NY Lawmakers Pass Presumptive Parkinson's Disease Bill

New York lawmakers have passed a bill that would give benefits to firefighters if they contact Parkinson's disease.

The Presumptive Parkinson's Bill now awaits Gov. Andrew Cuomo's signature, WHEC-TV reports. Under the legislation, any New York firefighter who suffers any medical condition related to Parkinson's that wasn't present before joining the service will be presumed to be related on-the-job exposure.

The bill was created in response to a study that showed firefighters' susceptibility to the disease. According to a study by the Neurotoxin Institute, full-time firefighters are 10 times more likely to suffer from Parkinson's disease than civilians.

Conditions that firefighters encounter on the job are the most likely culprit behind that drastic disparity. According to researchers, the increased use of plastics and other chemical compounds and the toxins they can create when they burn likely can be linked to why more firefighters come down with Parkinson's.

Firefighters from around the state have been pushing for the bill's passage. Cuomo's office did not immediately respond to WHEC about whether governor will sign the bill into law.