A bill sponsored by Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson) to reauthorize the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer passed the House today on a wide bipartisan vote.
“With our creation of a national firefighter cancer registry, we have made important advances in keeping our heroes healthy and I am proud the House has agreed to renew the program today,” Pascrell said in a statement. “Thank you to the bipartisan Congressional Fire Services Caucus co-chairs for their support. Firefighter safety is public safety, and I am committed to keeping our communities’ heroes healthy and safe.”
The firefighter cancer registry was first established in 2018, thanks to legislation led by Pascrell and now-former Rep. Chris Collins (R-New York). It aims to track cancer rates among firefighters, who are often exposed to fumes and toxins that can increase the risk of cancer; the original legislation expired in 2022, but today’s bill reauthorizes it through fiscal year 2028.
413 House members voted for the bill, while just seven representatives – all of them conservative Republicans – opposed it. All 12 House members from New Jersey supported the bill.