Firefighter Cancer Registry Act of 2018
Latest action (24 Apr 2018): Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
What this bill does
S. 382, the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act of 2018, would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to create and maintain a voluntary national registry collecting health and occupational information on firefighters in order to study cancer incidence among them. The registry could gather demographic data, firefighter status (volunteer, paid-on-call, or career), years of service, exposure to fire incidents, and other risk-factor and medical information, and would connect electronically to state cancer registries for diagnosis and treatment data. The Secretary would be required to develop a coordination strategy, consult with public health experts, epidemiologists, clinicians, and firefighter organizations, and report to relevant congressional committees. Privacy protections consistent with federal and state law would apply, and the bill authorizes $2.5 million annually for fiscal years 2018–2022.
The bill primarily affects volunteer, paid-on-call, and career firefighters, whose participation in the registry would be voluntary, as well as public health agencies and researchers who would use the collected data to study cancer risks tied to firefighting.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee ordered the bill reported with an amendment on April 24, 2018. According to the official CRS summary, its provisions were later incorporated into other legislation that was enacted, meaning this particular bill itself did not become law on its own.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
Firefighter Cancer Registry Act of 2017
This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop and maintain a voluntary registry of firefighters to collect history and occupational information that can be linked to existing data in state cancer registries. The registry must be used to improve monitoring of cancer among firefighters and to collect and publish epidemiological information regarding cancer among firefighters. The CDC should seek to include specified information in the registry, including the number and type of fire incidents attended by an individual.
To collect information for the registry, the CDC may incorporate questions into existing public health surveys, questionnaires, and other databases.
The CDC must: (1) develop a strategy to maximize participation in the registry; (2) develop guidance for states and firefighting agencies regarding the registry; (3) encourage inclusion in the registry of data on minority, female, and volunteer firefighters; and (4) seek feedback on the registry from nonfederal experts.
The CDC must develop a process for making registry data available for research without a fee if findings or publications from the research are made public or available to stakeholders.
Timeline
24 Apr 2018
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
Common questions
- What does S. 382 do?
- S. 382, the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act of 2018, would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to create and maintain a voluntary national registry collecting health and occupational information on firefighters in order to study cancer incidence among them. The registry could gather demographic data, firefighter status (volunteer, paid-on-call, or career), years of service, exposure to fire incidents, and other risk-factor and medical information, and would connect electronically to state cancer registries for diagnosis and treatment data. The Secretary would be required to develop a coordination strategy, consult with public health experts, epidemiologists, clinicians, and firefighter organizations, and report to relevant congressional committees. Privacy protections consistent with federal and state law would apply, and the bill authorizes $2.5 million annually for fiscal years 2018–2022. The bill primarily affects volunteer, paid-on-call, and career firefighters, whose participation in the registry would be voluntary, as well as public health agencies and researchers who would use the collected data to study cancer risks tied to firefighting. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee ordered the bill reported with an amendment on April 24, 2018. According to the official CRS summary, its provisions were later incorporated into other legislation that was enacted, meaning this particular bill itself did not become law on its own.
- Has S. 382 become law?
- Not yet. As of 24 Apr 2018, S. 382 is ordered reported.
- Who sponsored S. 382?
- S. 382 was sponsored by Sen. Robert “Bob” Menendez [D-NJ, 2006-2024] (Democrat-NJ), with 50 cosponsors.
- What's the latest action on S. 382?
- Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably. (24 Apr 2018).
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