North Carolina HB 276: Align Benefits for Firefighters with Cancer.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 276

Short Title: Align Benefits for Firefighters with Cancer. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives B. Jones, Cairns, Clampitt, and K. Hall (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Pensions and Retirement, if favorable, Appropriations, if favorable, Rules,
Calendar, and Operations of the House
March 5, 2025
*H276-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO INCLUDE ANY CANCER, THE DIAGNOSIS OF WHICH QUALIFIED A 2
FIREFIGHTER FOR BENEFITS UNDER THE FIREFIGHTERS' CANCER INSURANCE 3
PROGRAM OR THE FIREFIGHTERS' HEALTH BENEFITS PILOT PROGRAM, IN THE 4
LIST OF FIREFIGHTER DEATHS MEETING THE DEFINITION OF KILLED IN THE 5
LINE OF DUTY UNDER THE PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES' DEATH BENEFITS 6
ACT. 7
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 8
SECTION 1. G.S. 143-166.2(6) reads as rewritten: 9
"(6) Killed in the line of duty. – This term shall apply to all of the following deaths: 10
... 11
e. When the death of a firefighter occurs as a direct and proximate result 12
of any of the following cancers that are occupationally related to 13
firefighting, that firefighter is presumed to have been killed in the line 14
of duty: 15
1. Mesothelioma. 16
2. Testicular cancer. 17
3. Cancer of the small intestine. 18
4. Esophageal cancer. 19
5. Oral cavity cancer. 20
6. Pharynx cancer. 21
7. Any cancer diagnosis that qualified the firefighter for benefits 22
under the Firefighters' Cancer Insurance Program, established 23
under Article 86A of Chapter 58 of the General Statutes, and 24
because of which benefits under that program were received." 25
SECTION 2.(a) Article 86A of Chapter 58 of the General Statutes is amended by 26
adding a new section to read: 27
"§ 58-86A-10. Firefighters' Health Benefits Pilot Program. 28
Any firefighter having received a benefit under the Firefighters' Health Benefits Pilot 29
Program shall be deemed to have received benefits under the Firefighters' Cancer Insurance 30
Program under this Article." 31
SECTION 2.(b) G.S. 58-86A-1 reads as rewritten: 32
"§ 58-86A-1. Firefighters' Cancer Insurance Program established; purpose. 33

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 276-First Edition
(a) There is hereby established the Firefighters' Cancer Insurance Program in the Office 1
of the State Fire Marshal. The purpose of the Program is to provide health benefits as authorized 2
by this Article to eligible firefighters with a new diagnosis of cancer on or after January 1, 2022. 3
The health benefits provided under this Program shall be supplemental to any other health 4
benefits authorized by law for firefighters. The Program is a permanent continuation of the 5
Firefighters' Health Benefits Pilot Program. 6
(b) The Office of the State Fire Marshal shall administer the Program instead of 7
purchasing private Program. The State Fire Marshal shall not purchase commercial insurance for 8
that purpose, and the Office shall perform this duty by contracting the purpose of the Program 9
and instead shall contract with a third-party administrator. The contracting procedure for the 10
third-party administrator is not subject to Article 3C of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes. 11
(c) The Office of the State Fire Marshal may use up to ten percent (10%) of the funds 12
appropriated in each fiscal biennium for the Program for the reasonable and necessary expenses 13
incurred by the Office in administering the Program." 14
SECTION 2.(c) G.S. 58-86A-2 reads as rewritten: 15
"§ 58-86A-2. Definitions. 16
The following definitions apply in this Article: 17
... 18
(5) Firefighters' Health Benefits Pilot Program. – The pilot program established 19
under Section 30.4A of S.L. 2021-180. 20
(6) Reserved for future codification purposes. 21
(7) Program. – The Firefighters' Cancer Insurance Program under this Article." 22
SECTION 3. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 23
State Treasurer the sum of two million dollars ($2,000,000) in recurring funds for each year of 24
the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium to be used for benefits payable under the Public Safety Employees' 25
Death Benefits Act related to the implementation of this act. 26
SECTION 4. This act is effective July 1, 2025, and applies to qualifying deaths 27
occurring on or after that date. 28