Senators and witnesses on the Assembly Commerce and Labor Committee on Wednesday heard testimony on Senate Bill 170, a measure that would add mandatory annual cancer screening and expanded physicals for firefighters, with employers required to pay the cost.

Sponsor Sen. John Steinbeck (Senate District 18) said the bill "adds cancer screenings and other provisions to the annual physical exam for firefighters" and asked the committee to consider the proposal because of the high incidence of occupational cancer in the fire service. "Firefighting is a very dangerous profession," Steinbeck said. "This bill would establish annual cancer screenings with the objective of ruling out the present presence of cancers so firefighters can have the peace of mind of detecting cancer early on."

The bill, as described by Ryan Beeman of Professional Firefighters Nevada, would require annual screenings for career and volunteer firefighters not employed by the executive department of state government. Beeman said screenings must be done by a licensed physician or advanced practice registered nurse and would expand mandatory examinations to include hearing tests, tuberculosis screening, pulmonary function, chest X-ray, cardiac assessment and specified cancer screens. For female firefighters the bill would require mammograms and Pap smears; for men it would require prostate testing; it would require colonoscopy starting at age 45 and a range of blood and urine screenings. Beeman said all required examinations "must be paid fully by the employer."

Firefighters and family members described personal experiences that supporters said show the need for earlier and routine screening. Captain Rochelle Rau of the Clark County Fire Department told the committee she was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer after a mammogram ordered while she was at the department for an unrelated visit. "Getting early screening saved my life because it was caught early," Rau said. Other witnesses described colleagues who died of occupational cancer and urged the committee to adopt the measure.

Committee members asked why the bill excludes firefighters employed by the executive branch. Steinbeck answered that exclusion arose during negotiations because of budget and contract considerations; he said those employees "are no less at risk" and that sponsors plan to pursue codifying the benefit for them in a later session as budget and contract issues allow.

Supporters included labor and medical organizations: Nevada State AFL-CIO, Nevada Justice Association, Professional Firefighters Nevada, Nevada Fire Chiefs Association, Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada and the Nevada Cancer Coalition. Several witnesses testified remotely about late-stage diagnoses they said could have been avoided by more extensive or earlier screening.

No opposing testimony was offered in the hearing. The chair limited public testimony across Carson City, Las Vegas and the phone lines to allow more speakers to comment.

If enacted as written, the measure would require employers to pay for the expanded screening and would expand the list of tests covered in statute for covered firefighters. The bill text also makes technical specifications for who may perform the examinations and defines which tests constitute the required cancer screening.

Supporters urged the committee to move the bill forward; sponsors said they would work to address remaining budget and contracting issues that excluded executive-branch firefighters from the immediate statutory change.