PRINTER'S NO. 1537
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1377
Session of
2023
INTRODUCED BY SCOTT, HILL-EVANS, T. DAVIS, McNEILL, MADDEN,
SANCHEZ, DELLOSO AND KINSEY, JUNE 12, 2023
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, JUNE 12, 2023
AN ACT
Amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in miscellaneous provisions, providing
for Firefighter Cancer Registry.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 35 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
§ 7715. Firefighter Cancer Registry.
(a) Establishment of registry.--The department shall develop
and maintain a Firefighter Cancer Registry, which shall be a
voluntary registry of firefighters to collect relevant history
and occupational information from firefighters that can be
linked to available cancer registry data collected by existing
Commonwealth cancer registries.
(b) Registry requirements.--The department shall seek to
include the following information for each firefighter included
in the registry:
(1) the age and demographic information of the
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firefighter;
(2) the status of the firefighter as either a paid or
volunteer firefighter;
(3) the number of years working as a firefighter;
(4) the number of fire incidents attended to by the
firefighter, including the number of incidents involving a
residential house fire, the number of incidents involving a
commercial fire and the number of incidents involving any
other type of fire;
(5) whether the firefighter's history includes smoking
or drug use;
(6) relevant physical examination and medical history
information; and
(7) any additional information that is deemed necessary
by the department.
(c) Consulting experts.--For the purpose of developing and
maintaining the registry, the department shall consult experts
with experience in developing and maintaining cancer registries,
studying cancer incidence, diagnosing and treating cancer and
firefighting.
(d) Reviewing data and providing public availability.--The
department shall review data reported to the registry to
identify trends in cancer incidence among firefighters
throughout this Commonwealth, including identifying any regional
disparities in cancer incidence and developing strategies to
mitigate risk factors for firefighters developing cancer. The
following apply:
(1) The department shall make registry data available to
the public and shall furnish epidemiological registry data,
without fee, to any entity requesting the data for research
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purposes. The department may authorize the use of registry
information in journal articles and other print and Internet-
based publications. Data made available under this subsection
shall include, but shall not be limited to, raw, de-
identified data, cancer incidence statistics and trends and
other findings identified based on the department's review of
registry data.
(2) The department shall periodically review the
registry to identify and implement improvements to registry
infrastructure and Statewide monitoring of cancer incidence
data and to develop a strategy for increasing awareness of
the registry and maximizing the voluntary reporting of
information to the registry.
(3) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to
authorize the disclosure of any confidential or personal
identifying information.
(e) Reporting.--Beginning one year after the effective date
of this subsection, and annually thereafter, the department
shall submit a report to the Governor and to the General
Assembly concerning its findings regarding trends in cancer
incidence among firefighters in this Commonwealth, including any
recommendations for reducing the cancer rate and risk factors
for developing cancer among firefighters and recommendations for
legislative, administrative or other action as may be
appropriate to reduce cancer incidence among firefighters or to
improve the functioning of, and participation in, the registry.
(f) Confidentiality of information.--Names and individual
identification data collected under this section shall not be
disclosed unless required by law, and nothing in this section
shall be construed to require disclosure of any private or
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confidential health information in violation of Federal or State
privacy laws. Information reported to the registry shall not be
admissible in any civil or criminal proceeding and shall not
constitute the basis for any professional or administrative
disciplinary action against an individual reporting the
individual's own information to the registry.
(g) Definitions.--The following words and phrases when used
in this section shall have the meanings given to them in this
subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Department." The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
"Registry." The Firefighter Cancer Registry established
under this section.
Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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