SB 1515
Initials FK/KM Page 1 Caucus & COW
ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Fifty-fifth Legislature
Second Regular Session
Senate: COM DPA 8-0-1-0 | 3
rd
Read: 28-0-2-0
House: MAPS DP 15-0-0-0
SB1515: municipal firefighters; cancer fund; distributions
Sponsor: Senator Boyer, LD 20
Caucus & COW
Overview
Prohibits annual distributions from the Municipal Firefighter Cancer Reimbursement Fund (Fund)
from exceeding the statewide total of all compensation and benefits paid by municipal payors
(payors) to municipal firefighters and fire investigators. Requires undistributed monies to remain
in the Fund.
History
The Fund consists of annual fees, assessed by the Industrial Commission of Arizona, from cities
and towns. The fee amount is calculated according to the population of the city or town as
determined by the most recent U.S. Census Bureau. The Fund can also receive money from other
sources including federal money, grants and gifts (A.R.S. §§ 23-1702, 23-1703).
The Fund is used to reimburse payments made by payors to municipal firefighters and fire
investigators for any disease, infirmity or impairment of health caused by brain, bladder, rectal or
colon cancer, lymphoma and other applicable health issues. Payments may be for compensation
for temporary partial and total disabilities, permanent partial and total disabilities, lost earning
capacity and medical, surgical, hospital and death benefits (A.R.S. §§ 23-1702, 23-901.09).
Statute defines a payor as a workers' compensation insurer, a self-insurance program or a public
agency pool used by a city or town (A.R.S. § 23-1701).
Provisions
1. Prohibits annual distributions from the Fund from exceeding the statewide total of all
compensation and benefits paid by payors to municipal firefighters for the fiscal year (FY).
(Sec. 1)
2. Requires that all undistributed money from the Fund remain in and be available for annual
distributions in future FYs. (Sec. 1)
3. Requires the total of collected fees deposited in the Fund from all cities and town to be
$15,000,000 each FY. (Sec. 2)
4. Removes requirement that the State Treasurer continue to withhold distributed monies from
a city or town if the city or town fails to pay the fee assessment in full before September 30
each year. (Sec. 2)
5. Makes technical changes. (Sec. 1,2)
☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note