The Firefighter Cancer Registry Act of 2018 became law on July 7 with the president’s signature, marking an important milestone for how the nation will work to improve cancer treatment for firefighters, said U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) and House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Chairman Michael Burgess (R-TX).
“Day after day, firefighters all across the country are quick to answer the call of duty. Whether they do so in volunteer service or as a career, they put their communities first on a daily basis without question,” the lawmakers said in a joint July 9 statement released by the Energy and Commerce Committee. “This common sense bill will create a national registry to better document the physical toll these everyday heroes undertake and help lead to better treatment options.”
H.R. 931, authored by U.S. Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY), who introduced the bipartisan measure in February 2017, will require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop and maintain a voluntary registry to collect data on cancer among firefighters.
The registry will allow researchers to understand how smoke inhalation and other occupational hazards impact a firefighter’s health, and help lead to better treatment options, according to the committee’s statement. H.R. 931 had 188 cosponsors in the U.S. House.
Additionally, according to the congressional record summary, the CDC must develop a strategy to maximize participation in the registry and develop guidance for states and firefighting agencies regarding the registry. In addition, the agency must encourage inclusion in the registry of data on minority, female and volunteer firefighters and seek feedback on the registry from nonfederal experts.
The CDC also must develop a process for making registry data available for research without a fee if findings or publications from the research are made public or available to stakeholders, according to the summary.
“We look forward to seeing this registry come to fruition,” said Reps. Burgess and Walden.