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Primary Sponsor

Last Action

Re-ref Com On Appropriations/Base Budget2025-04-01

Vote Breakdown

No floor votes recorded.

Plain Language Summary

This bill adds stomach cancer to the list of cancers presumed to be occupationally related to firefighting under North Carolina's Public Safety Employees' Death Benefits Act. When a firefighter dies from stomach cancer, their death will be legally presumed to have occurred in the line of duty, making their family eligible for death benefits. The bill allocates $500,000 annually for the 2025-2027 fiscal period to cover these benefits.

Arguments in Favor

• •Supporters argue that firefighters face occupational exposure to carcinogenic substances like asbestos and other chemicals that increase their cancer risk.
• •Adding stomach cancer to the presumed occupational cancer list recognizes the documented health risks firefighters endure and ensures their families receive deserved financial protection and benefits without having to prove causation.
• •This provides dignity and security for families of firefighters who die from this disease.

Arguments Against

• •Opponents may argue that expanding the presumptive cancer list increases state spending ($500,000 annually) without clear epidemiological evidence definitively linking stomach cancer specifically to firefighting exposure.
• •They might contend that each cancer type added requires individual scientific justification, and that establishing presumption without strict causal proof could set a precedent for unlimited future expansions of the benefit list.