(The Center Square) – First responders in Chicago who were affected by COVID-19 while on the job will now be eligible for benefits after Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill into law.
House Bill 3162 states that a Chicago firefighter or police officer who becomes disabled as a result of exposure to and contraction of COVID-19 is considered injured in the line of duty and is entitled to receive a disability benefit.
Pritzker said Wednesday the measure was a joint effort among lawmakers.
“In a few moments I will sign HB3162, the bipartisan, active duty bill that ensures disabled first responders receive all the benefits that they are entitled to,” Pritzker said.
Pritzker signed the measure alongside lawmakers from both parties and Comptroller Suzanna Mendoza, whose brother suffers a disability from contracting COVID-19 as a police officer.
Signing this measure gives these workers the care that has been given everyone else, Pritzker said.
“When our first responders are not given their full due, the state of Illinois will not let them down,” Pritzker said. “I will continue to do everything in my power to serve them the way they have served us.”
Mendoza spoke about her brother and his story dealing with the virus while on the force and said the state owes it to the families of first responders to do something to help.
“We ask a lot from our first responders, and they do not ask for all that much in return,” Mendoza said. “A reasonable salary, a pension and a good insurance and disability plan so that if they get injured on the job, or the worst happens, they and their families are taken care of.”
Mendoza said the worst outcome should not have to happen for these workers to get the care they deserve.
“Chicago police and firefighters should not have to die to qualify for full COVID disability benefits. And that was the unfortunate message the city’s pension disability board was sending with its rulings against my brother and Officer Diana Cordova-Nestad – and the other first responders disabled by COVID in the days before vaccines were available who are waiting to go before the board,” said Mendoza. “That’s unforgivable. I can’t thank everyone enough … for fixing this injustice for my brother and all our first responders.”
Bipartisanship was a main issue among those in attendance at the bill signing in the governor’s Springfield office as several spoke about the importance of coming together to pass this measure. State Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, thanked his counterparts from the Republican party.
“I’d like to thank all of my colleagues, Republicans and Democrats,” Hoffman said. “We do do things sometimes in a [bipartisan] fashion here and we do them for the right reasons. This is one of those times.”
Republican state Sen. Dale Fowler, R-Harrisburg, thanked Pritzker and his fellow lawmakers for working together on the bill and called the frontline workers, heroes.
“While most of us were at home during COVID trying to protect ourselves, our police and firemen were in the midst of the virus, serving on the frontlines to serve and protect our communities,” Fowler said. “It’s incredibly important we support them through this legislation, because they are the everyday heroes of our communities, and they shouldn’t have to stress about compensation in an event of a COVID exposure leading to a disability.”
The measure will go into effect immediately and only applies to Chicago Police, Fire, and EMT.