ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Fifty-fifth Legislature Second Regular Session
	Senate: COM DPA 8-0-1-0 | 3^rd Read: 28-0-2-0

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SB1515: municipal firefighters; cancer fund; distributions

Sponsor: Senator Boyer, LD 20

Committee on Military Affairs & Public Safety

Overview

Prohibits annual distributions from the Municipal Firefighter Cancer Reimbursement Fund (Fund) from exceeding the statewide total of all compensation and benefits paid by municipal payors (payors) to municipal firefighters and fire investigators. Requires undistributed monies to remain in the Fund. 

History

The Fund consists of annual fees, assessed by the Industrial Commission of Arizona, from cities and towns. The fee amount is calculated according to the population of the city or town as determined by the most recent U.S. Census Bureau. The Fund can also receive money from other sources including federal money, grants and gifts (A.R.S. §§ 23-1702, 23-1703).

The Fund is used to reimburse payments made by payors to municipal firefighters and fire investigators for any disease, infirmity or impairment of health caused by brain, bladder, rectal or colon cancer, lymphoma and other applicable health issues. Payments may be for compensation for temporary partial and total disabilities, permanent partial and total disabilities, lost earning capacity and medical, surgical, hospital and death benefits (A.R.S. §§ 23-1702, 23-901.09).

Statute defines a payor as a workers' compensation insurer, a self-insurance program or a public agency pool used by a city or town (A.R.S. § 23-1701).

Provisions

1. Prohibits annual distributions from the Fund from exceeding the statewide total of all compensation and benefits paid by payors to municipal firefighters for the fiscal year (FY). (Sec. 1)

2. Requires that all undistributed money from the Fund remain in and be available for annual distributions in future FYs. (Sec. 1)

3. Requires the total of collected fees deposited in the Fund from all cities and town to be $15,000,000 each FY. (Sec. 2)

4. Removes requirement that the State Treasurer continue to withhold distributed monies from a city or town if the city or town fails to pay the fee assessment in full before September 30 each year. (Sec. 2)

5. Makes technical changes. (Sec. 1,2)

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9.                   SB 1515

10. Initials FK/KM       Page 0 Military Affairs & Public Safety

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