Cancer coverage under First Responders Health and Safety Act; extend eligibility.

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To: Insurance;
Appropriations
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) Carter

SENATE BILL NO. 2030

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 25-15-405, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, 1
TO PROVIDE THAT CANCER BENEFITS UNDER THE "MISSISSIPPI FIRST 2
RESPONDERS HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT" SHALL BE APPLICABLE TO ACTIVE 3
FIRST RESPONDERS AND CERTAIN RETIRED FIRST RESPONDERS; AND FOR 4
RELATED PURPOSES. 5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 6
SECTION 1. Section 25-15-405, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 7
amended as follows: 8
25-15-405. (1) As an alternative to pursuing workers' 9
compensation benefits, upon a diagnosis of cancer, a first 10
responder is entitled to the following benefits: 11
(a) Provided the diagnosis occurs on or after the first 12
responder's effective date of coverage, a lump-sum benefit of 13
Thirty-five Thousand Dollars ($35,000.00) of coverage for each 14
diagnosis payable to the first responder upon acceptable proof to 15
the insurance carrier or other payor of a diagnosis by a 16
board-certified physician in the medical specialty appropriate for 17
the type of cancer diagnosed * * * that there are one or more 18
malignant tumors characterized by the uncontrollable and abnormal 19
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growth and spread of malignant cells with invasion of normal 20
tissue and that either: 21
(i) There is metastasis, and surgery, radiotherapy 22
or chemotherapy is medically necessary; 23
(ii) There is a tumor of the prostate, provided 24
that it is treated with radical prostatectomy or external beam 25
therapy; or 26
(iii) The first responder has terminal cancer, his 27
or her life expectancy is twenty-four (24) months or less from the 28
date of diagnosis, and will not benefit from, or has exhausted, 29
curative therapy. 30
(b) Provided the diagnosis occurs on or after the first 31
responder's effective date of coverage, a lump-sum benefit of Six 32
Thousand Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($6,250.00) for each diagnosis 33
payable to the first responder upon acceptable proof to the 34
insurance carrier or other payor of a diagnosis by a 35
board-certified physician in the medical specialty appropriate for 36
the type of cancer involved that: 37
(i) There is carcinoma in situ such that surgery, 38
radiotherapy or chemotherapy has been determined to be medically 39
necessary; 40
(ii) There are malignant tumors which are treated 41
by endoscopic procedures alone; or 42
(iii) There are malignant melanomas. 43
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(c) The combined total of benefits received by any 44
first responder under paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subsection 45
(1) during his or her lifetime shall not exceed Fifty Thousand 46
Dollars ($50,000.00). 47
(d) Provided the date of disability occurs on or after 48
the first responder's effective date of coverage, a disability 49
benefit payable as a result of a specific cancer to begin six (6) 50
months after the date of disability and submission to the 51
insurance carrier or other payor of acceptable proof of disability 52
caused by the specified disease or events such that the illness 53
precludes the first responder from serving as a first responder: 54
(i) For nonvolunteer first responders, a monthly 55
benefit equal to sixty percent (60%) of the first responder's 56
monthly salary as an employed first responder with a fire or 57
police department or a monthly benefit of Five Thousand Dollars 58
($5,000.00), whichever is less, of which the first payment shall 59
be made six (6) months after the total disability and shall 60
continue for thirty-six (36) consecutive monthly payments unless 61
the first responder regains the ability to perform his or her 62
duties as determined by reevaluation under subparagraph (iv) of 63
this paragraph, at which time the payments shall cease the last 64
day of the month of reevaluation; 65
(ii) For volunteer firefighters, a monthly benefit 66
of One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00) of which the 67
first payment shall be made six (6) months after the total 68
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disability and shall continue for thirty-six (36) consecutive 69
monthly payments unless the first responder regains the ability to 70
perform his or her duties as determined by reevaluation under 71
subparagraph (iv) of this paragraph, at which time the payments 72
shall cease the last day of the month of reevaluation; 73
(iii) Such monthly benefit shall be subordinate to 74
any other benefit actually paid to the first responder solely for 75
such disability from any other source, not including private 76
insurance purchased solely by the first responder; 77
(iv) Any first responder receiving the monthly 78
benefits may be required to have his or her condition reevaluated. 79
In the event any such reevaluation reveals that such person has 80
regained the ability to perform duties as a first responder, then 81
his or her monthly benefits shall cease the last day of the month 82
of reevaluation; and 83
(v) In the event that there is a subsequent 84
recurrence of a disability caused by a specified cancer, which 85
precludes the first responder from serving as a first responder, 86
he or she shall be entitled to receive any remaining monthly 87
payments. 88
(e) An eligible first responder who dies as a result of 89
a compensable type of cancer, or circumstances arising out of the 90
treatment of a compensable type of cancer, but does not submit 91
sufficient proof of claim prior to the first responder's death, is 92
entitled to receive benefits specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) 93
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ST: Cancer coverage under First Responders
Health and Safety Act; extend eligibility.
of this subsection (1) and made available to the deceased first 94
responder's beneficiary or beneficiaries. 95
(f) Any first responder who was simultaneously a member 96
of more than one (1) fire or police department at the time of 97
diagnosis shall not be entitled to receive benefits from or on 98
behalf of more than one (1) fire or police department. The first 99
responder's primary place of employment shall maintain coverage 100
for the eligible first responder; * * * 101
(g) An otherwise eligible first responder shall be 102
precluded from the benefits listed under this section if he or she 103
has filed for workers' compensation for the same diagnosis of 104
cancer * * *; and 105
(h) An active first responder and a first responder who 106
retired on July 1, 2020, through July 1, 2026, shall be entitled 107
to cancer coverage benefits under this section. In addition, any 108
first responder who retired after July 1, 2026, shall be entitled 109
to cancer coverage benefits under this section for up to five (5) 110
years following the first responder's retirement. Retired first 111
responders shall not be entitled to disability benefits under 112
subsection (1)(d) of this section. 113
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 114
and after its passage. 115