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OLR Bill Analysis
sSB 1426
AN ACT MAKING CHANGES TO THE FIREFIGHTERS CANCER
RELIEF PROGRAM.
SUMMARY
This bill makes various changes to a program that provides workers’
compensation-like benefits to firefighters who have certain cancers and
meet other criteria. Generally, the program requires an eligible
firefighter’s employer to pay the benefits and then be reimbursed from
the state’s firefighters cancer relief account.
Among other things, the bill:
1. expands the types of cancers covered by the program to include
skin cancer and makes changes to other eligibility criteria;
2. makes changes to clarify the process for state-employed
firefighters to apply for program benefits;
3. requires the program’s benefits to be provided in the same way
they would be if the firefighter’s cancer had been caused by an
occupational disease, rather than a personal injury, under the
workers’ compensation law;
4. authorizes workers’ compensation administrative law judges
(ALJs) to adjudicate a firefighter’s appeal of a denial of benefits
from the program; and
5. makes various minor, technical, and conforming changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2025
SKIN CANCER AND OTHE R ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
By law, firefighters may qualify for the program’s benefits if they,
among other things, (1) are diagnosed with certain types of cancer, (2) 2025SB-01426-R000176-BA.DOCX
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had a physical examination after joining the service, and (3) were
employed in certain firefighting positions for at least five years.
The bill expands the types of cancers covered by the program to
include skin cancer. Other types of cancer already covered by the
program include those affecting the brain or the skeletal, digestive,
endocrine, respiratory, lymphatic, reproductive, urinary, or
hematological systems. As under existing law, for the person to qualify,
the cancer must result in death or temporary or permanent total or
partial disability.
For the physical exam requirement, the bill removes a provision that
requires a firefighter to have had a physical examination that failed to
reveal a propensity for cancer in order to qualify for benefits. As under
current law, the exam still must have failed to reveal any evidence of the
cancer.
Under current law, a firefighter must have been employed for at least
five years in certain firefighting positions (e.g., interior structural
firefighter, fire marshal, fire inspector). The bill specifies that this
qualifying employment time can include any combination of
employment in those positions.
STATE-EMPLOYED FIREFIGHTERS
The law generally allows a state-employed firefighter to qualify for
benefits from the program. Current law, however, requires (1) a
firefighter to apply for the benefits by notifying the municipality where
he or she is employed and (2) that municipality to administer the claim
and provides the benefits. The bill instead requires the firefighter to
notify his or her municipal or state employer, and that employer to
administer the claim and benefits.
Under existing law, a “municipal employer” is any political
subdivision of the state, including any town, city, borough, district,
district health department, school board, housing authority, or other
authority established by law; a private nonprofit corporation with a
valid contract with any town, city, borough, or district to extinguish fires 2025SB-01426-R000176-BA.DOCX
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and to protect its inhabitants from loss by fire; and any person or
persons designated by the municipal employer to act in its interest in
dealing with municipal employees. Under the bill, a “state employer” is
Connecticut, including any state agency or department, and any board
of trustees of a state-owned or supported college or university and its
branches.
The bill also makes related conforming changes.
OCCUPATIONAL DISEAS E
Under current law, eligible firefighters must receive the program’s
benefits in the same amount and in the same way that they would have
been provided under the workers’ compensation law if their death or
disability had been caused by a personal injury that arose out of and in
the course of their employment. The bill instead requires the death or
disability to be treated as if it had been caused by an occupational
disease, rather than a personal injury. Generally, under workers’
compensation law, an occupational disease includes any disease
peculiar to the employee’s occupation and due to causes that exceed
ordinary hazards of employment (CGS § 31-275). Procedurally, the
workers’ compensation law allows claimants to apply for benefits
within three years after the first manifestation of an occupational
disease’s symptom, rather than within one year after a personal injury
(CGS § 31-294c).
The bill similarly requires the retirement or survivor benefits, or
disability benefits, an eligible firefighter must receive under the
program to be treated as if the death or disability had been caused by an
occupational disease, rather than a personal injury.
WORKERS’ COMPENSATIO N ALJ APPEALS
Current law allows a firefighter to request that a denial of
compensation or benefits from the program be reconsidered in the same
way as workers’ compensation claims. The bill explicitly authorizes
workers’ compensation ALJs to adjudicate these appeals and extends
their statutory powers and duties to cover these cases. Among other
things, this (1) authorizes them to summon and examine witnesses 2025SB-01426-R000176-BA.DOCX
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under oath; (2) generally requires the appeal to be filed in the ALJ
district where the claim arises; and (3) allows the Superior Court, under
certain conditions, to enforce an ALJ’s order.
OTHER CHANGES
Under current law, the firefighters’ cancer relief account must
reimburse any costs for an eligible firefighter’s cancer treatments not
covered by his or her personal or group health insurance. The bill
narrows this requirement to apply only if the treatments comply with
the workers’ compensation law that generally requires employers to
provide reasonable or necessary medical care for injured employees.
Under current law, if a firefighter who was receiving compensation
(the workers’ compensation-like benefits) from the program dies from
cancer, his or her survivors may file a workers’ compensation claim
within one year after the firefighter’s death. Until the claim is approved,
the survivors must continue receiving benefits from the firefighters
cancer relief account. If they do not file a workers’ compensation claim
before the one-year deadline they may continue to receive benefits from
the account.
The bill (1) limits this option to the firefighter’s surviving dependents
and (2) also allows it when the firefighter (a) was receiving other benefits
under the program (retirement or disability benefits) or (b) had applied
for compensation or benefits, but was not yet receiving them.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Labor and Public Employees Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 12 Nay 1 (03/06/2025)