The Arizona Revised Statutes have been updated to include the revised sections from the 56th Legislature, 1st Regular Session. Please note that the next update of this compilation will not take place until after the conclusion of the 56th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session, which convenes in January 2024.
This online version of the Arizona Revised Statutes is primarily maintained for legislative drafting purposes and reflects the version of law that is effective on January 1st of the year following the most recent legislative session. The official version of the Arizona Revised Statutes is published by Thomson Reuters.
38-643. Public safety cancer insurance policy program account
A. The public safety cancer insurance policy program account is established and shall be under the exclusive control of the board. The board shall deposit monies collected pursuant to section 38-642 in the account to pay the cost of providing a group cancer insurance policy under the program and the cost of administering the program.
B. The board may use up to ten percent of the monies deposited in the account each year ending July 31 to pay the costs of administering the program, except that board attorney fees and court costs relating to the program shall be paid out of the account and are not subject to this limitation. If no monies are deposited in the account in a given year, the board may use up to five percent of the monies deposited in the account in the most recent year in which there was a deposit to pay the costs of administering the program.
C. The board shall cause an independent audit of the account to be performed at the end of each fiscal year and shall report the results of the audit to each employer within six months following the end of the fiscal year.
D. The employer contributions and securities in the account and investment earnings on monies in the account are exempt from state, county and municipal taxes.
E. The program is a welfare benefit plan or trust intended to pay expenses incurred in the treatment of cancer as provided in the policy of insurance secured or established by the board pursuant to section 38-642. The legislature intends that the program's income be excluded as gross income for the purposes of the assessment of federal income tax under section 115 of the internal revenue code and that coverage under the program be excluded as gross income to the employees or retirees under section 106 of the internal revenue code. The board may adopt additional program provisions as are necessary to fulfill the legislature's intent that the program's income and coverage are not subject to federal income tax.
F. To the extent required to exclude coverage under the program as gross income of participants, employers required to participate in the program shall pay the premiums for the cost of the program and include the premium amount as wages of the firefighters and peace officers participating in the program subject to federal and state income and employment taxes.
G. Employers, the board of trustees and any member of a local board do not guarantee the account in any manner against loss or depreciation and are not liable for any act or failure to act made in good faith pursuant to this article, including determinations on program claims.