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SB26-184 • 2026

Firefighter Cancer Benefits & Workers' Compensation

Currently, the 'Workers' Compensation Act of Colorado' provides that certain cancers contracted by firefighters are considered occupational diseases presumed to have been a result of the firefighters'

Healthcare Labor Technology
Vetoed

The latest official action shows the governor vetoed this bill. Check the bill history to see whether lawmakers later overrode that veto.

Sponsor
Sen. M. Ball, Sen. R. Rodriguez, Rep. M. Carter, Rep. J. Mabrey, Sen. A. Benavidez, Sen. J. Coleman, Sen. L. Cutter, Sen. J. Danielson, Sen. T. Exum, Sen. J. Gonzales, Sen. C. Kipp, Sen. C. Kolker, Sen. W. Lindstedt, Sen. J. Marchman, Sen. K. Mullica, Sen. T. Sullivan, Sen. K. Wallace, Sen. M. Weissman, Rep. J. Bacon, Rep. A. Boesenecker, Rep. S. Camacho, Rep. M. Duran, Rep. L. García, Rep. E. Hamrick, Rep. J. Jackson, Rep. S. Lieder, Rep. M. Lindsay, Rep. K. Nguyen, Rep. N. Ricks, Rep. M. Rutinel, Rep. E. Sirota, Rep. T. Story, Rep. A. Valdez, Rep. E. Velasco, Rep. J. Willford, Rep. Y. Zokaie
Last action
2026-06-03
Official status
Governor Vetoed
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Firefighter Cancer Benefits & Workers' Compensation

Currently, the 'Workers' Compensation Act of Colorado' provides that certain cancers contracted by firefighters are considered occupational diseases presumed to have been a result of the firefighters' employment.

What This Bill Does

  • Currently, the 'Workers' Compensation Act of Colorado' provides that certain cancers contracted by firefighters are considered occupational diseases presumed to have been a result of the firefighters' employment.
  • A firefighter's employer or an insurer may rebut this presumption by showing by a preponderance of the medical evidence that the cancer did not occur on the job.
  • The act expands the types of cancer that are considered occupational diseases and strengthens the rebuttable presumption to require an employer to show clear and convincing evidence that the cancer did not occur on the job.
  • The act exempts firefighters who are employed by the state.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

H.001

Committee of the Whole

Lost

Plain English: AMENDMENT TO REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE SB184_H.001 DATE 5/11/2026 Representative Woog moved to amend the Report of the Committee of the Whole to reverse the action taken by the Committee in not adopting the following Woog amendment, (L.016) to SB26-184, to show that said amendment passed and that SB26-184, as amended, passed.

  • AMENDMENT TO REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE SB184_H.001 DATE 5/11/2026 Representative Woog moved to amend the Report of the Committee of the Whole to reverse the action taken by the Committee in not adopting the following Woog amendment, (L.016) to SB26-184, to show that said amendment passed and that SB26-184, as amended, passed.
  • Amend reengrossed bill, page 6, after line 22 insert: "(5) THE STATE SHALL BACKFILL ANY LOCAL ENTITIES OR FIRE DISTRICTS THAT EXPERIENCE INCREASED COSTS AS A RESULT OF THIS SENATE BILL 26-184.".
  • ** *** ** *** **
L.006

HOU State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs

Lost

Plain English: SB184_L.006 HOUSE COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE AMENDMENT Committee on State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs.

  • SB184_L.006 HOUSE COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE AMENDMENT Committee on State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs.
  • SB26-184 be amended as follows: 1 Amend reengrossed bill, page 5, line 12, strike "EMPLOYER, OTHER THAN 2 THE STATE," and substitute "EMPLOYER".
  • 3 Page 5, after line 18 insert: 4 "(III) A HAZARDOUS MATERIALS TROOPER, AS DEFINED IN SECTION 5 29-5-402 (4.5);".
  • 6 Renumber succeeding subparagraphs accordingly.
L.001

SEN Business, Labor, & Technology

Passed [*]

Plain English: SB184_L.001 SENATE COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE AMENDMENT Committee on Business, Labor, & Technology.

  • SB184_L.001 SENATE COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE AMENDMENT Committee on Business, Labor, & Technology.
  • SB26-184 be amended as follows: 1 Amend printed bill, page 5, line 12, strike "EMPLOYER" and substitute 2 "EMPLOYER, OTHER THAN THE STATE,".
  • 3 Page 5, strike lines 19 and 20.
  • 4 Renumber succeeding subparagraphs accordingly.
L.011

Second Reading

Passed [**]

Plain English: SB184_L.011 Amendment No.

  • SB184_L.011 Amendment No.
  • ___________ SB26-184 HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENT Second Reading BY REPRESENTATIVE Mabrey 1 Amend reengrossed bill, page 6, strike lines 23 through 27 and substitute: 2 "(5) (a) THIS SECTION DOES NOT AFFECT ANY DETERMINATION AS 3 TO WHETHER THE CANCER IS COVERED UNDER THE VOLUNTARY 4 FIREFIGHTER CANCER BENEFITS PROGRAM CREATED IN PART 4 OF ARTICLE 5 5 OF TITLE 29.
  • 6 (b) IF A FIREFIGHTER IS ELIGIBLE FOR BENEFITS UNDER THIS 7 SECTION AND PART 4 OF ARTICLE 5 OF TITLE 29, THE OFFSET PROVISIONS 8 OF SECTION 8-42-103 (1)(h) AND 29-5-403 (10) APPLY.".
  • 9 Page 7, strike lines 1 and 2.
L.013

Second Reading

Passed [**]

Plain English: SB184_L.013 Amendment No.

  • SB184_L.013 Amendment No.
  • ___________ SB26-184 HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENT Second Reading BY REPRESENTATIVE Mabrey 1 Amend reengrossed bill, page 3, strike lines 19 through 27 and substitute: 2 "(I) MESOTHELIOMA; 3 (II) BLADDER CANCER; 4 (III) COLON CANCER; 5 (IV) PROSTATE CANCER; 6 (V) TESTICULAR CANCER; 7 (VI) MELANOMA OF THE SKIN; 8 (VII) NON-HODGKIN LYMPHOMA; 9 (VIII) LUNG CANCER; 10 (IX) KIDNEY CANCER; 11 (X) LEUKEMIA; 12 (XI) MULTIPLE MYELOMA; 13 (XII) ESOPHAGEAL CANCER; 14 (XIII) BRAIN CANCER; 15 (XIV) DIGESTIVE CANCER; 16 (XV) GENITOURINARY CANCER; 17 (XVI) SKIN CANCER; 18 (XVII) THYROID CANCER; 19 (XVIII) BREAST CANCER; AND 20 (XIX) REPRODUCTIVE CANCER.".
  • 21 Strike page 4.
  • 22 Page 5, strike line 1.
L.014

Second Reading

Passed [**]

Plain English: SB184_L.014 Amendment No.

  • SB184_L.014 Amendment No.
  • ___________ SB26-184 HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENT Second Reading BY REPRESENTATIVE Mabrey 1 Amend reengrossed bill, page 2, line 5, strike "neurotoxins,".
  • 2 Page 2, lines 6 and 7, strike "cancer and neurological disease;" and 3 substitute "cancer;".
  • 4 Page 2, line 13, strike "Parkinson's disease,".
L.016

Second Reading

Lost [**]

Plain English: SB184_L.016 Amendment No.

  • SB184_L.016 Amendment No.
  • ___________ SB26-184 HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENT Second Reading BY REPRESENTATIVE Woog 1 Amend reengrossed bill, page 6, after line 22 insert: 2 "(5) THE STATE SHALL BACKFILL ANY LOCAL ENTITIES OR FIRE 3 DISTRICTS THAT EXPERIENCE INCREASED COSTS AS A RESULT OF THIS 4 SENATE BILL 26-184.".
  • ** *** ** *** ** LLS: Yelana Love x2295
L.017

Second Reading

Passed [**]

Plain English: SB184_L.017 Amendment No.

  • SB184_L.017 Amendment No.
  • ___________ SB26-184 HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENT Second Reading BY REPRESENTATIVE Carter 1 Amend reengrossed bill, page 3, strike lines 14 and 15 and substitute: 2 "(1) THE SHORT TITLE OF THIS SECTION IS THE "RUBEN LEWIS SIMS 3 JR.
  • ACT".".
  • ** *** ** *** ** LLS: Yelana Love x2295
L.018

Second Reading

Passed [**]

Plain English: SB184_L.018 Amendment No.

  • SB184_L.018 Amendment No.
  • ___________ SB26-184 HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENT Second Reading BY REPRESENTATIVE Espenoza 1 Amend reengrossed bill, page 5, line 5, strike "EMPLOYMENT" and 2 substitute "EMPLOYMENT, INCLUDING EMPLOYMENT WITH THE STATE,".
  • ** *** ** *** ** LLS: Yelana Love x2295

Bill History

  1. 2026-06-03 Governor

    Governor Vetoed

  2. 2026-05-27 Governor

    Sent to the Governor

  3. 2026-05-26 House

    Signed by the Speaker of the House

  4. 2026-05-26 Senate

    Signed by the President of the Senate

  5. 2026-05-13 Senate

    Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass

  6. 2026-05-12 House

    House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments

  7. 2026-05-11 House

    House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Floor

  8. 2026-05-09 House

    House Committee on State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole

  9. 2026-05-07 House

    Introduced In House - Assigned to State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs

  10. 2026-05-07 Senate

    Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments

  11. 2026-05-06 Senate

    Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee

  12. 2026-05-05 Senate

    Senate Committee on Business, Labor, & Technology Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole

  13. 2026-04-29 Senate

    Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Business, Labor, & Technology

Official Summary Text

Currently, the 'Workers' Compensation Act of Colorado' provides that certain cancers contracted by firefighters are considered occupational diseases presumed to have been a result of the firefighters' employment. A firefighter's employer or an insurer may rebut this presumption by showing by a preponderance of the medical evidence that the cancer did not occur on the job.
The act expands the types of cancer that are considered occupational diseases and strengthens the rebuttable presumption to require an employer to show clear and convincing evidence that the cancer did not occur on the job.
The act exempts firefighters who are employed by the state.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)