Lawmakers to Try Again With COVID-19 Presumption Bill

Thursday, December 17, 2020 | 0

A bipartisan group of South Carolina lawmakers is trying again with a COVID-19 workers' compensation presumption bill for frontline workers.

"Those first responders have been with us through thick and thin, have been helping our communities all across the state and in the circumstances where they need help. We need to put our best foot forward," state Rep. Russell Fry, R-Surfside Beach, told a Columbia TV station.

House Bill 3192 was prefiled last week with 12 sponsors listed, but the text of the bill is not yet available. A summary indicates the measure would presume that coronavirus illness is work-related for first responders, health care workers and correctional officers.

A similar bill was filed early this year as the pandemic spread across the country. But because the legislative session was shortened to ensure social distancing and stem the spread, many bills never made it to a vote, Fry said.

The General Assembly convenes Jan. 12. Firefighters said they plan to lobby lawmakers in the meantime.