Governor Signs Bill Expanding Coverage for First Responders

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum on Monday signed House Bill 1279, allowing first responders to apply service time in other states toward the length-of-service requirement for a presumption that certain injuries and illnesses arose out of employment. Police and firefighters must currently have five continuous years of experience working in North Dakota to be eligible for presumptions that respiratory and heart diseases, hypertension and specified cancers are compensable. HB 1279, by Rep. Shannon Roers Jones, R-Fargo, maintains the requirement that first responders have five years of continuous ...