EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0374*
SENATE BILL 374
J5, J1, L6 5lr0738
CF 5lr2009
By: Senators Beidle, Gile, Kramer, Lam, and Mautz
Introduced and read first time: January 17, 2025
Assigned to: Finance
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Health Insurance – Cancer Screening for Professional Firefighters – Required 2
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; and generally 14
relating to health insurance and coverage of preventive cancer screenings for 15
professional firefighters. 16
BY adding to 17
Article – Insurance 18
Section 15–861 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2017 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 21
BY adding to 22
Article – Local Government 23
Section 1–207 24
Annotated Code of Maryland 25
(2013 Volume and 2024 Supplement) 26
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 27
Article – State Personnel and Pensions 28 2 SENATE BILL 374
Section 2–502(a) and (b)(1) and 2–503(b)(1) 1
Annotated Code of Maryland 2
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 3
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 4
Article – State Personnel and Pensions 5
Section 2–503(a) 6
Annotated Code of Maryland 7
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 8
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 9
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 10
Article – Insurance 11
15–861. 12
(A) IN THIS SECTION , “PROFESSIONAL FIREFIG HTER” MEANS AN 13
INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYED AS A FIREFIGHTER BY A STATE, COUNTY, OR MUNICIPAL 14
ENTITY DURING THE TIME OF THE INDI VIDUAL’S EMPLOYMENT . 15
(B) THIS SECTION APPLIES TO: 16
(1) INSURERS AND NONPROF IT HEALTH SERVICE PL ANS THAT 17
PROVIDE HOSPITAL , MEDICAL, OR SURGICAL BENEFITS TO INDIVIDUALS OR GR OUPS 18
ON AN EX PENSE–INCURRED BASIS UNDER HEALTH INSURANCE POL ICIES OR 19
CONTRACTS THAT ARE I SSUED OR DELIVERED I N THE STATE; AND 20
(2) HEALTH MAINTENANCE O RGANIZATIONS THAT PR OVIDE 21
HOSPITAL, MEDICAL, OR SURGICAL BENEFITS TO INDIVIDUALS OR GR OUPS UNDER 22
CONTRACTS THAT ARE ISSUED OR DELIVERED IN THE STATE. 23
(C) AN ENTITY SUBJECT TO THIS SECTION SHALL PROVIDE COVERAGE TO A 24
PROFESSIONAL FIREFIG HTER FOR PREVENTIVE CANCER SCREENING S IN 25
ACCORDANCE WITH THE LATEST SCREENING GUI DELINES ISSUED BY THE 26
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIRE FIGHTERS. 27
(D) (1) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , 28
AN ENTITY SUBJECT TO THIS SECTION MAY NOT IMPOSE A COPAYMENT , 29
COINSURANCE , OR DEDUCTIBLE REQUIR EMENT ON COVERAGE OF PREVENTIVE 30
CANCER SCREENINGS FO R PROFESSIONAL FIREF IGHTERS AS REQUIRED UNDER 31
SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION. 32
SENATE BILL 374 3
(2) IF AN INSURED OR AN ENROLLEE IS COVERED UNDER A 1
HIGH–DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH PL AN, AS DEFINED IN 26 U.S.C. § 223, AN ENTITY 2
SUBJECT TO THIS SECT ION MAY SUBJECT PREVENTIVE CANCER SC REENINGS FOR 3
PROFESSION AL FIREFIGHTERS TO T HE DEDUCTIBLE REQUIR EMENT OF THE 4
HIGH–DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH PL AN. 5
(E) THIS SECTION MAY NOT BE CONSTRUED TO PROH IBIT AN ENTITY 6
SUBJECT TO THIS SECT ION FROM PROVIDING C OVERAGES THAT ARE GR EATER THAN 7
OR MORE FAVORABLE TO AN INSURED OR AN ENROLLEE THAN THE CO VERAGE 8
REQUIRED UNDER THIS SECTION. 9
Article – Local Government 10
1–207. 11
A COUNTY OR MUNICIPALI TY THAT OFFERS A SELF –INSURED EMPLOYEE 12
HEALTH BENEFIT PLAN IN THE STATE SHALL ENSURE THAT THE PLAN COMPLIES 13
WITH § 15–861 OF THE INSURANCE ARTICLE. 14
Article – State Personnel and Pensions 15
2–502. 16
(a) There is a State Employee and Retiree Health and Welfare Benefits Program, 17
to be developed and administered by the Secretary. 18
(b) (1) The Program: 19
(i) subject to the regulations adopted under § 2–503 of this subtitle, 20
shall encompass all units in the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative branches of State 21
government, including any unit with an independent personnel system; 22
(ii) shall include the health insurance benefit options established by 23
the Secretary; and 24
(iii) except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, may 25
include any other benefit option that the Secretary considers appropriate. 26
2–503. 27
(a) The Secretary shall: 28
(1) adopt regulations for the administration of the Program; 29
(2) ensure that the Program complies with: 30
4 SENATE BILL 374
(i) all federal and State laws governing employee benefit plans; 1
[and] 2
(ii) §§ 15–826, 15–826.1, 15–826.2, and, as applicable to 3
contraceptive drugs and devices, 15–831(a) through (d) of the Insurance Article; AND 4
(III) § 15–861 OF THE INSURANCE ARTICLE; 5
(3) each year, recommend to the Governor the State share of the costs of 6
the Program; and 7
(4) make ongoing eligibility determinations to ensure that participation in 8
the Program does not impede, undermine, or conflict with federal compliance obligations or 9
government and cafeteria plan status. 10
(b) (1) The Secretary may arrange as the Secretary considers appropriate any 11
benefit option for inclusion in the Program. 12
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall apply to all 13
policies, contracts, and health benefit plans issued, delivered, or renewed in the State on or 14
after January 1, 2026. 15
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this A ct shall take effect 16
January 1, 2026. 17