It's often difficult for firefighters, because of their exposure to hazardous duty, to identify the particular cause for a disease, Fish said.
The League of Oregon Cities opposed last year's bill, concerned that there was not enough scientific evidence to link certain cancers to firefighting. "We'd like to actually show that firefighting leads to these cancers," said Scott Winkels, league lobbyist.
At Portland's council work session Tuesday, Commissioner Dan Saltzman suggested the council allow the city's disability fund and board to further review the legislation before the council lends its backing. Leonard objected.
"What I think is entirely appropriate for the board is to give us feedback," Leonard said. "What I don't think is valuable for them is to get in and decide the policy. We set policy for the city."
As early as July, fund trustees raised concerns. "We have to be able to weigh in on legislation that is going to negatively impact our bottom line," said citizen trustee Justin Delaney at the July board meeting.
He called some proposed provisions "nonsensical," such as placing the burden on the employer to prove that certain cancers are not job-related. If a heavy smoker submitted a claim for throat cancer, for example, Delaney said the city would have the burden of proving tobacco was the major contributing cause.
Proponents, including the Portland Firefighters Association, the Oregon State Fire Fighters Council, the International Association of Firefighters and the Special Districts Association of Oregon, say the changes will bring Oregon in line with more than 20 other states, including Massachusetts, California and New York.
"The reality is we are exposed to a higher level of exposures for cancer-related illnesses," said Bob Livingston, a Salem firefighter and legislative director for the state firefighters council.
The proponents cite a 2006 University of Cincinnati study that found firefighters are more likely to develop four types of cancer than workers in other fields: testicular, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, prostate and multiple myeloma.
Last year, the Special Districts Association of Oregon objected to the bill but worked out a compromise this year that doesn't apply to volunteer firefighters.
The League of Oregon Cities said it usually doesn't take positions on bills until it can review a written draft. "The devil's in the details," Winkels said.
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