NRS617.453. Cancer as occupational disease of firefighters.

      1.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, cancer, resulting in either temporary or permanent disability, or death, is an occupational disease and compensable as such under the provisions of this chapter if:

      (a) The cancer develops or manifests itself out of and in the course of the employment of a person who, for 5 years or more, has been:

             (1) Employed in this State in a full-time salaried occupation of fire fighting for the benefit or safety of the public; or

             (2) Acting as a volunteer firefighter in this State and is entitled to the benefits of chapters 616A to 616D, inclusive, of NRS pursuant to the provisions of NRS 616A.145; and

      (b) It is demonstrated that:

             (1) The person was exposed, while in the course of the employment, to a known carcinogen as defined by the International Agency for Research on Cancer or the National Toxicology Program; and

             (2) The carcinogen is reasonably associated with the disabling cancer.

      2.  With respect to a person who, for 5 years or more, has been employed in this State in a full-time salaried occupation of fire fighting for the benefit or safety of the public, the following substances shall be deemed, for the purposes of paragraph (b) of subsection 1, to be known carcinogens that are reasonably associated with the following disabling cancers:

      (a) Diesel exhaust, formaldehyde and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon shall be deemed to be known carcinogens that are reasonably associated with bladder cancer.

      (b) Acrylonitrile, formaldehyde and vinyl chloride shall be deemed to be known carcinogens that are reasonably associated with brain cancer.

      (c) Diesel exhaust and formaldehyde shall be deemed to be known carcinogens that are reasonably associated with colon cancer.

      (d) Formaldehyde shall be deemed to be a known carcinogen that is reasonably associated with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

      (e) Formaldehyde and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon shall be deemed to be known carcinogens that are reasonably associated with kidney cancer.

      (f) Chloroform, soot and vinyl chloride shall be deemed to be known carcinogens that are reasonably associated with liver cancer.

      (g) Acrylonitrile, benzene, formaldehyde, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, soot and vinyl chloride shall be deemed to be known carcinogens that are reasonably associated with lymphatic or haemotopoietic cancer.

      (h) Diesel exhaust, soot, aldehydes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon shall be deemed to be known carcinogens that are reasonably associated with basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma.

      (i) Acrylonitrile, benzene and formaldehyde shall be deemed to be known carcinogens that are reasonably associated with prostate cancer.

      (j) Diesel exhaust, soot and polychlorinated biphenyls shall be deemed to be known carcinogens that are reasonably associated with testicular cancer.

      (k) Diesel exhaust, benzene and X-ray radiation shall be deemed to be known carcinogens that are reasonably associated with thyroid cancer.

      3.  The provisions of subsection 2 do not create an exclusive list and do not preclude any person from demonstrating, on a case-by-case basis for the purposes of paragraph (b) of subsection 1, that a substance is a known carcinogen that is reasonably associated with a disabling cancer.

      4.  Compensation awarded to the employee or his or her dependents for disabling cancer pursuant to this section must include:

      (a) Full reimbursement for related expenses incurred for medical treatments, surgery and hospitalization in accordance with the schedule of fees and charges established pursuant to NRS 616C.260 or, if the insurer has contracted with an organization for managed care or with providers of health care pursuant to NRS 616B.527, the amount that is allowed for the treatment or other services under that contract; and

      (b) The compensation provided in chapters 616A to 616D, inclusive, of NRS for the disability or death.

      5.  Disabling cancer is presumed to have developed or manifested itself out of and in the course of the employment of any firefighter described in this section. This rebuttable presumption applies to disabling cancer diagnosed after the termination of the person’s employment if the diagnosis occurs within a period, not to exceed 60 months, which begins with the last date the employee actually worked in the qualifying capacity and extends for a period calculated by multiplying 3 months by the number of full years of his or her employment. This rebuttable presumption must control the awarding of benefits pursuant to this section unless evidence to rebut the presumption is presented.

      6.  The provisions of this section do not create a conclusive presumption.

      (Added to NRS by 1987, 1109; A 2003, 1739; 2005, 344; 2009, 2822)