HB 2394 — An Act amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176), known as The Fiscal Code, establishing the Firefighter Cancer Screening Program and the Firefighter Cancer Screening Fund; and, in special funds, further providing for disposition of Budget Stabilization Reserve Fund.

PRINTER'S NO.   3214

                  THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                      HOUSE BILL
                      No. 2394
                                             Session of
                                               2026

     INTRODUCED BY CIRESI, HADDOCK, PIELLI, PROBST, WAXMAN, MERSKI,
        HARKINS, HILL-EVANS, GUENST, JAMES, KUZMA, FREEMAN, McNEILL,
        CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, HOHENSTEIN, GUZMAN, STEELE, RIVERA, BRENNAN,
        PASHINSKI, DOUGHERTY, NEILSON, SANCHEZ, D. WILLIAMS,
        GALLAGHER, CURRY, SHAFFER, WEBSTER, SAPPEY, CERRATO, KHAN AND
        MALAGARI, APRIL 15, 2026

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
        PREPAREDNESS, APRIL 16, 2026


                                  AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176), entitled
 2      "An act relating to the finances of the State government;
 3      providing for cancer control, prevention and research, for
 4      ambulatory surgical center data collection, for the Joint
 5      Underwriting Association, for entertainment business
 6      financial management firms, for private dam financial
 7      assurance and for reinstatement of item vetoes; providing for
 8      the settlement, assessment, collection, and lien of taxes,
 9      bonus, and all other accounts due the Commonwealth, the
10      collection and recovery of fees and other money or property
11      due or belonging to the Commonwealth, or any agency thereof,
12      including escheated property and the proceeds of its sale,
13      the custody and disbursement or other disposition of funds
14      and securities belonging to or in the possession of the
15      Commonwealth, and the settlement of claims against the
16      Commonwealth, the resettlement of accounts and appeals to the
17      courts, refunds of moneys erroneously paid to the
18      Commonwealth, auditing the accounts of the Commonwealth and
19      all agencies thereof, of all public officers collecting
20      moneys payable to the Commonwealth, or any agency thereof,
21      and all receipts of appropriations from the Commonwealth,
22      authorizing the Commonwealth to issue tax anticipation notes
23      to defray current expenses, implementing the provisions of
24      section 7(a) of Article VIII of the Constitution of
25      Pennsylvania authorizing and restricting the incurring of
26      certain debt and imposing penalties; affecting every
27      department, board, commission, and officer of the State
28      government, every political subdivision of the State, and
29      certain officers of such subdivisions, every person,
 1      association, and corporation required to pay, assess, or
 2      collect taxes, or to make returns or reports under the laws
 3      imposing taxes for State purposes, or to pay license fees or
 4      other moneys to the Commonwealth, or any agency thereof,
 5      every State depository and every debtor or creditor of the
 6      Commonwealth," establishing the Firefighter Cancer Screening
 7      Program and the Firefighter Cancer Screening Fund; and, in
 8      special funds, further providing for disposition of Budget
 9      Stabilization Reserve Fund.
10      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
11   hereby enacts as follows:
12      Section 1.    The act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176), known
13   as The Fiscal Code, is amended by adding an article to read:
14                                ARTICLE I-M
15                    FIREFIGHTER CANCER SCREENING PROGRAM
16   Section 101-M.    Definitions.
17      The following words and phrases when used in this article
18   shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
19   context clearly indicates otherwise:
20      "Airport fire company."       A fire company that does all of the
21   following:
22          (1)   Is associated with an airport.
23          (2)   Has a mutual aid agreement with a neighboring
24      municipality.
25          (3)   Has responded to at least 15 fire or rescue
26      emergency calls annually to neighboring fire companies as
27      provided in documentation requested by the commissioner.
28      "Benefits card."    A card issued by the department to an
29   eligible firefighter who is a resident of this Commonwealth.
30      "Cancer screening examination."        A medically necessary and
31   clinically appropriate examination of the body using either
32   standard or abbreviated magnetic resonance imaging or, if the
33   imaging is not possible, ultrasound if recommended by the
34   treating physician to screen for cancer when there is no


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 1   abnormality seen or suspected.
 2      "Commissioner."     The State Fire Commissioner.
 3      "Department."   The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
 4      "Eligible firefighter."     A firefighter that is eligible under
 5   section 106-M.
 6      "Fire company."     A volunteer fire company, a municipal fire
 7   company or a combined volunteer and municipal fire company
 8   located in this Commonwealth. The term includes an airport fire
 9   company.
10      "Fund."    The Firefighter Cancer Screening Fund established
11   under section 104-M.
12      "Health insurance policy."     A policy, subscriber contract,
13   certificate or plan issued by a health insurer on or after the
14   effective date of this definition that provides medical or
15   health care coverage. The term does not include any of the
16   following:
17          (1)    An accident only policy.
18          (2)    A credit only policy.
19          (3)    A long-term care policy.
20          (4)    A disability income policy.
21          (5)    A specified disease policy.
22          (6)    A Medicare Supplement policy.
23          (7)    A fixed indemnity policy.
24          (8)    A dental only policy.
25          (9)    A vision only policy.
26          (10)    A workers' compensation policy.
27          (11)    An automobile medical payment policy.
28          (12)    A policy under which benefits are provided by the
29      Federal Government to active or former military personnel and
30      their dependents.

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 1            (13)    A hospital indemnity policy.
 2            (14)    Any other policy providing for limited benefits.
 3      "Health insurer."     An entity that offers, issues or renews a
 4   health insurance policy that provides medical or health care
 5   coverage by a health care facility or licensed health care
 6   provider and that is governed under any of the following:
 7            (1)    The act of May 17, 1921 (P.L.682, No.284), known as
 8      The Insurance Company Law of 1921, including section 630 and
 9      Article XXIV of that act.
10            (2)    The act of December 29, 1972 (P.L.1701, No.364),
11      known as the Health Maintenance Organization Act.
12            (3)    40 Pa.C.S. Ch. 61 (relating to hospital plan
13      corporations).
14            (4)    40 Pa.C.S. Ch. 63 (relating to professional health
15      services plan corporations).
16      "Licensed practitioner."     A medical doctor, certified nurse
17   practitioner or physician assistant licensed to practice in this
18   Commonwealth whose scope of practice includes evaluation,
19   assessment and diagnostic privileges as outlined by the scope of
20   practice of the profession.
21      "Municipality."     A county, city, borough, incorporated town,
22   township or home rule municipality.
23      "Office."     The Office of the State Fire Commissioner of the
24   Commonwealth.
25      "Program."     The Firefighter Cancer Screening Program
26   established under section 102-M.
27   Section 102-M.     Firefighter Cancer Screening Program.
28      (a)   Establishment.--The Firefighter Cancer Screening Program
29   is established in the department. The department shall establish
30   guidelines and procedures necessary for the implementation and

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 1   administration of the program.
 2      (b)   Purpose.--The program shall pay for out-of-pocket costs
 3   associated with annual cancer screening examinations for
 4   firefighters that are not otherwise covered by the eligible
 5   firefighter's health insurance policy.
 6   Section 103-M.    Duties of department.
 7      The department shall administer the program and cooperate
 8   with the office as necessary to effectuate program goals,
 9   including data sharing, outreach and certification of eligible
10   firefighters.
11   Section 104-M.    Firefighter Cancer Screening Fund.
12      (a)   Establishment.--
13            (1)   The Firefighter Cancer Screening Fund is established
14      as a separate fund in the State Treasury.
15            (2)   The fund shall consist of money appropriated or
16      transferred to the fund by the General Assembly, in addition
17      to any grants, gifts, donations or other payments from other
18      sources.
19      (b)   Continuing appropriation.--Money in the fund is
20   appropriated on a continuing basis to the department for the
21   uses provided under subsection (c).
22      (c)   Use.--Money in the fund shall be used for:
23            (1)   Costs incurred for cancer screening examinations
24      undertaken by eligible firefighters that are not otherwise
25      covered by the eligible firefighter's health insurance
26      policy.
27            (2)   Administering the provisions of this article.
28   Section 105-M.    Benefits card.
29      (a)   Benefits card.--The department shall develop a benefits
30   card that eligible firefighters can use to pay for out-of-pocket

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 1   costs associated with cancer screenings under the program. A
 2   benefits card may only be offered to an eligible firefighter.
 3      (b)   Application.--The department shall develop an
 4   application form that an eligible firefighter may use to apply
 5   for a benefits card under the program.
 6      (c)   Notice.--By January 1 of each year, the department shall
 7   provide application forms and written instructions for the use
 8   of benefits cards to:
 9            (1)   The fire chief and president of each volunteer fire
10      company.
11            (2)   The chief executive of each municipality in which a
12      municipal fire company is located.
13            (3)   The head of each combined volunteer and municipal
14      fire company and each airport fire company.
15      (d)   Posting.--The application forms and written instructions
16   for the benefits card shall be posted on the publicly accessible
17   Internet websites of the department and office.
18      (e)   Oversight and tracking.--The department shall develop
19   electronic controls, oversight mechanisms and follow-up
20   procedures to detect and track the following:
21            (1)   Suspicious benefits card transactions that might
22      indicate fraudulent use. In order to implement this
23      paragraph, the department shall have the following duties:
24                  (i)    Collect information regarding the use of
25            benefits cards if more than 50% of the funds used in the
26            benefits card transactions occur outside of this
27            Commonwealth.
28                  (ii)    Differentiate between benefits card
29            transactions that occur in states that border this
30            Commonwealth and benefits card transactions that occur in

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 1            states that do not border this Commonwealth.
 2                  (iii)   Analyze benefits card transactions that occur
 3            outside of this Commonwealth to determine if the
 4            recipient of benefits is a resident of this Commonwealth.
 5            In making a determination under this subparagraph, the
 6            department shall analyze the following:
 7                      (A)   The location of employment of the recipient
 8                  of benefits.
 9                      (B)   The amount of times that the benefits card
10                  is used outside of this Commonwealth compared to the
11                  amount of times the benefits card is used in this
12                  Commonwealth.
13                      (C)   Whether the benefits card transactions occur
14                  in person or through electronic means.
15            (2)   The use of benefits cards that might indicate an
16      attempt to acquire goods and services that do not comply with
17      this article.
18      (f)     Data and information.--Unless otherwise prohibited, data
19   and information gathered under this section shall be made
20   available to the Inspector General, Auditor General and Attorney
21   General.
22   Section 106-M.     Firefighter eligibility.
23      To be considered an eligible firefighter, a firefighter must
24   be a career firefighter or volunteer firefighter who actively
25   responded to at least 15 fire or rescue emergencies as
26   determined by the firefighter's fire company during the previous
27   calendar year.
28   Section 107-M.     Cancer screening.
29      (a)     Eligibility.--An eligible firefighter shall have access
30   to the use of a benefits card to cover the out-of-pocket costs

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 1   associated with an annual cancer screening examination.
 2      (b)   Examination.--Each cancer screening examination shall:
 3            (1)   Be administered by a licensed practitioner.
 4            (2)   Include a multicancer early detection test.
 5            (3)   Include screening for, if applicable, the following
 6      cancers:
 7                  (i)    Bladder.
 8                  (ii)    Blood.
 9                  (iii)    Breast.
10                  (iv)    Colon.
11                  (v)    Cervical.
12                  (vi)    Esophageal.
13                  (vii)    Gallbladder.
14                  (viii)    Kidney.
15                  (ix)    Liver.
16                  (x)    Lung.
17                  (xi)    Lymphatic system.
18                  (xii)    Oral.
19                  (xiii)    Ovarian.
20                  (xiv)    Prostate.
21                  (xv)    Skin.
22                  (xvi)    Testicular.
23                  (xvii)    Thyroid.
24                  (xviii)    Urinary.
25   Section 108-M.        Confidentiality.
26      The health records of a firefighter which are associated with
27   the cancer screening examinations under this article shall
28   remain private and may not be shared with the fire company of
29   the firefighter or any other person except with the written
30   consent of the firefighter or as required under a governing

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 1   collective bargaining agreement.
 2      Section 2.     Section 1703-A(a) introductory paragraph and (b)
 3   of the act are amended and the section is amended by adding a
 4   subsection to read:
 5   Section 1703-A.      Disposition of Budget Stabilization Reserve
 6                Fund.
 7      (a)   Purpose.--[It] Except as otherwise provided in
 8   subsection (d), it is the intent of the General Assembly that:
 9            * * *
10      (b)   Appropriation.--Except as provided under [subsection
11   (c)] subsections (c) and (d), whenever the Governor determines
12   that an appropriation from the Budget Stabilization Reserve Fund
13   is necessary to meet emergencies involving the health, safety or
14   welfare of the residents of this Commonwealth or to
15   counterbalance downturns of the economy which result in
16   significant unanticipated revenue shortfalls, the Governor shall
17   present a request for an appropriation which may include the
18   specifics of the proposal and suggested ancillary and
19   substantive legislation as may be necessary to the chairman of
20   Appropriations Committee of the Senate and the chairman of the
21   Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives. The
22   General Assembly may then through approval of a separate
23   appropriation bill by a vote of two-thirds of the members
24   elected to the Senate and the House of Representatives
25   appropriate money from the Budget Stabilization Reserve Fund to
26   meet the needs identified in the Governor's proposal. Any money
27   appropriated according to this section which has then lapsed
28   shall be returned to the Budget Stabilization Reserve Fund.
29      * * *
30      (d)   Transfers for Firefighter Cancer Screening Program.--No

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1   later than January 1, 2027, $50,000,000 shall be transferred
2   from the Budget Stabilization Reserve Fund to the Firefighter
3   Cancer Screening Fund as a one-time supplemental transfer for
4   the purpose of funding the Firefighter Cancer Screening Program.
5      Section 3.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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