LD784 • 2025

An Act to Create a Rebuttable Presumption Related to Specialized Risk Screening for First Responders

Healthcare Labor

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Senator Donna Bailey
Last action: 2026-01-11
Official status: Became Law without Governor's Signature
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify the exact effective date of when this act will start applying to health insurance decisions.

Act for Special Health Screening Protection for First Responders

This act creates a presumption that health insurance companies must cover certain medical tests recommended by doctors for first responders if these tests could prevent future health issues.

What This Bill Does

Defines 'first responder' as an employee or volunteer of a state, county, or municipal government entity providing fire, emergency medical, communications, correctional, or police services.
Lists specific types of medical tests that fall under 'specialized risk screening', including cancer screenings and blood tests.
Adds a presumption that health insurance companies must cover these specialized risk screenings if a first responder's doctor determines they are medically appropriate and have potential preventive clinical benefits.

Who It Names or Affects

First responders, including firefighters, emergency medical personnel, police officers, correctional workers, and others who provide similar services for government entities.
Health insurance companies that make coverage decisions for first responders.

Terms To Know

first responder: An employee or volunteer of a state, county, or municipal government entity providing fire, emergency medical, communications, correctional, or police services.
specialized risk screening: Specific medically accepted tests that include cancer screenings and blood tests for first responders.

Limits and Unknowns

The act does not specify the exact effective date of when it will start applying to health insurance decisions.
It is unclear how this presumption might affect insurance costs or coverage limits in practice.

Amendments

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

C-A (S-95)

Adopted by House & Senate

Plain English: Page 1 - 132LR0577(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.

Page 1 - 132LR0577(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.
784 2 Date: (Filing No.
S- ) 3HEALTH COVERAGE, INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES 4 Reproduced and distributed under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate.
5STATE OF MAINE 6SENATE 7132ND LEGISLATURE 8FIRST SPECIAL SESSION 9 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “ ” to S.P.

Bill History

2026-01-11 Governor
Became Law without Governor's Signature
2025-07-08 Senate
HELD BY THE GOVERNOR.
2025-05-28 House
PASSED TO BE ENACTED . Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
2025-05-15 Committee
Reported Out; OTP-AM/REFERRED
2025-04-09 Committee
Work Session Held
2025-04-09 Committee
Voted; Divided Report
2025-03-19 Committee
Work Session Held; TABLED
2025-02-27 Committee
Referred to Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services.

Official Summary Text

An Act to Create a Rebuttable Presumption Related to Specialized Risk Screening for First Responders
Sponsor:
Senator Donna Bailey
Reference committee:
Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services
Governor action:
Became Law without Governor's Signature

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Page 1 - 132LR0577(03)
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
_____
S.P. 343 - L.D. 784
An Act to Create a Rebuttable Presumption Related to Specialized Risk
Screening for First Responders
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 24-A MRSA §4301-A, sub-§5-B is enacted to read:
5-B. First responder. "First responder" means an employee or occasional employee
of a state, county or municipal government entity or volunteer of a state, county or
municipal government entity that provides or has the authority to provide fire, emergency
medical, emergency communications, correctional or police services.
Sec. 2. 24-A MRSA §4301-A, sub-§19-A is enacted to read:
19-A. Specialized risk screening. "Specialized risk screening" means any of the
following standard, medically accepted tests:
A. Tests for evidence of any cancer with a known employment-related risk of exposure
for a first responder;
B. Blood tests, including tests conducted for a complete blood count, comprehensive
metabolic panel, renal panel and hepatic panel;
C. Mammography, colonoscopy or prostate examinations regardless of the age of the
person who is the subject of the examination;
D. Tests of any measure of serum activity of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase
enzyme A2, oxidized low-density lipoprotein or additional indicators of endovascular
inflammation; or
E. Tests to measure vitamin deficiencies, nutritional deficits and mineral levels.
Sec. 3. 24-A MRSA §4313, sub-§15 is enacted to read:
15. Rebuttable presumption. In a cause of action under this section or under Title
18-C, section 2-807 as permitted under subsection 14, there is a rebuttable presumption
that a carrier has failed to exercise ordinary care when making an adverse health care
treatment decision to deny coverage under a health plan for covered specialized risk
screening for an enrollee who is a first responder and whose provider has determined the
LAW WITHOUT
GOVERNOR'S
SIGNATURE

JANUARY 11, 2026
CHAPTER
531
PUBLIC LAW
Page 2 - 132LR0577(03)
enrollee's receipt of specialized risk screening is medically appropriate and has meaningful
potential for preventive clinical benefit to the enrollee.
Sec. 4. Application. This Act applies to an adverse health care treatment decision
made by a carrier, as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 24-A, section 4301-A,
subsection 3, on or after the effective date of this Act.