Lawmakers in 4 states introduce firefighter cancer compensation bills
Virginia, Nebraska, Connecticut and Mississippi could change how the benefits are paid or which diagnoses are covered
By Leila Merrill
FireRescue1
RICHMOND, Va. — Lawmakers in four states have introduced bills this month that could affect compensations for firefighters with cancer.
Del. Rep. Emily Brewer (R-Isle of Wight) introduced House Bill 1408, which would add bladder and thyroid cancers to the existing list of presumptive cancers covered under Virginia law, the Suffolk News-Herald reported.
Lawmakers in Nebraska introduced Legislature Bill 501, which would amend the state's workers’ compensation law to compensate some firefighters with certain cancers.
Connecticut legislators filed House Bill 5857, which would qualify some firefighters with cancer for a presumptive line-of-duty injury or cause of death and would make them eligible for workers' compensation and other benefits.
Mississippi lawmakers introduced House Bill 784, which would revise the First Responders Health and Safety Act so that firefighters’ cancer benefits would be covered by the state attorney general’s office — not insurance policies.
Additional resources
January is Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month. Check out these article on cancer prevention and awareness:
- It’s time to track our fireground exposures
- The threat is real: How firefighters can protect against skin cancer
- What's killing firefighters? 5 factors we can control
- Listen: John Haseney outlines 7 common barriers to implementing cancer-focused best practices
- Dioxins: The most hazardous substance in structure fire environments
