Legislation that would offer firefighters special insurance polices to treat work-related cancers passed its first Senate committee hearing Wednesday with a unanimous vote.
"This is a great story, and it's one that should be told to our children and our children's children," said State and Local Government Operations Chairman John Albers, R-Alpharetta, who sponsored a previous version in the state Senate in 2016.
House Bill 146, sponsored by state Rep. Micah Gravley, R-Douglasville, would require local governments to offer private insurance plans that would pay up to $25,000 upon diagnosis of cancer. It passed the House on Feb. 7 with a 171-1 vote.
It's a second attempt to provide protections to firefighters who are diagnosed with cancer as a result of contact with substances while in the line of duty. Last May, Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed a similar bill that would have allowed firefighters diagnosed with service-related cancers to file workers' compensation claims. Earlier this year, Deal praised local government officials for working with firefighters to find a solution.
In Wednesday’s hearing, committee members commended Gravley for finding a solution that would provide an immediate benefit to firefighters upon diagnosis rather than fighting through litigation claims the previous bill would have required.
The bill, which has received support from House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, now moves to the Senate Rules Committee.
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