Christine Jordan Sexton
Public employers must retain medical records of law enforcement officers, correctional officers and firefighters after they leave their jobs under a bill Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Thursday,
The medical records are a key factor in determining whether police and firefighters can get workers’ compensation benefits if they are disabled due to tuberculosis, heart disease and high blood pressure.
To be eligible for the benefits, the officer or firefighter must have taken a pre-employment physical exam that failed to reveal any evidence of the health condition.
HB 453 new law, which takes effect on July 1, says public employers must maintain exam records for at least five years after the officer or firefighter leaves their job. If the agency does not keep the records, then the employee is deemed to have been eligible for benefits.
The bill, which was passed unanimously, was sponsored by Reps. Wyman Duggan and Cord Byrd.
Sen. Ed Hooper sponsored the Senate version.
