Michael Lecik Military Firefighters Protection Act

Presumption of Service Connection: The bill establishes that specific diseases are considered to have been incurred or aggravated during active service, even if there is no record of the disease during the period of service (Section 2(a)).

Broad Disease Coverage: The bill lists many specific conditions that could benefit veterans, including heart disease, lung disease, and various types of cancer such as brain, blood, bladder, kidney, reproductive system, digestive system, colon, liver, skin, lung, and breast cancer (Section 2(b)).

Expansion of Covered Conditions: The Secretary has the authority to determine additional diseases that warrant a presumption of service connection due to a positive association with firefighting (Section 2(b)(17)).

Support for Specialized Veterans: The bill provides benefits for veterans who were trained in fire suppression and served at least five years in a role with primary responsibility for firefighting or damage control (Section 2(c)).

Disability Threshold: The presumption of service connection only applies if the disease manifests to a degree of disability that is 10 percent or more (Section 2(d)).

Time Limitation: The benefits are subject to a time limit, as the disease must manifest within 15 years of the date the veteran separated from active military, naval, or air service (Section 2(e)).