If an employee, while working outside the territorial limits of this state suffers an occupational disease on account of which he, or in the event of his death, his dependents, would have been entitled to the benefits provided by the New Mexico Occupational Disease Disablement Law had such disease occurred within this state, such employee, or in the event of his death resulting from such disease his dependents, shall be entitled to the benefits provided by this act [52-3-55 to 52-3-59 NMSA 1978], provided that at the time of such disease:
NMS § 52-3-55