.36-2, which infectious disease develops or manifests itself as a result of the exposure during a period while the fire fighter or, police officer or emergency medical technician is in the service of the department, shall be entitled to receive an occupational disability, and he or she shall be entitled to all of the benefits provided for in chapter 19 of title 45 chapters 19, 21 and 21.2 of title 45, as applicable, and chapter 10 of title 36, as applicable if the fire fighter, police officer or emergency medical technician is employed by the state.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.