Mandates access to periodic cancer screening examinations for volunteer firefighters; increases tax on fire insurance premiums.

S3866

SENATE, No. 3866

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 10, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� VIN GOPAL

District 11 (Monmouth)

Senator� CARMEN F. AMATO, JR.

District 9 (Ocean)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senator Steinhardt

SYNOPSIS

���� Mandates access to periodic cancer screening
examinations for volunteer firefighters; increases tax on fire insurance
premiums.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

mandating access to periodic cancer screening
examinations for volunteer firefighters, supplementing
Title
40A of the New Jersey Statutes,
and amending R.S.54:18-8.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� (New section)� a.� A
volunteer firefighter serving in this State shall be allowed to be reimbursed
for a cancer screening examination conducted by a physician, which would not
otherwise be covered by the volunteer firefighter�s health insurance, not less
than five years after the start of service as volunteer firefighter and every
three years thereafter during the course of the firefighter's volunteer service.�
The examination shall include screening for, at a minimum and when applicable,
the following cancers:

���� (1)�� colon;

���� (2)�� lung;

���� (3)�� bladder;

���� (4)�� oral;

���� (5)�� thyroid;

���� (6)�� skin;

���� (7)�� blood;

���� (8)�� breast;

���� (9)�� cervical;

���� (10)� testicular; and

���� (11)� prostate.

���� b.��� Subsection a. of this
section shall apply to a volunteer firefighter as occupational coverage.� For
the purpose of this subsection, serving as a volunteer firefighter shall be a
pre-existing condition.

���� c.���� Notwithstanding the
provisions of any other law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, beginning
January 1, 2023 and for each year thereafter, a volunteer firefighter shall be
eligible for reimbursement from the State for the cost of any examination provided
pursuant to this section; provided, however, at no time shall the cost being
reimbursed to the volunteer firefighter for the full examination required under
subsection a. of this section exceed $1,250 per three-year period, which shall
be accordingly adjusted to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index compiled
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for Medical Care.

���� No co-payment, deductible,
coinsurance, or out-of-pocket expense shall be required for such examinations.

���� A volunteer firefighter shall
provide adequate records, consistent with guidance developed by the Director of
the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community
Affairs, to facilitate the reimbursement authorized pursuant to this
subsection.

���� For the purpose of this
subsection, serving as a volunteer firefighter shall be a pre-existing
condition.� There shall be an appropriation from the State General Fund in each
annual appropriations act of such funds as necessary for the purposes of this section.�
The Director of the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of
Community Affairs shall annually submit a request for an appropriation in an
amount necessary to provide the reimbursements required pursuant to this
section.

���� d.��� There is established a
nonlapsing, revolving fund in the Department of Community Affairs, which shall
be the repository for monies appropriated pursuant to subsection c. of this
section and revenue collected pursuant to R.S.54:18-8.� The purpose of the fund
is to provide reimbursement to a volunteer firefighter serving in this State
for costs associated to implementing this section.

���� 2.��� R.S.54:18-8 is amended
to read as follows:

���� 54:18-8.� All monies received
by the Treasurer of the New Jersey State Firemen's Association from the
[
2%
]

two and
one tenth of a percent
tax on fire insurance premiums paid by insurance
companies not organized in this State, on behalf of municipalities or fire
districts which do not have a duly incorporated local firemen's relief
association affiliated with the State Association under R.S.43:17-2 et seq.,
shall be dedicated to the New Jersey Firemen's Home.� Upon adoption of the
budget, subject to the approval of the Governor, in accordance with R.S.30:7-1
et seq., these funds shall be allocated to the Board of Managers for the
operation of the New Jersey Firemen's Home.�
One tenth of a percent of the
total revenue collected under the tax imposed pursuant to this section shall be
allocated to the fund established in subsection d. of section 1 of
P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending the Legislature as this bill).

A certified copy of the budget approved by the Governor shall be filed
immediately with the Treasurer of the New Jersey State Firemen's Association.

���� The Treasurer of the New
Jersey State Firemen's Association shall return to the general fund of the
State Association the balance of the monies not required for the annual
operation of the New Jersey Firemen's Home.

���� If there are not sufficient
funds in the account for the annual operating expenses of the New Jersey
Firemen's Home in accordance with R.S.30:7-1 et seq., the Board of Managers of
the New Jersey Firemen's Home shall certify the amount of the deficiency to the
Treasurer of the New Jersey State Firemen's Association.� The certification
shall be filed before the fiscal year for the New Jersey Firemen's Home
commences.� The certification shall set forth the specific sum necessary to
fund the operational expenses of the New Jersey Firemen's Home.� The
operational budget shall include all necessary costs for the maintenance and
operation of the home, including purchase of equipment.� Upon receipt of the
certification, the Treasurer of the New Jersey State Firemen's Association
shall pay the certified amount to the New Jersey Firemen's Home no later than
May 1 of each year.

���� The procedure set forth below
shall be followed if the Board of Managers proposes a capital project
consisting of a building addition to the New Jersey Firemen's Home or the
construction of a new facility:

���� a.���� At least 30 days before
the capital project is submitted to the Governor, the Board of Managers of the
New Jersey Firemen's Home shall submit to the officers and executive committee
of the New Jersey State Firemen's Association, a description of the proposed
project, and costs thereof, including future operational costs.� Within 30 days
of receipt of the notice the officers of the New Jersey Firemen's Home and New
Jersey State Firemen's Association shall approve or disapprove the funding
necessary therefor.� After the project has been approved or disapproved, the
executive committee shall meet in a special executive session to confirm the
action of the officers.

���� b.��� If the officers or the
executive committee disapproves the proposed capital project, the board of
managers or the officers may appeal to the Commissioner of Banking and
Insurance who shall issue a final decision within 30 days, but in any event not
later than November 1 of any year.� The budget then shall be submitted to the
Governor for approval pursuant to law.

(cf: P.L.1997, c.41, s.7)

���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill mandates access to
periodic cancer screening examinations for volunteer firefighters.� The bill
specifies that there should be no out-of-pocket cost to the volunteer
firefighter.� The bill also specifies that the State will reimburse a volunteer
firefighter for the full examination up to $1,250 per three-year period, which
is to be annually adjusted according to inflation.� The bill establishes an
occupational existing condition that makes being a volunteer firefighter a
condition for reimbursement of costs associated with cancer screening
examinations.�

���� The bill increases the tax on
fire insurance premiums by one tenth of a percent, which is to be annually
allocated to the fund established under the bill for purposes of funding cancer
screening examinations reimbursement for volunteer firefighters.