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HB 276

Align Benefits for Firefighters with Cancer.

2025-2026 Session Introduced by Eric Ager and 69 co-sponsors

Expands line‑of‑duty death protections for firefighters by including severe firefighting cancers and confirming pilot benefits as permanent under the Firefighters’ Cancer Insurance

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Bill Summary · HB 276

Summary — HB 276 (2025) — "Align Benefits for Firefighters with Cancer"

Status: Introduced (First Edition filed); effective date in bill: July 1, 2025. Applies to qualifying deaths on or after that date.

Main purpose

HB 276 expands line‑of‑duty death protections and associated benefits for firefighters by (1) expressly including a broader set of firefighting‑related cancers in the statutory “killed in the line of duty” definition and (2) ensuring that firefighters who participated in the Firefighters’ Health Benefits Pilot Program are treated as beneficiaries of the permanent Firefighters’ Cancer Insurance Program. The bill also provides an initial appropriation to support benefits payable under the Public Safety Employees’ Death Benefits Act related to implementation.

Key provisions

  • Amends G.S. 143‑166.2(6)(e) (Public Safety Employees’ Death Benefits Act) to treat a firefighter as “killed in the line of duty” when death is the direct and proximate result of specified cancers occupationally related to firefighting. The bill lists mesothelioma, testicular cancer, small intestine cancer, esophageal cancer, oral cavity cancer, pharynx cancer, and adds:
    • “Any cancer diagnosis that qualified the firefighter for benefits under the Firefighters’ Cancer Insurance Program … and because of which benefits under that program were received.”
  • Adds a new section to Article 86A of Chapter 58 (Firefighters’ Cancer Insurance Program):
    • § 58‑86A‑10: Any firefighter who received a benefit under the Firefighters’ Health Benefits Pilot Program shall be deemed to have received benefits under the (permanent) Firefighters’ Cancer Insurance Program.
  • Clarifies/rewrites portions of the Firefighters’ Cancer Insurance Program statute (G.S. 58‑86A‑1 and 58‑86A‑2) to establish the program as a permanent continuation of the pilot, require administration by the Office of the State Fire Marshal (via contract with a third‑party administrator), and permit up to 10% of program appropriations to be used for reasonable administrative expenses.
  • Appropriation: $2,000,000 recurring per year for each year of the 2025–2027 fiscal biennium to the Department of State Treasurer, to be used for benefits payable under the Public Safety Employees’ Death Benefits Act related to implementation of this act.

Who is affected

  • Firefighters (and their survivors) whose cancers qualify under the listed cancers or who previously received benefits under the pilot program — they can be presumed to have been “killed in the line of duty” for death‑benefit purposes.
  • Office of the State Fire Marshal (administration responsibilities) and the Department of State Treasurer (payment of death benefits).
  • State budget (initial appropriation and potential future benefit/administrative expenditures).

Fiscal and implementation notes

  • The bill appropriates $2 million recurring annually (2025–27 biennium) to support implementation; longer‑term fiscal exposure depends on the number of qualifying deaths and ongoing benefit claims.
  • Administrative implementation requires the Office of the State Fire Marshal to contract with a third‑party administrator and may use up to 10% of program funds for administration.
  • Effective date: July 1, 2025; applies to qualifying deaths occurring on or after that date.

Legislative posture / process items

  • Introduced as a public bill addressing firefighter benefits and death‑benefit eligibility.
  • Text amends G.S. 143‑166.2 (Public Safety Employees’ Death Benefits Act) and Article 86A of Chapter 58 (Firefighters’ Cancer Insurance Program), and includes the specified appropriation.

If you want, I can:
- Extract the exact statutory language changes side‑by‑side with current statute text, or
- Estimate longer‑term fiscal exposure under various claim scenarios.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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