EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0459*
HOUSE BILL 459
J5, J1, L6 5lr2009
CF SB 374
By: Delegates Pruski and Stein, Stein, Alston, Bagnall, Bhandari, Cullison,
Guzzone, Hill, Hutchinson, S. Johnson, Kaiser, Kerr, Kipke, Lopez,
Martinez, Pena–Melnyk, Reilly, Rosenberg, Ross, Taveras, White Holland,
Woods, and Woorman
Introduced and read first time: January 20, 2025
Assigned to: Health and Government Operations
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 1, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Health Insurance Counties – Cancer Screening for Professional Firefighters – 2
Required Coverage 3
(James “Jimmy” Malone Act) 4
FOR the purpose of requiring certain health insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and 5
health maintenance organizations to provide coverage to professional firefighters for 6
preventive cancer screening in accordance with certain guidelines; prohibiting 7
certain insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and health maintenance 8
organizations from imposing a copayment, coinsurance, or deductible requirement 9
on certain coverage of preventive cancer screenings for professional firefighters; 10
requiring counties and municipalities that offer self–insured employee health benefit 11
plans to comply with a certain provision of this Act; requiring the Secretary of Budget 12
and Management to ensure that the State Employee and Retiree Health and Welfare 13
Benefits Program complies with a certain provision of this Act provide to firefighters 14
employed by the county coverage for preventive cancer screenings in accordance with 15
certain guidelines; authorizing a county to satisfy the requirement by providing a 16
certain annual examination or applying for a certain grant; prohibiting counties from 17
imposing a copayment, coinsurance, or deductible requirement on the coverage; 18
requiring the Maryland Health Care Commission to conduct a certain study; and 19
generally relating to health insurance counties and coverage of preventive cancer 20
screenings for professional firefighters. 21
2 HOUSE BILL 459
BY adding to 1
Article – Insurance 2
Section 15–861 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2017 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 5
BY adding to 6
Article – Local Government 7
Section 1–207 9–114 8
Annotated Code of Maryland 9
(2013 Volume and 2024 Supplement) 10
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 11
Article – State Personnel and Pensions 12
Section 2–502(a) and (b)(1) and 2–503(b)(1) 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 15
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 16
Article – State Personnel and Pensions 17
Section 2–503(a) 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 20
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 21
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 22
Article – Insurance 23
15–861. 24
(A) IN THIS SECTION , “PROFESSIONAL FIREFIG HTER” MEANS AN 25
INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYED AS A FIREFIGHTER BY A STATE, COUNTY, OR MUNICIPAL 26
ENTITY DURING THE TIME OF THE INDIVIDUAL ’S EMPLOYMENT . 27
(B) THIS SECTION APPLIES TO: 28
(1) INSURERS AND NONPROF IT HEALTH SERVICE PL ANS THAT 29
PROVIDE HOSPITAL , MEDICAL, OR SURGICAL BENEFITS TO INDIVIDUALS OR GR OUPS 30
ON AN EXPENSE –INCURRED BASIS UNDER HEALTH INSURANCE POLICIES O R 31
CONTRACTS THAT ARE I SSUED OR DELIVERED I N THE STATE; AND 32
(2) HEALTH MAINTENANCE O RGANIZATIONS THAT PR OVIDE 33
HOSPITAL, MEDICAL, OR SURGICAL BENEFITS TO INDIVIDUALS OR GR OUPS UNDER 34
CONTRACTS THAT ARE I SSUED OR DELIVERED I N THE STATE. 35
HOUSE BILL 459 3
(C) AN ENTITY SUBJECT TO THIS SECTION SHALL P ROVIDE COVERAGE TO A 1
PROFESSIONAL FIREFIG HTER FOR PREVENTIVE CANCER SCREENINGS IN 2
ACCORDANCE WITH THE LATEST SCREENING GUI DELINES ISSUED BY TH E 3
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIRE FIGHTERS. 4
(D) (1) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , 5
AN ENTITY SUBJECT TO THIS SECTION MAY NOT IMPOSE A COPAYMENT , 6
COINSURANCE , OR DEDUCTIBLE REQUIR EMENT ON COVERAGE OF PREVENTIVE 7
CANCER SCREENINGS FO R PROFESSIONAL FIREF IGHTERS AS REQUIRED UNDER 8
SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION. 9
(2) IF AN INSURED OR AN E NROLLEE IS COVERED U NDER A 10
HIGH–DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH PL AN, AS DEFINED IN 26 U.S.C. § 223, AN ENTITY 11
SUBJECT TO THIS SECT ION MAY SUBJECT PREV ENTIVE CANCER SCREEN INGS FOR 12
PROFESSIONAL FIREFIG HTERS TO THE DEDUCTI BLE REQ UIREMENT OF THE 13
HIGH–DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH PL AN. 14
(E) THIS SECTION MAY NOT BE CONSTRUED TO PROH IBIT AN ENTITY 15
SUBJECT TO THIS SECT ION FROM PROVIDING C OVERAGES THAT ARE GR EATER THAN 16
OR MORE FAVORABLE TO AN INSURED OR AN ENR OLLEE THAN THE COVER AGE 17
REQUIRED UNDER THIS SECTION . 18
Article – Local Government 19
1–207. 9–114. 20
(A) (1) A COUNTY OR MUNICIPALI TY EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN 21
SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION , A COUNTY THAT OFFERS A SELF –INSURED 22
EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENE FIT PLAN IN THE STATE SHALL ENSURE THAT THE PLAN 23
COMPLIES WITH § 15–861 OF THE INSURANCE ARTICLE PROVIDE TO EACH 24
FIREFIGHTER EMPLOYED BY THE COUNTY COVERA GE FOR PREVENTIVE CA NCER 25
SCREENINGS IN ACCORD ANCE WITH THE LATEST SCREENING GUIDELINES ISSUED 26
BY THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIRE FIGHTERS. 27
(2) A COUNTY SUBJECT TO PA RAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION M AY 28
NOT IMPOSE A COPAYME NT, COINSURANCE , OR DEDUCTIBLE REQUIR EMENT ON 29
COVERAGE OF PREVENTI VE CANCER SCREENINGS FOR FIREFIGHTERS AS REQUIRED 30
UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION . 31
(B) A COUNTY MAY SATISFY THE REQUIREM ENT IN SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS 32
SECTION BY: 33
(1) PROVIDING A NO –COST ANNUAL EXAMINAT ION TO FIREFIGHTERS 34
EMPLOYED BY THE COUN TY THAT INCLUDES PRE VENTIVE CANCER SCREE NINGS 35 4 HOUSE BILL 459
FOR FIREFIGHTERS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LATEST SCREENING GUI DELINES 1
ISSUED BY THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIRE FIGHTERS; OR 2
(2) APPLYING FOR A GRANT UNDER TITLE 13, SUBTITLE 40 OF THE 3
HEALTH – GENERAL ARTICLE TO PAY FOR IN NOVATIVE CANCER SCRE ENING 4
TECHNOLOGIES , INCLUDING A MULTICAN CER EARLY DETECTION BLOOD TEST. 5
(C) THIS SECTION MAY NOT BE CONSTRUED TO PROH IBIT A COUNTY 6
SUBJECT TO THIS SECT ION FROM PROVIDING C OVERAGES THAT ARE GR EATER THAN 7
OR MORE FAVORABLE TO AN INSURED OR AN ENR OLLEE THAN THE COVER AGE 8
REQUIRED UNDER THIS SECTION. 9
Article – State Personnel and Pensions 10
2–502. 11
(a) There is a State Employee and Retiree Health and Welfare Benefits Program, 12
to be developed and administered by the Secretary. 13
(b) (1) The Program: 14
(i) subject to the regulations adopted under § 2–503 of this subtitle, 15
shall encompass all units in the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative branches of State 16
government, including any unit with an independent personnel system; 17
(ii) shall include the health insurance benefit options established by 18
the Secretary; and 19
(iii) except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, may 20
include any other benefit option that the Secretary considers appropriate. 21
2–503. 22
(a) The Secretary shall: 23
(1) adopt regulations for the administration of the Program; 24
(2) ensure that the Program complies with: 25
(i) all federal and State laws governing employee benefit plans; 26
[and] 27
(ii) §§ 15–826, 15–826.1, 15–826.2, and, as applicable to 28
contraceptive drugs and devices, 15–831(a) through (d) of the Insurance Article; AND 29
(III) § 15–861 OF THE INSURANCE ARTICLE; 30 HOUSE BILL 459 5
(3) each year, recommend to the Governor the State share of the costs of 1
the Program; and 2
(4) make ongoing eligibility determinations to ensure that participation in 3
the Program does not impede, undermine, or conflict with federal compliance obligations or 4
government and cafeteria plan status. 5
(b) (1) The Secretary may arrange as the Secretary considers appropriate any 6
benefit option for inclusion in the Program. 7
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall apply to all 8
policies, contracts, and health benefit plans issued, delivered, or renewed in the State on or 9
after January 1, 2026: 10
(a) Each county subject to § 9–114 of the Local Government Article, as enacted by 11
Section 1 of this Act, shall collect for calendar years 2026 and 2027 the following data: 12
(1) the number of firefighters eligible for the coverage required under § 13
9–114 of the Local Government Article, as enacted by Section 1 of this Act; 14
(2) the number of firefighters provided preventive cancer screenings; 15
(3) the number of preventive cancer screenings that resulted in a cancer 16
diagnosis; and 17
(4) the cost to provide preventive cancer screenings, including: 18
(i) the average cost of providing preventive cancer screenings to a 19
firefighter; and 20
(ii) the total cost for providing preventive cancer screenings to 21
firefighters. 22
(b) On or before June 1, 2027, and June 1, 2028, each county subject to § 9–114 of 23
the Local Government Article, as enacted by Section 1 of this Act, shall report to the 24
Maryland Health Care Commission the data collected under subsection (a) of this section. 25
(c) (1) The Maryland Health Care Commission shall: 26
(i) study the impact of expanding the preventive cancer screenings 27
coverage required under § 9–114 of the Local Government Article, as enacted by Section 1 28
of this Act, to the commercial insurance market; and 29
(ii) on or before December 1, 2028, report the results of the study to 30
the General Assembly, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article. 31
6 HOUSE BILL 459
(2) In completing the study required under paragraph (1)(i) of this 1
subsection, the Maryland Health Care Commission shall consider the data reported under 2
subsection (b) of this section. 3
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 4
January 1, 2026. 5
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.