TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis released the following statement today regarding the unanimous passage by the Florida Senate of SB 426, which provides cancer coverage benefits for firefighters:

 

CFO and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis said, “Today, the Florida Senate advanced a bill that will give our brave firefighters access to cancer benefits so they won’t have to shoulder the financial burden on their own. Our state is one of the few states that does not provide benefits for firefighter battling cancer and that must change this year. Seventy percent of firefighter line-of-duty deaths are cancer related and the men and women fighting this disease need to know that Florida stands with them.

 

“I thank Senator Flores for her hard work and advocacy in protecting our first responders. Passage of this bill is a giant step in the right direction of supporting Florida’s firefighters.”