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SB0288 • 2026

Firefighters

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-51-201, relative to compensation paid to firefighters for certain conditions or injuries.

Healthcare
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Bailey, Hicks G
Last action
2025-05-15
Official status
Effective date(s) 07/01/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify whether the presumption applies to all conditions or only prostate cancer, breast cancer, and pancreatic cancer.

Firefighters' Health Compensation Act

This bill adds prostate cancer, breast cancer, and pancreatic cancer to a list of health conditions for which firefighters can receive compensation if these conditions are related to their work.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds prostate cancer, breast cancer, and pancreatic cancer to the existing list of cancers that firefighters can be compensated for if they are caused by their job.
  • Requires firefighters who want to use this new rule for prostate cancer, breast cancer, or pancreatic cancer to get a medical exam after July 1, 2025, which includes tests for these types of cancer.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Firefighters in Tennessee who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, breast cancer, or pancreatic cancer and believe their job caused it.

Terms To Know

presumption
An assumption that something is true unless there's proof to the contrary.
competent medical evidence
Medical information or testimony from a qualified doctor that can prove whether a condition was caused by work.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The exact amount of money local governments will need to pay for these benefits is not known.
  • This bill does not change how much firefighters are paid in general, only what extra compensation they might get if they have certain health problems from their job.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 07/01/2025

  2. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 422

  3. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 422

  4. 2025-05-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-05-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 94, Nays 0, PNV 0

  10. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  11. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  12. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  13. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/21/2025

  14. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/17/2025

  15. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  16. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  17. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/17/2025

  18. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025

  19. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  20. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  21. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  22. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  23. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  24. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  25. 2025-03-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 3/17/2025

  26. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  27. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  28. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/19/2025

  29. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  30. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  31. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  32. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  33. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  34. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  35. 2025-03-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  36. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  37. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  38. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  39. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/11/2025

  40. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/12/2025

  41. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  42. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  43. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  44. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Cities & Counties Subcommittee for 3/5/2025

  45. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  46. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  47. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee

  48. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Cities & Counties Subcommittee

  49. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  50. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  51. 2025-01-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  52. 2025-01-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  53. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  54. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  55. 2025-01-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  56. 2025-01-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law provides that w
henever this state, any municipal corporation, or other political subdivision of the state that maintains a fire department has es
tablished or establishes any form of compensation to be paid to firefighters for any condition or impairment of health that results in loss of life or personal injury in the line of duty or course of employment, there is a presumption that any condition o
r
impairment of health of firefighters caused by all forms of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma cancer, colon cancer, skin cancer, leukemia, testicular cancer, or multiple myeloma cancer resulting in hospitalization, medical treatment, or any disability, has arisen o
u
t of employment, unless the contrary is shown by competent medical evidence.

Any such condition or impairment of health that results in death is presumed to be a loss of life in the line of duty, to have arisen out of employment, and to have been in the a
ctual discharge of the duties of the firefighter's position, unless the contrary is shown by a physician board certified in oncology.
This bill expands the list of health impairments to now include prostate cancer, breast cancer, and pancreatic cancer.

This bill requires any firefighter desiring
to utilize the presumption established
by present law
for prostate cancer, breast cancer, or pancreatic cancer
to
obtain a physical medical examination after July 1, 2025, and the examination must include a cance
r screening that fails to reveal any evidence of prostate cancer, breast cancer, or pancreatic cancer.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 482
By Hicks G

SENATE BILL 288
By Bailey

SB0288
002072
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-
51-201, relative to compensation paid to
firefighters for certain conditions or injuries.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-51-201(d)(1), is amended by
inserting the language "prostate cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer" immediately after
"testicular cancer,".
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-51-201(d)(2)(A), is amended by
adding the following as a new subdivision:
(iii) Any firefighter desiring to utilize the presumption established in this
subsection (d) for prostate cancer, breast cancer, or pancreatic cancer, must obtain a
physical medical examination after July 1, 2025, and the examination must include a
cancer screening that fails to reveal any evidence of prostate cancer, breast cancer, or
pancreatic cancer.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.