Maryland's Governor Signs Two Firefighters Benefits Bills
House Bill 595 adds bladder and kidney, or renal cell cancers to the types of cancers considered as occupational diseases for firefighters under the workers' compensation law. The other bill will expand workers' compensation coverage by closing loopholes regarding cumulative time served.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on April 30 signed 174 bills into law, including two bills aimed at improving cancer coverage benefits for firefighters.
The two bills are:
- House Bill 595—Workers' Compensation—Medical Presumptions. Firefighters are at an increased risk of certain types of cancer as a result of occupational exposure. Identical to Hogan's legislation, House Bill 595 adds bladder and kidney, or renal cell cancers to the types of cancers considered as occupational diseases for firefighters under the workers' compensation law.
- House Bill 604/Senate Bill 646—Workers' Compensation—Medical Presumptions for Diseases and Cancer—Eligibility. The bill honors Prince George's County firefighter Jesse McCullough, who died in October 2018 after a battle with metastatic colon cancer related to his occupation. It will expand workers' compensation coverage by closing loopholes regarding cumulative time served.
Another bill Hogan signed, named the Clean Cars Act of 2019, will expand the governor's clean cars initiative by doubling the amount of funding available for the electric vehicle tax credit program. It also makes clear that fuel-cell electric vehicles are eligible for the EV tax credit. The governor said the bill will help the state meet its zero emission vehicle goal of 300,000 ZEVs by 2025.
"Firefighters suffer from cancer at a much higher rate than the rest of the population, and I am proud to enact these bipartisan measures on behalf of these brave heroes," said Hogan. "Today, our administration is proud to continue our strong record of environmental stewardship by expanding the Clean Cars Act."