A bill to amend title 5, United States Code, to include Parkinson's disease in the list of illnesses and diseases deemed to be proximately caused by employment in fire protection activities, and for other purposes.

119th Congress Introduced by Jim Banks and 1 co-sponsor

Adds Parkinson’s disease to the list of work-related illnesses for federal fire protection personnel, creating a presumption of job-caused eligibility for benefits.

Introduced in Senate

Summary of Bill: S. 4658 (119th Congress)

Purpose and intent

S. 4658 seeks to amend title 5 of the United States Code to explicitly classify Parkinson’s disease as a illness or disease that is proximately caused by employment in fire protection activities. In other words, the bill would add Parkinson’s disease to the statutory list of conditions recognized as job-related injuries or illnesses for federal fire protection personnel, aligning eligibility considerations with other service-related health issues linked to such employment. The bill is introduced in the Senate and, as of the latest action, has been read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. It has two Senate co-sponsors: Andy Kim and Jim Banks.

Key provisions (as proposed)

Amendment to title 5, U.S.C.: The bill would modify the existing list of illnesses and diseases deemed proximately caused by employment in fire protection activities. Parkinson’s disease would be added to this list.

Scope of impact: The amendments would apply to federal employees and others covered by federal workers’ compensation or related federal protections that rely on the presumption that certain conditions are caused by fire protection work.

Presumptions for eligibility: By placing Parkinson’s disease on the list, affected individuals would presumably receive easier access to workers’ compensation, disability, or related benefits by establishing a presumption of work-related causation for Parkinson’s disease in the context of fire protection duties.

Who is affected

Primary beneficiaries: Federal fire protection personnel and other federal employees who develop Parkinson’s disease and seek benefits or recognition tied to service-connected health conditions.

Potential societal/programmatic effects: The change could influence compensation programs, eligibility determinations, and administrative processes within agencies implementing federal workers’ compensation and related protections for fire service personnel.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Introductory status: Introduced in the Senate and assigned to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Recent actions: On June 2, 2026, the bill was read twice and referred to its committee for consideration.

Next steps: The committee would evaluate the bill’s merits, potentially hold hearings, and report it back to the Senate with or without amendments. If reported, it would proceed to floor consideration in the Senate and, subsequently, possibly move to the House of Representatives for action (or vice versa, depending on legislative strategy).

Practical considerations and context

The bill targets a specific administrative/legal mechanism (a enumerated list in 5 U.S.C.) that governs presumption in relation to job-related illness for fire protection personnel. If enacted, it would streamline and formalize the recognition of Parkinson’s disease as work-related for affected federal workers, potentially reducing the burden of proof for eligibility.

The measure mirrors broader debates about occupational health risks faced by firefighters and related personnel, and how benefits programs determine causation for disease.

If you’d like, I can supplement this with comparisons to existing conditions on the list, potential cost estimates, or analyze how similar bills have progressed in past sessions.