Maryland legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Maryland HB347: Workers' Compensation - Occupational Disease Presumptions - Hypertension
Status: Signed into law, April 28, 2026
Establishing 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.
What the bill says
An act concerning Workers' Compensation - Occupational Disease Presumptions - Hypertension FOR the purpose of establishing that certain firefighters, firefighting 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; and generally relating to occupational disease presumptions under workers' compensation law…
From the enrolled text, May 5, 2026:
AN ACT concerning Workers' Compensation - Occupational Disease Presumptions - Hypertension FOR the purpose of establishing that certain firefighters, firefighting 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; and generally relating to occupational disease presumptions under workers' compensation law. BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, Article - Labor and Employment Section 9-502 Annotated Code of Maryland (2025 Replacement Volume) BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, Article - Labor and Employment Section 9-503(a) Annotated Code of Maryland (2025 Replacement Volume) SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: Article - Labor and Employment 9-502. (a) In this section, "disablement" means the event of a covered employee becoming partially or totally and (2) from performing the work of the covered employee in the last occupation in which the covered employee was injuriously exposed to the hazards of the occupational disease. (b) Subsection (c) of this section applies only to: (1) the employer in whose employment the covered employee was last injuriously exposed to the hazards of the occupational disease; and Ch. 300 …