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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 have this relief fund, then, yes, he will be paying overtime," the sponsor said, summarizing the bill's three cost conditions: short staffing, no catastrophic leave bank, and no relief network.
Supporters, testimony and human impact: Jessica Crump identified herself to the committee as "the widow of Nathaniel Crump" and testified in favor. She described her husband's diagnosis and death from advanced cancer at 28 and the family's financial strain when his sick leave ran out, saying, "If House Bill 17-73 would have been in place, we wouldn't have had to have those discussions." Matthew Stallings of the Arkansas Professional Firefighters also testified in support, saying local stations already cover shifts for ill colleagues and "we're just asking to be able to do it for someone in some other place." These testimonies were cited by the sponsor in urging the committee to act.
Safeguards and procedure: The amendment added a September 1 deadline to have relief-network rules established. The sponsor noted municipalities may rebut the presumption that a cancer is occupational with evidence and that contested cases would ultimately move to workers' compensation, preserving due-process steps for employers and employees. Municipalities retain authority to adopt affidavits or medical-review rules under local policies.
Committee action and next steps: After the sponsor closed, the committee voted to "do pass as amended." The bill moves forward to the next legislative step per regular process. The sponsor also said he would support repeal if the relief network proved unworkable.
Ending: House Bill 17-73 passed the committee as amended and proceeds to the floor for further consideration.
