Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Arkansas committee approves six months paid leave, relief network for career firefighters with work-related cancer
Summary
The Senate City, County & Local Affairs Committee voted to 'do pass as amended' on House Bill 17-73, which grants six months of paid leave to career firefighters with certain occupational cancers and requires establishment of an interjurisdictional relief network to limit municipal costs. Supporters cited personal loss; sponsors included safeguards and an appeals pathway to workers' compensation.
Representative (sponsor) explained House Bill 17-73 to the City, County & Local Affairs Committee, saying the bill would provide six months of paid leave to career (paid) firefighters who develop cancers the state code recognizes as occupational after five years of service and would create a relief network so firefighters from other jurisdictions could volunteer to fill shifts.
Why it matters: Sponsor said the bill is intended to let firefighters focus on treatment while preventing small municipalities from shouldering disproportionate costs. "If we don't…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
