HSB 266 (LSB 1613YC (1) 91)

HOUSE FILE _____ 

BY  (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT BILL BY CHAIRPERSON BLOOMINGDALE)

A BILL FOR

An Act concerning retirement and employment benefits associated with cancer, and making appropriations.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  70A.42  Cancer screening.
   1.  Beginning July 1, 2025, and for each plan year thereafter, a public employer shall provide as occupational coverage to a fire fighter, police officer, or emergency medical services provider, who is employed as a full-time paid employee and enrolled in the employer’s health insurance program, health care benefits that include a cancer screening examination conducted by a physician not more than three years after the start of the person’s employment as a fire fighter, police officer, or emergency medical services provider and every three years thereafter during the course of the person’s employment.
   2.  A political subdivision of the state shall be eligible for reimbursement from the state for the cost of providing the benefits required by subsection 1. However, the amount reimbursed to the political subdivision for a cancer screening examination shall not exceed one thousand two hundred fifty dollars per three-year period per eligible employee. A political subdivision shall maintain adequate records to facilitate the reimbursement.
   3.  A fire fighter, police officer, or emergency medical services provider employed as a full-time paid employee of a public employer shall not be required to pay a copayment, deductible, coinsurance, or out-of-pocket expense for an examination under this section.
   4.  For purposes of this section, “public employer” means the state or a political subdivision of the state that employs a fire fighter, police officer, or emergency medical services provider.
    Sec. 2.  Section 97A.1, subsection 6, Code 2025, is amended by striking the subsection and inserting in lieu thereof the following:
   6.  “Cancer” means a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body.
    Sec. 3.  Section 411.1, subsection 6, Code 2025, is amended by striking the subsection and inserting in lieu thereof the following:
   6.  “Cancer” means a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body.
    Sec. 4.  DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT —— CANCER SCREENING APPROPRIATION.  There is appropriated from the general fund of the state to the department of management for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026, the following amount, or so much thereof as is necessary, to be used for the purposes designated:
   To reimburse political subdivisions of the state for the costs of cancer screening examinations pursuant to section 70A.42, as enacted by this Act:
   ...................................................................... $  1,000,000
    Sec. 5.  IMPLEMENTATION OF ACT.  Section 25B.2, subsection 3, shall not apply to this Act.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill requires public employers to provide health care benefits that include cancer screening examinations to full-time fire fighters, police officers, and emergency medical services providers within the first three years of a person’s employment and every three years thereafter. The bill allows a political subdivision to be reimbursed by the state for the costs of providing the examinations, up to $1,250 per three-year period per eligible employee. An eligible employee cannot be charged for receiving a cancer screening examination under the bill. The bill appropriates $1 million from the general fund for FY 2025-2026 to the department of management for reimbursing political subdivisions for the cost of providing cancer screening examinations.
   For benefits relating to members of the public safety peace officers’ retirement, accident, and disability system (PORS), and the municipal fire and police retirement system (411 system), the bill expands the definition of “cancer” by striking references to specific cancers and inserting a more generalized description. By expanding the definition of “cancer” to include more cancer diagnoses, the bill likewise expands the availability of accidental disability and death benefits to members of PORS or the 411 system who have a cancer diagnosis. By operation of law, the bill also expands the definition of “cancer” as used in Code section 97B.50A for purposes of in-service disability retirement allowance for special service members under the Iowa public employees’ retirement system.
   The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code section 25B.3. The bill makes inapplicable Code section 25B.2, subsection 3, which would relieve a political subdivision from complying with a state mandate if funding for the cost of the state mandate is not provided or specified. Therefore, political subdivisions are required to comply with any state mandate included in the bill.