or 
lines to the right of the URL bar at the top of your browser
Bill Would Expand Public Safety Officer Death Benefits To Include Certain Cancers
If enacted, the law would be effective retroactively to Jan. 1, 2020, and apply to licensed peace officers as well as full-time and paid on-call firefighters.
A bill moving through the Minnesota House and Senate would expand eligibility for survivor benefits when a public safety officer dies from one of 20 specified cancers linked to carcinogen exposure.
Companion bills, HF 4446 and SF 4667, backed by the Minnesota Professional Firefighters Association, are sponsored by Rep. Pete Johnson (DFL-Duluth) and Sen. Judy Seeberger (DFL-Afton), respectively.
Proposal details
Under the bills, a line-of-duty death benefit would apply if the public safety officer served at least five years before being diagnosed with an exposure-related cancer. Coverage would extend for up to 15 years after the officer’s last date of active service.
The proposal would take effective retroactively to Jan. 1, 2020, and apply to licensed peace officers as well as full-time and paid on-call firefighters. In addition to state and federal death benefits, survivors would be eligible for continued health insurance under Minnesota Statutes, section 299A.465.
The House version was introduced March 18 and approved by the House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee on March 24. The Senate companion was introduced March 23 and was heard and laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill by the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee on March 25.
Testimony on the bill
The League of Minnesota Cities raised two primary concerns about the measure in written testimony:
- The dependent health care obligation under statute will apply to employers if an officer dies from one of the specified cancers. While the state is currently reimbursing employers for the cost of this benefit, a $100 million one-time appropriation approved in 2023 for this purpose has been depleted to about one-third of its original amount. The League is concerned that without ongoing state funding, the financial burden of this statutorily required benefit will shift to employers.
- The bill comes close to creating a presumption that most cancers are work-related for public safety officers. In practice, it can be difficult to determine whether a specific cancer was caused by job-related exposure or other factors, such as genetics, smoking, alcohol use, or lifestyle choices. The concern is especially relevant for paid on-call firefighters, who may be exposed to carcinogens through other employment.
View the League’s written testimony on HF 4446 (pdf).
The League is urging that a state and local fiscal impact note be prepared before the bill advances further. If the analysis shows a cost to cities, the League will seek state funding to cover then benefits created by the legislation.