Bill > HB2826

This bill establishes a statewide firefighter cancer screening program and a dedicated funding source called the Firefighter Cancer Screening Fund to help protect firefighters, who face significantly higher risks of occupational cancer due to toxic exposure on the job. Funded through legislative appropriations, grants, and donations, the program will provide eligible firefighters—defined generally as those with at least 12 months of continuous service who have responded to a minimum of 15 fire or rescue emergencies in the previous year—with comprehensive cancer screenings once every three years. These screenings, valued up to $2,000 per person and adjusted annually for inflation, will cover testing for 13 common types of cancer using methods such as blood tests, ultrasounds, lung CT scans, and skin evaluations, and will be made available at least twice a year in each of the state's six regional health districts. The legislation allows the administering department to contract with healthcare providers outside of standard state procurement rules, mandates strict confidentiality to protect firefighters' personal health records from being shared with employers without consent, and requires annual independent financial audits and public reporting on the program's reach and fund balance.