Section 34:15-31.5 - Requirements for public safety worker to receive compensationIf a public safety worker can demonstrate that in the course of his or her employment, the worker is:
a. exposed to: (1) the excretions, secretions, blood or other bodily fluids of one or more other individuals or is otherwise subjected to a potential exposure, by the other individual or individuals, including airborne exposure, to a serious communicable disease and any one of the other individuals is diagnosed with a serious communicable disease, or is otherwise determined to be infected with or at significant risk of contracting the serious communicable disease; or(2) any pathogen or biological toxin used in, or related to, biological warfare or epidemics, including airborne exposure, then all care or treatment of the public safety worker, including testing, diagnosis, surveillance or other services needed to ascertain whether the public safety worker contracted a serious communicable disease and any related monitoring of the worker's condition, and all time during which the public safety worker is unable to work while receiving the care or treatment, shall be compensable under the provisions of R.S. 34:15-1 et seq., even if, after the care or treatment, it is ascertained that the public safety worker did not contract a serious communicable disease.b. If it is ascertained that the public safety worker has contracted a serious communicable disease or related illness under the circumstances set forth in subsection a. of this section, there shall be a presumption that any injury, disability, chronic or corollary illness or death of the public safety worker caused by, attributable to, or attendant to the disease is compensable under the provisions of R.S. 34:15-1 et seq. This prima facie presumption may be rebutted by a preponderance of the evidence showing that the exposure is not linked to the occurrence of the disease. The employer may require the worker to undergo, at the expense of the employer, reasonable testing, evaluation and monitoring of health conditions of the worker which is relevant to determining whether the exposure is linked to the occurrence of the disease, but the presumption of compensability shall not be adversely affected by any failure of the employer to require such testing, evaluation or monitoring.Added by L. 2019, c. 156,s. 4, eff. 7/8/2019.