H 3163

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
Bill 3163
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
Committee Report
April 29, 2026
H. 3163
Introduced by Reps. M. M. Smith, Lawson,
Pope, Spann-Wilder, McCravy, Hartnett, Teeple, Kilmartin, Montgomery, Sanders,
Bauer, Guffey, Taylor and W. Newton
S. Printed 4/29/26--S.
Read the first time April 23, 2025
________
The committee on Senate
Judiciary
To whom was referred a Bill (H. 3163) to
amend the South Carolina Code of Laws by amending Section 42-11-30, relating to
occupational diseases compensable under workers' compensation and conditions
presumed, etc., respectfully
Report:
That they have duly and carefully
considered the same, and recommend that the same do pass:
LUKE RANKIN for
Committee.
_______
A bill
TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY
AMENDING SECTION 42-11-30, RELATING TO OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES compensable under
workers' compensation AND CONDITIONS PRESUMED TO HAVE ARISEN OUT OF AND IN THE
COURSE OF EMPLOYMENT FOR FIREFIGHTERS, SO AS TO INCLUDE STROKE, AND TO REVISE presumption
entitlement criteria TO INCLUDE CONDITIONS DEVELOPED WHILE ACTIVELY ON DUTY
INSTEAD OF ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN firefighting.
Be it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION
1.  Section 42-11-30(A) of the S.C. Code is amended
to read:
    (A) Notwithstanding the provisions of
this chapter, for purposes of the South Carolina Workers' Compensation Law, any
impairment or injury to the health of a firefighter caused by heart disease, stroke, or respiratory disease resulting in total or
partial disability or death is presumed to have arisen out of and in the course
of employment, unless the contrary is shown by competent evidence, if the
firefighter is at the time of such impairment or injury a bona fide member of a
municipal, county, state, port authority, or fire control district fire
department in this State. In order to be entitled to the presumption provided
for in this section, any person becoming a member of a fire department after
May 29, 1968, must be under the age of thirty-seven years and must have
successfully passed a physical examination by a competent physician upon
entering into such service or by July 1, 2012, a written report of which must
have been made and filed before any alleged injury with the fire department,
which examination failed to reveal any evidence of such condition or
conditions, and the condition or conditions developed while actively engaged in
fighting a fire, a technical rescue incident, or a
firefighter training exercise that involves stressful or strenuous physical
activity, or within twenty-four hours thereof or
within twenty-four hours from the date of last service in the activity. This presumption does not apply to clerical, administrative, or
sedentary activities.
SECTION 2.  This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.
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This web page was last updated on April 29, 2026 at 08:17 PM