Governor Ned Lamont signed Connecticut Senate Bill 1426 into law, which will update the state’s cancer presumption for firefighters.

In addition to adding skin cancer to the list of cancers covered, the bill now requires cancer coverage to function as if the cancer were caused by an occupational disease under the state’s workers’ comp laws, effectively changing the administration of benefits.

Additionally, the bill changes the five-year service requirement. Originally firefighters had to be employed for five years within a firefighting role, but the five years had to be in one of the following positions:

• As an interior structural firefighter
• At a municipal, state, or volunteer fire department
• As a local fire marshal, fire investigator, or fire inspector

Now, firefighters can count any combination of these positions to meet the five-year requirement.

This bill will go into effect on October 1, 2025.