Senate File 272 - Introduced SENATE FILE 272 BY DAWSON A BILL FOR An Act concerning retirement and employment benefits associated 1 with cancer, and making appropriations. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1613XS (3) 91 sc/ns
S.F. 272 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 70A.42 Cancer screening. 1 1. Beginning July 1, 2025, and for each plan year 2 thereafter, a public employer shall provide as occupational 3 coverage to a fire fighter, police officer, or emergency 4 medical services provider, who is employed as a full-time 5 paid employee and enrolled in the employers health insurance 6 program, health care benefits that include a cancer screening 7 examination conducted by a physician not more than three years 8 after the start of the persons employment as a fire fighter, 9 police officer, or emergency medical services provider and 10 every three years thereafter during the course of the persons 11 employment. 12 2. A political subdivision of the state shall be eligible 13 for reimbursement from the state for the cost of providing 14 the benefits required by subsection 1. However, the amount 15 reimbursed to the political subdivision for a cancer screening 16 examination shall not exceed one thousand two hundred fifty 17 dollars per three-year period per eligible employee. A 18 political subdivision shall maintain adequate records to 19 facilitate the reimbursement. 20 3. A fire fighter, police officer, or emergency medical 21 services provider employed as a full-time paid employee of 22 a public employer shall not be required to pay a copayment, 23 deductible, coinsurance, or out-of-pocket expense for an 24 examination under this section. 25 4. For purposes of this section, public employer means 26 the state or a political subdivision of the state that employs 27 a fire fighter, police officer, or emergency medical services 28 provider. 29 Sec. 2. Section 97A.1, subsection 6, Code 2025, is amended 30 by striking the subsection and inserting in lieu thereof the 31 following: 32 6. Cancer means a group of diseases involving abnormal 33 cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other 34 parts of the body. 35 -1- LSB 1613XS (3) 91 sc/ns 1/ 3
S.F. 272 Sec. 3. Section 411.1, subsection 6, Code 2025, is amended 1 by striking the subsection and inserting in lieu thereof the 2 following: 3 6. Cancer means a group of diseases involving abnormal 4 cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other 5 parts of the body. 6 Sec. 4. DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT CANCER SCREENING 7 APPROPRIATION. There is appropriated from the general fund of 8 the state to the department of management for the fiscal year 9 beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026, the following 10 amount, or so much thereof as is necessary, to be used for the 11 purposes designated: 12 To reimburse political subdivisions of the state for the 13 costs of cancer screening examinations pursuant to section 14 70A.42, as enacted by this Act: 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,000,000 16 Sec. 5. IMPLEMENTATION OF ACT. Section 25B.2, subsection 17 3, shall not apply to this Act. 18 EXPLANATION 19 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 20 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 21 This bill requires public employers to provide health 22 care benefits that include cancer screening examinations 23 to full-time fire fighters, police officers, and emergency 24 medical services providers within the first three years of a 25 persons employment and every three years thereafter. The 26 bill allows a political subdivision to be reimbursed by the 27 state for the costs of providing the examinations, up to $1,250 28 per three-year period per eligible employee. An eligible 29 employee cannot be charged for receiving a cancer screening 30 examination under the bill. The bill appropriates $1 million 31 from the general fund for FY 2025-2026 to the department of 32 management for reimbursing political subdivisions for the cost 33 of providing cancer screening examinations. 34 For benefits relating to members of the public safety 35 -2- LSB 1613XS (3) 91 sc/ns 2/ 3
S.F. 272 peace officers retirement, accident, and disability system 1 (PORS), and the municipal fire and police retirement system 2 (411 system), the bill expands the definition of cancer 3 by striking references to specific cancers and inserting a 4 more generalized description. By expanding the definition of 5 cancer to include more cancer diagnoses, the bill likewise 6 expands the availability of accidental disability and death 7 benefits to members of PORS or the 411 system who have a 8 cancer diagnosis. By operation of law, the bill also expands 9 the definition of cancer as used in Code section 97B.50A 10 for purposes of in-service disability retirement allowance 11 for special service members under the Iowa public employees 12 retirement system. 13 The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code 14 section 25B.3. The bill makes inapplicable Code section 25B.2, 15 subsection 3, which would relieve a political subdivision from 16 complying with a state mandate if funding for the cost of 17 the state mandate is not provided or specified. Therefore, 18 political subdivisions are required to comply with any state 19 mandate included in the bill. 20 -3- LSB 1613XS (3) 91 sc/ns 3/ 3