SB 410 — AN ACT CONCERNING FIREFIGHTER CANCER.

In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional knowledge.

Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note State Impact:

Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 27 $ FY 28 $ Admin.

Serv., Dept.

GF - Cost 280,000 205,000 State Comptroller - Fringe GF - Cost 92,000 69,000 Benefits1 Note:

GF=General Fund Municipal Impact:

None Explanation The bill, which establishes a pilot program to reimburse firefighters receiving cancer screenings, results in an estimated General Fund cost of $372,000 in FY 27 and at least $274,000 in FY 28.

The bill also provides the surviving family of a firefighter who has died from certain types of cancer a lump sum death benefit and health insurance coverage.

The cost of providing these benefits will be paid out of the Firefighters Cancer Relief Account .

It is expected that the account’s current balance and annual deposits will be sufficient to fund any additional costs resulting from this bill.

Section1, whichprovides a lumpsumdeath benefit totaling $100,000 to a surviving family member or beneficiary for firefighters who have died from certain types of cancers, results in a potential cost to the The fringe benefit costs for most state employees are budgeted centrally in accounts administered by the Comptroller.

The estimated active employee fringe benefit cost associated with most personnel changes is 41.82% of payroll in FY 27.

2The Firefighters Cancer Relief Account is a separate non-lapsing account within the Department of Administrative Services.

The account generally receives funds through state appropriations and investment income.

The accounts current balance is $8,770,081.

sSB410 / File No.

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308 Firefighters Cancer Relief Account dependent on the frequency of qualifying cases.

Sections 2-3, which extend health insurance coverage under the state partnership plan to a surviving family of firefighters who have died from certain types of cancers, results in a net neutral fiscal impact to the state or municipalities facilitating coverage as the payments will be reimbursed by the Firefighters Cancer Relief Account.

The cost to the Firefighters Cancer Relief Account is estimated to be $44,000 per year per surviving family.

Section 5 requires the State Fire Marshal within the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) to create a pilot program, beginning October 1, 2026, and ending January 1, 2028, to reimburse firefighters who undergo cancer screening.

This will require DAS to hire two new employees to administer the program resulting in salary and fringe costs of $312,000 in FY 27 and at least $234,000 in FY 28.

In addition, reimbursementsto firefighterstaking part inthepilot programmay cost up to $60,000 in FY 27 and up to $40,000 in FY 28.

Reimbursement costs may vary significantly depending upon the types of screening tests covered and the firefighters chosen to participate in the program.

The Out Years The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified in sections 2-3 above would continue into the future subject to inflation.

sSB410 / File No.

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308 OLR Bill Analysis sSB 410 AN ACT CONCERNING FIREFIGHTER CANCER.

SUMMARY This bill extends certain benefits to survivors of firefighters who (1) die of certain cancers and (2) would be eligible for benefits from the firefighters cancer relief account (see BACKGROUND).

Specifically, it:

1.

extends Fallen Hero Fund benefits to these firefighters’ surviving families or beneficiaries, 2.

allows certain surviving family members who were covered under the firefighter’s health care benefit plan at the time of their death to apply for or keep the coverage for a specified period of time, and 3.

requires these benefits to be funded by the firefighters cancer relief account.

The bill also requires, by October 1, 2026, the State Fire Marshal to establish a one-year pilot program to reimburse firefighters in two municipalities who get screenings for cancers common to firefighters.

Lastly, the bill makes technical and conforming changes.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

July 1, 2026 FALLEN HERO FUND BENEFITS By law, the Fallen Hero Fund pays $100,000, within available appropriations, to the surviving families of first responders (emergency medical technicians, paid firefighters, paramedics, and police officers) killed in the line of duty or who sustained injuries that were the direct or proximate cause of the first responder’s death.

sSB410 / File No.

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308 The bill extends this same benefit to the surviving families of firefighters who:

1.

were diagnosed with, and died from, any cancer affecting the skin or brain or the skeletal, digestive, endocrine, respiratory, lymphatic, reproductive, urinary, or hematological systems, and 2.

would be entitled to benefits from the firefighters cancer relief account on or after October 1, 2023.

As under existing law for first responders killed in the line of duty, the “surviving family” is a surviving spouse, surviving child (whether dependent or not), or surviving parent of the firefighter, or the most recently listed surviving beneficiary on file with the employer.

Under the bill, payments to these surviving families must be made from the firefighters cancer relief account, rather than the Fallen Hero Fund as existing law requires for payments to surviving families of other first responders.

By law, the comptroller must annually report to the Public Safety and Security Committee on the expenditures made from the Fallen Hero Fund for the prior year, the fund’s current balance, and information on additional amounts needed for the fund.

The bill expands this reporting requirement to also include the same information for the firefighters cancer relief account.

PARTNERSHIP PLAN COVERAGE By law, non-state public employers that provided coverage under a “partnership plan” (health benefit plans the comptroller offers to these andother employers)to afirstresponder whoiskilledintheline ofduty must continue to provide the coverage to the survivors who were covered under theplanat thetime of thefirst responder’sdeath.The bill requires these employers to provide this same coverage to survivors of firefighters who died of cancer, as described above.

As under existing law, the coverage must continue for one year after the death and may be renewed annually for up to five years.

The non-state public employer sSB410 / File No.

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As under existing law for first responders, under the bill, a nonstate publicemployer that didnot providecoverage under a partnershipplan to the firefighter who died of cancer must apply for coverage under a partnership plan for, and at the request of, the survivors who were receiving health care benefit coverage through a plan offered to the firefighter at the time of the death.

The comptroller must accept the application on the terms and conditions applicable to the partnership plan for enrollment and coverage of the survivors for one year and the enrollment and coverage may be renewed annually for up to five years.

The non-state public employer must help with the initiation and renewal of the enrollment and coverage.

By law, and under the bill, anyone receiving this coverage is exempt from paying monthly premiums for these plans and the comptroller must reimburse any employer making these premium payments.

Under the bill, reimbursements due to a firefighter cancer death are paid from the firefighters cancer relief account, rather than the Fallen Hero Hund, as existing law requires for survivors of other first responders.

CANCER SCREENING PILOT PROGRAM By October 1, 2026, the State Fire Marshal must establish a one-year pilot program to reimburse paid firefighters in two municipalities who get cancer screenings for cancers that are common to firefighters.

“Firefighter” refers to any (1) local or deputy fire marshal, fire investigator, fire inspector, and other classes of inspectors and investigators for whom the State Fire Marshal and the Codes and Standards Committee have jointly adopted minimum qualification standards, and (2) uniformed member of a paid municipal, state, or volunteer fire department.

The State Fire Marshal must consult with a nonprofit with expertise in the field of cancer screening to determine which screenings qualify for the pilot program’s reimbursement.

The pilot program must be operated in one municipality served by a volunteer fire department and sSB410 / File No.

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308 one municipality served by a paid fire department.

Starting July 1, 2026, the State Fire Marshal must accept applications from municipalities for participation in the pilot program on a form she prescribes.

By January 1, 2028, the State Fire Marshal must submit a report to the Public Safety and Security Committee on the program’s results, including any recommendations for continuing or expanding it.

BACKGROUND Firefighters Cancer Relief Account By law, the firefighters cancer relief account generally provides, for eligible paid firefighters diagnosed with certain cancers and die or become disabled because of it, (1) workers compensation benefits, (2) retirement and survivor benefits, and (3) certain disability benefits available from the Connecticut State Firefighters Association.

To be eligible, the firefighter must be diagnosed with certain cancers, and (1) have shown no sign of cancer at a medical evaluation after entering into service, (2) not have smoked cigarettes for 15-years prior to the cancer diagnosis, (3) been employed for at least five years in certain firefighting positions, and (4) have submitted to annual medical screenings as recommended by their medical provider.

Beginning January 1, 2027, the account will be funded by a five cent per month fee, per service line, on each subscriber to a telephone service provider (including cell phone and Internet phone service providers, but not for certain prepaid cell phone services).

Related Bills sHB 5460, §§ 10 & 11, favorably reported by the Public Safety and Security Committee, (1) requires the state comptroller to establish and maintain a new unit to coordinate and spread information on public benefits available to firefighters, including fallen hero fund claims, and (2) correspondingly shifts, from the state treasurer to the state comptroller, responsibility for reimbursing employers for survivors health insurance benefits from the firefighters cancer relief account.

sHB 5003, §§ 11 & 12 favorably reported by the Labor and Public sSB410 / File No.

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sHB 5403, favorably reported by the Public Safety and Security Committee, (1) expands partnership plan coverage to survivors of unpaid volunteer firefighters killed in the line of duty and (2) requires nonstate public employers to apply for partnership plan coverage for survivors of first responders or unpaid volunteer firefighters even if they were not employees of the non-state public employer at the time of their death.

COMMITTEE ACTION Public Safety and Security Committee Joint Favorable Yea 29 Nay 0 (03/17/2026) sSB410 / File No.

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