Senator Payne's Bill Protecting First Responder Cancer Benefits Heads to Governor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 11, 2026
PHOENIX, ARIZONA—Senate Public Safety Chairman Kevin Payne is working to ensure Arizona firefighters receive the workers' compensation protections lawmakers originally intended under legislation that passed the Senate today and now heads to the governor's desk. SB 1215 addresses an ambiguity in state law that has created uncertainty surrounding occupational cancer claims filed by firefighters and other first responders.
SB 1215 clarifies Arizona's presumptive cancer coverage laws for firefighters, fire investigators, and peace officers by ensuring the statute reflects the legislature's original intent regarding occupational cancer protections. The legislation applies retroactively to July 1, 2021, helping provide certainty for first responders and their families when seeking workers' compensation benefits for qualifying occupational cancers.
"Arizona firefighters knowingly expose themselves to dangerous carcinogens and toxic substances every time they answer a call, and they do it without hesitation because protecting the public comes first," said Senator Payne. "When a firefighter is diagnosed with cancer after years of service, they shouldn't have to fight an insurance company over a punctuation error in state law. Unfortunately, that's exactly what this loophole has allowed. SB 1215 restores the legislature's original intent and ensures firefighters receive the occupational cancer protections they were promised. These men and women have spent their careers putting their health and safety on the line for Arizona families. The least we can do is make sure they aren't denied the benefits they've earned because of a technicality. Arizona stands with our first responders, and this bill makes that crystal clear."
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For more information, contact:
Kim Quintero
Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus