AN ACT CONCERNING FIREFIGHTER CANCER.

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 410
February Session, 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING FIREFIGHTER CANCER.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 3 -122a of the 2026 supplement to the general 1
statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 2
(Effective July 1, 2026): 3
(a) For purposes of this section: 4
(1) "Dependent child" means a child, whether by blood or adoption, 5
of a first responder who (A) is under the age of twenty -two and was 6
dependent on the earnings of such first responder at the time of such 7
first responder's death, provided a child shall not be considered 8
dependent if such child provides more than half of such child's own 9
support, is married or is legally adopted by another person, or (B) is any 10
age and is physically or mentally incapacitated and was dependent on 11
the earnings of such first responder at the time of such first responder's 12
death. 13
(2) "Emergency medical technician" has the same meaning as 14
provided in section 20-206jj. 15
(3) "Firefighter" has the same meaning as provided in section 7-313g. 16
(4) "Firefighter cancer death" means the death of a firefighter who (A) 17
was diagnosed with any condition of cancer affecting the skin, brain, 18
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skeletal system, digestive system, endocrine system, respiratory system, 19
lymphatic system, reproductive system, urinary system or 20
hematological system resulting in such firefighter's death, and (B) 21
would be entitled to compensation or benefits pursuant to section 7 -22
313p. 23
[(4)] (5) "First responder" means an emergency medical technician, 24
firefighter, paramedic or police officer. 25
[(5)] (6) "Killed in the line of duty" means the death of a first 26
responder while engaged in the performance of such first responder's 27
duties, resulting from an incident, an accident or violence that caused 28
such death or caused injuries that were the direct or proximate cause of 29
such first responder's death, including any (A) death that is determined 30
to be occupationally related by a workers' compensation insurance 31
carrier, an employer to whom a certificate of self -insurance has been 32
issued pursuant to section 31 -248 or an administrative law judge for 33
workers' compensation purposes under chapter 568 , and (B) firefighter 34
cancer death. "Killed in the line of duty" does not include the death of a 35
first responder through such first responder's own wanton or wilful act. 36
[(6)] (7) "Paramedic" has the same meaning as provided in section 20-37
206jj. 38
[(7)] (8) "Police officer" has the same meaning as provided in section 39
7-294a. 40
[(8)] (9) "Surviving family" means any person who is a surviving 41
spouse, surviving dependent child, surviving child who is not a 42
dependent child or surviving parent of a first responder killed in the line 43
of duty, or a surviving individual listed on such first responder's most 44
recent beneficiary form on file with such first responder's employer. 45
(b) (1) There is established a fund to be known as the "Fallen Hero 46
Fund", which shall be a separate, nonlapsing fund . The fund may 47
contain any moneys required by law to be deposited in the fund . [and 48
shall be held by the Treasurer separate and apart from all other moneys, 49
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funds and accounts. ] The interest derived from the investment of the 50
fund shall be credited to the fund. [Amounts] Except as provided in 51
subdivision (2) of this subsection, amounts in the fund may be expended 52
by the Comptroller for purposes of payments pursuant to subsection (c) 53
of this section and reimbursement of municipalities pursuant to 54
subdivision (2) of subsection (c) of section 3-123eee, as amended by this 55
act. [Any balance remaining in the fund at the end of any fiscal year shall 56
be carried forward in the fund for the fiscal year next succeeding.] 57
(2) Any payment made pursuant to subsection (c) of this section or 58
reimbursement provided to a municipality pursuant to subdivision (2) 59
of subsection (c) of section 3 -123eee, as amended by this act, due to a 60
firefighter cancer death shall be paid from the firefighters cancer relief 61
account established pursuant to section 7-313h. 62
(c) (1) After receiving notice, in a form and manner as determined by 63
the Comptroller, from an individual who is a member of the surviving 64
family of a first responder who was killed in the line of duty, the 65
Comptroller shall pay, within available appropriations, a lump sum 66
death benefit totaling one hundred thousand dollars from the fund 67
established [in] pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of this 68
section to such surviving family, in accordance with regulations 69
adopted pursuant to subsection (e) of this section, provided the 70
surviving family of a first responder killed in the line of duty shall not 71
receive more than one such lump sum death benefit. Payments shall be 72
made to surviving families in the order in which notices are received 73
until the amount in such fund is depleted. 74
(2) Any payment made pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection 75
shall be in addition to any other benefits for which individuals of such 76
first responder's surviving family are eligible and such payments shall 77
not be reduced or offset due to any other benefits, including, but not 78
limited to, workers' compensation or other survivor benefits. 79
(3) Any person who would be entitled to compensation or benefits 80
pursuant to section 7 -313p on or after October 1, 2023, due to a 81
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firefighter cancer death shall be entitled to payment pursuant to 82
subdivision (1) of this subsection, provided such person otherwise 83
satisfies all requirements of this section necessary to receive such 84
payment. 85
(d) Not later than July 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, the 86
Comptroller shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of 87
section 11-4a, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly 88
having cognizance of matters relating to public safety and security. Such 89
report shall include a list of all expenditures made from the fund 90
established [by] pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of this 91
section during the prior year and from the firefighters cancer relief 92
account established pursuant to section 7 -313h, the current balance of 93
such fund and account and information regarding additional amounts 94
needed for such fund or account. 95
(e) The Comptroller shall adopt regulations in accordance with the 96
provisions of chapter 54 to implement the provisions of this section, 97
including, but not limited to, application procedures and criteria for 98
awarding grants among individuals who are members of the surviving 99
family, with priority given to awards that would benefit a dependent 100
child or children and a spouse who is a member of the surviving family. 101
The Comptroller may implement policies and procedures necessary to 102
implement the provisions of this section while in the process of adopting 103
such regulations, provided notice of intent to adopt such regulations is 104
published on the eRegulations System not later than twenty days after 105
the date of implementation of such policies and procedures. Any 106
policies and procedures implemented under this subsection shall be 107
valid until the time such regulations are adopted. 108
Sec. 2. Section 3-123aaa of the 2026 supplement to the general statutes 109
is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 110
1, 2026): 111
As used in this section and sections 3-123bbb to 3-123hhh, inclusive: 112
(1) "Firefighter cancer death" has the same meaning as provided in 113
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section 3-122a, as amended by this act. 114
[(1)] (2) "First responder" has the same meaning as provided in 115
section 3-122a, as amended by this act. [;] 116
[(2)] (3) "Health Care Cost Containment Committee" means the 117
committee established in accordance with the ratified agreement 118
between the state and the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition 119
pursuant to subsection (f) of section 5-278. 120
[(3)] (4) "Killed in the line of duty" has the same meaning as provided 121
in section 3-122a, as amended by this act. 122
[(4)] (5) "Nonprofit employee" means any employee of a nonprofit 123
employer. 124
[(5)] (6) "Nonprofit employer" means (A) a nonprofit corporation, 125
organized under 26 USC 501, as amended from time to time, that (i) has 126
a purchase of service contract, as defined in section 4-70b, or (ii) receives 127
fifty per cent or more of its gross annual revenue from grants or funding 128
from the state, the federal government or a municipality or any 129
combination thereof, or (B) an organization that is tax exempt pursuant 130
to 26 USC 501(c)(5), as amended from time to time. 131
[(6)] (7) "Nonstate public employee" means any employee or elected 132
officer of a nonstate public employer. 133
[(7)] (8) "Nonstate public employer" means a municipality or other 134
political subdivision of the state, including a board of education, quasi-135
public agency or public library. A municipality and a board of education 136
may be considered separate employers. 137
[(8)] (9) "Partnership plan" means a health care benefit plan offered 138
by the Comptroller to (A) nonstate public employers or nonprofit 139
employers pursuant to section 3 -123bbb, (B) graduate assistants at The 140
University of Connecticut and The University of Connecticut Health 141
Center, (C) postdoctoral trainees at The University of Connecticut and 142
The University of Connecticut Health Center, (D) graduate fellows at 143
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The University of Connecticut and The University of Connecticut 144
Health Center, and (E) graduate students of The University of 145
Connecticut participating in university -funded internships as part of 146
their graduate program. 147
[(9)] (10) "State employee plan" means a self -insured group health 148
care benefits plan established under subsection (m) of section 5-259. 149
Sec. 3. Subsection (c) of section 3-123eee of the 2026 supplement to the 150
general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 151
thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 152
(c) (1) Each employer shall pay monthly the amount determined by 153
the Comptroller, pursuant to this section, for coverage of its employees 154
or its employees and retirees, as appropriate, under a partnership plan. 155
An employer may require each covered employee to contribute a 156
portion of the cost of such employee's coverage under the plan, subject 157
to any collective bargaining obligation applicable to such employer, 158
provided no contribution may be required of an individual receiving 159
coverage as described in subsection (i) of section 3-123bbb. 160
(2) An employer making payments pursuant to subdivision (1) of this 161
subsection for coverage under a partnership plan of an individual or 162
individuals described in subsection (i) of section 3 -123bbb shall be 163
reimbursed by the Comptroller for the total cost of such payments from 164
the Fallen Hero Fund established pursuant to subsection (b) of section 165
3-122a, as amended by this act, except, if the reimbursement is due to a 166
firefighter cancer death, such reimbursement shall be reimbursed from 167
the firefighters cancer relief account established pursuant to section 7 -168
313h. 169
Sec. 4. Subsection (j) of section 10a-105 of the 2026 supplement to the 170
general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 171
thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 172
(j) Said board of trustees may provide health care coverage for 173
graduate assistants, postdoctoral trainees, graduate fellows and 174
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graduate student interns identified in subdivision [(8)] (9) of section 3-175
123aaa, as amended by this act, by enrolling such individuals in a 176
partnership plan as defined in section 3-123aaa, as amended by this act. 177
All premiums and expenses resulting from the participation of such 178
individuals in the partnership plan shall be paid by the university. No 179
such premiums or expenses shall be charged to the General Fund. 180
Sec. 5. (Effective July 1, 2026) Not later than October 1, 2026, the State 181
Fire Marshal shall establish a one -year pilot program to reimburse 182
firefighters, as defined in section 7 -313g of the general statutes, who 183
receive screening for cancers common to firefighters. The State Fire 184
Marshal shall consult with a nonprofit organization with expertise in the 185
field of cancer screening to determine which cancer screenings shall 186
qualify for reimbursement pursuant to the pilot program. The pilot 187
program shall be operated in one municipality with a population that is 188
serviced by a volunteer fire department and one municipality with a 189
population that is serviced by a paid fire department. On and after the 190
effective date of this section, the State Fire Marshal shall accept 191
applications from municipalities for participation in the pilot program, 192
in a form and manner prescribed by the State Fire Marshal. Not later 193
than January 1, 2028, the State Fire Marshal shall submit a report on the 194
results of the pilot program, including any recommendations for 195
continuation or expansion of the pilot program, to the joint standing 196
committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 197
relating to public safety and security, in accordance with the provisions 198
of section 11-4a of the general statutes. 199
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 July 1, 2026 3-122a
Sec. 2 July 1, 2026 3-123aaa
Sec. 3 July 1, 2026 3-123eee(c)
Sec. 4 July 1, 2026 10a-105(j)
Sec. 5 July 1, 2026 New section

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PS Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO
APP Joint Favorable