North Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Carolina Senate Bill S226 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
2	2		SESSION 2025
3		-	S 1
4		-	SENATE BILL 226
	3	+	S D
	4	+	SENATE BILL DRS35103-MRap-55
	5	+
5	6
6	7
7	8		Short Title: Align Benefits for Firefighters with Cancer. (Public)
8	9		Sponsors: Senators Johnson, Barnes, and Lazzara (Primary Sponsors).
9		-	Referred to: ~~Rules and Operations of the Senate~~
10		-	~~March 4, 2025~~
11		-	~~S226 -v-1~~
	10	+	Referred to:
	11	+
	12	+	DRS35103 -MRap-55
12	13		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
13	14		AN ACT TO INCLUDE ANY CANCER, THE DIAGNOSIS OF WHICH QUALIFIED A 2
14	15		FIREFIGHTER FOR BENEFITS UNDER THE FIREFIGHTERS ' CANCER INSURANCE 3
15	16		PROGRAM OR THE FIREFIGHTERS ' HEALTH BENEFITS PILOT PROGRAM, IN THE 4
16	17		LIST OF FIREFIGHTER DEATHS MEETING THE DEFINITION OF KILLED IN THE 5
17	18		LINE OF DUTY UNDER THE PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES ' DEATH BENEFITS 6
18	19		ACT. 7
19	20		The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 8
20	21		SECTION 1. G.S. 143-166.2(6) reads as rewritten: 9
21	22		"(6) Killed in the line of duty. – This term shall apply to all of the following deaths: 10
22	23		… 11
23	24		e. When the death of a firefighter occurs as a direct and proximate result 12
24	25		of any of the following cancers that are occupationally related to 13
25	26		firefighting, that firefighter is presumed to have been killed in the line 14
26	27		of duty: 15
27	28		1. Mesothelioma. 16
28	29		2. Testicular cancer. 17
29	30		3. Cancer of the small intestine. 18
30	31		4. Esophageal cancer. 19
31	32		5. Oral cavity cancer. 20
32	33		6. Pharynx cancer. 21
33	34		7. Any cancer diagnosis that qualified the firefighter for benefits 22
34	35		under the Firefighters' Cancer Insurance Program, established 23
35	36		under Article 86A of Chapter 58 of the General Statutes, and 24
36	37		because of which benefits under that program were received." 25
37	38		SECTION 2.(a) Article 86A of Chapter 58 of the General Statutes is amended by 26
38	39		adding a new section to read: 27
39	40		"§ 58-86A-10. Firefighters' Health Benefits Pilot Program. 28
40	41		Any firefighter having received a benefit under the Firefighters' Health Benefits Pilot 29
41	42		Program shall be deemed to have received benefits under the Firefighters' Cancer Insurance 30
42	43		Program under this Article." 31
43	44		SECTION 2.(b) G.S. 58-86A-1 reads as rewritten: 32
44	45		"§ 58-86A-1. Firefighters' Cancer Insurance Program established; purpose. 33
45	46		(a) There is hereby established the Firefighters' Cancer Insurance Program in the Office 34
46	47		of the State Fire Marshal. The purpose of the Program is to provide health benefits as authorized 35
47		-	by this Article to eligible firefighters with a new diagnosis of cancer on or after January 1, 2022. 36 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
48		-	Page 2 Senate Bill 226-First Edition
	48	+	by this Article to eligible firefighters with a new diagnosis of cancer on or after January 1, 2022. 36
	49	+	FILED SENATE
	50	+	Mar 3, 2025
	51	+	S.B. 226
	52	+	PRINCIPAL CLERK General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
	53	+	Page 2 DRS35103-MRap-55
49	54		The health benefits provided under this Program shall be supplemental to any other health 1
50	55		benefits authorized by law for firefighters. The Program is a permanent continuation of the 2
51	56		Firefighters' Health Benefits Pilot Program. 3
52	57		(b) The Office of the State Fire Marshal shall administer the Program instead of 4
53	58		purchasing private Program. The State Fire Marshal shall not purchase commercial insurance for 5
54	59		that purpose, and the Office shall perform this duty by contracting the purpose of the Program 6
55	60		and instead shall contract with a third-party administrator. The contracting procedure for the 7
56	61		third-party administrator is not subject to Article 3C of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes. 8
57	62		(c) The Office of the State Fire Marshal may use up to ten percent (10%) of the funds 9
58	63		appropriated in each fiscal biennium for the Program for the reasonable and necessary expenses 10
59	64		incurred by the Office in administering the Program." 11
60	65		SECTION 2.(c) G.S. 58-86A-2 reads as rewritten: 12
61	66		"§ 58-86A-2. Definitions. 13
62	67		The following definitions apply in this Article: 14
63	68		… 15
64	69		(5) Firefighters' Health Benefits Pilot Program. – The pilot program established 16
65	70		under Section 30.4A of S.L. 2021-180. 17
66	71		(6) Reserved for future codification purposes. 18
67	72		(7) Program. – The Firefighters' Cancer Insurance Program under this Article." 19
68	73		SECTION 3. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 20
69	74		State Treasurer the sum of two million dollars ($2,000,000) in recurring funds for each year of 21
70	75		the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium to be used for benefits payable under the Public Safety Employees' 22
71	76		Death Benefits Act related to the implementation of this act. 23
72	77		SECTION 4. This act is effective July 1, 2025, and applies to qualifying deaths 24
73	78		occurring on or after that date. 25