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Lawmakers hear calls to require insurer coverage for firefighter cancer screenings, extend protections to Commonwealth fire departments
Summary
Representatives of fire unions and lawmakers urged the Joint Committee to advance bills requiring insurers to cover cancer screenings for firefighters, to extend disability presumptions and medical coverage to Commonwealth-based firefighters, and to fund gear replacement tied to PFAS restrictions.
Representative Rita Mendez and Paul Jakes, legislative agent for the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts, told the Joint Committee on Public Service that cancer screening and parity for firefighters remain urgent priorities.
“ This is urgent. This needs to happen right away,” Representative Mendez said, asking the committee to report favorably on legislation to mandate health‑screening coverage for firefighters.
Jakes said cancer is “widespread throughout the fire service” and that many members currently pay for preventative screenings out of pocket. He asked the committee to support House Bill 2,918 and related Senate and House measures that would require insurer coverage for cancer screenings and provide presumptive disability and medical coverage for firefighters who served on military bases transferred to Commonwealth control. Jakes also told the committee that PFAS‑related gear rules are moving through state implementation and that manufacturers will be subject to labeling and sales restrictions with a 2027 timeframe for non‑compliant gear.
Committee members pressed witnesses on funding. Jakes said the union has filed companion funding proposals to help cities and towns replace contaminated or regulated gear and to expand access to extractors and gear‑cleaning equipment. Senators and representatives noted the legislative history: similar proposals have moved through prior sessions but stalled before final enactment.
Panelists also requested passage of bills requiring the retention of physical exam records for public‑safety personnel. No formal votes were taken; witnesses filed written testimony for the committee’s record.
