PUBLIC LAW 115–194—JULY 7, 2018 

FIREFIGHTER CANCER REGISTRY ACT 

OF 2018 


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132 STAT. 1506 PUBLIC LAW 115–194—JULY 7, 2018 

Public Law 115–194 

115th Congress 

An Act 

To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a voluntary 

registry to collect data on cancer incidence among firefighters. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act 

of 2018. 

SEC. 2. VOLUNTARY REGISTRY FOR FIREFIGHTER CANCER 

INCIDENCE. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services 

(referred to in this section as the Secretary), acting through the 

Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and 

in coordination with other agencies as the Secretary determines 

appropriate, shall develop and maintain, directly or through a grant 

or cooperative agreement, a voluntary registry of firefighters 

(referred to in this section as the Firefighter Registry) to collect 

relevant health and occupational information of such firefighters 

for purposes of determining cancer incidence. 

(b) USE OF FIREFIGHTER REGISTRY.—The Firefighter Registry 

may be used for the following purposes: 

(1) To improve data collection and data coordination activities related to the nationwide monitoring of the incidence of 

cancer among firefighters. 

(2) To collect, consolidate, and maintain, consistent with 

subsection (g), epidemiological information and analyses related 

to cancer incidence and trends among firefighters 

(c) RELEVANT DATA.— 

(1) DATA COLLECTION.—In carrying out the voluntary data 

collection for purposes of inclusion under the Firefighter Registry, the Secretary may collect the following: 

(A) Information, as determined by the Secretary under 

subsection (d)(1), of volunteer, paid-on-call, and career firefighters, independent of cancer status or diagnosis. 

(B) Individual risk factors and occupational history 

of firefighters. 

(C) Information, if available, related to— 

(i) basic demographic information, including— 

(I) the age of the firefighter involved during 

the relevant dates of occupation as a firefighter; 

and 

(II) the age of cancer diagnosis; 

Determination. 

Coordination. 

Grants. 

Contracts. 

42 USC 280e–5. 

Firefighter 

Cancer Registry 

Act of 2018. 

42 USC 201 note. 

July 7, 2018 

[H.R. 931] 


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PUBLIC LAW 115–194—JULY 7, 2018 132 STAT. 1507 

(ii) the status of the firefighter as either volunteer, 

paid-on-call, or career firefighter; 

(iii) the total number of years of occupation as 

a firefighter and a detailing of additional employment 

experience, whether concurrent, before, or anytime 

thereafter; 

(iv)(I) the approximate number of fire incidents 

attended, including information related to the type of 

fire incidents and the role of the firefighter in 

responding to the incident; or 

(II) in the case of a firefighter for whom information on such number and type is unavailable, an estimate of such number and type based on the method 

developed under subsection (d)(1)(D); and 

(v) other medical information and health history, 

including additional risk factors, as appropriate, and 

other information relevant to a cancer incidence study 

of firefighters. 

(2) INFORMATION ON DIAGNOSES AND TREATMENT.—In carrying out paragraph (1), with respect to diagnoses and treatment of firefighters with cancer, the Secretary shall, as appropriate, enable the Firefighter Registry to electronically connect 

to State-based cancer registries, for a purpose described by 

clause (vi) or (vii) of section 399B(c)(2)(D) of the Public Health 

Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280e(c)(2)(D)), to obtain— 

(A) date of diagnoses and source of information; and 

(B) pathological data characterizing the cancer, 

including cancer site, state of disease (pursuant to Staging 

Guide), incidence, and type of treatment. 

(d) FIREFIGHTER REGISTRY COORDINATION STRATEGY.— 

(1) REQUIRED STRATEGY.—The Secretary shall, in consultation with the relevant stakeholders identified in subsection 

(e), including epidemiologists and pathologists, develop a 

strategy to coordinate data collection activities, including within 

existing State registries, for inclusion in the Firefighter Registry established under this Act. The strategy may include 

the following: 

(A) Increasing awareness of the Firefighter Registry 

and encouraging participation among volunteer, paid-oncall, and career firefighters. 

(B) Consideration of unique data collection needs that 

may arise to generate a statistically reliable representation 

of minority, female, and volunteer firefighters, including 

methods, as needed, to encourage participation from such 

populations. 

(C) Information on how the Secretary will store data 

described in subsection (c)(1) and provide electronic access 

to relevant health information described in subsection 

(c)(2). 

(D) Working in consultation with the experts described 

in subsection (e), a reliable and standardized method for 

estimating the number of fire incidents attended by a firefighter as well as the type of fire incident so attended 

in the case such firefighter is unable to provide such 

information. 

(2) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary shall submit the 

strategy described in paragraph (1) to the Committee on Energy 

Consultation. 

Estimate. 


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132 STAT. 1508 PUBLIC LAW 115–194—JULY 7, 2018 

and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate 

not later than 30 days after the date of the completion of 

the strategy. 

(3) GUIDANCE FOR INCLUSION AND MAINTENANCE OF DATA

ON FIREFIGHTERS.—The Secretary shall develop, in consultation 

with the stakeholders identified in subsection (e), State health 

agencies, State departments of homeland security, and volunteer, paid-on-call, combination, and career firefighting agencies, 

a strategy for inclusion of firefighters in the registry that are 

representative of the general population of firefighters, that 

outlines the following: 

(A) How new information about firefighters will be 

submitted to the Firefighter Registry for inclusion. 

(B) How information about firefighters will be maintained and updated in the Firefighter Registry over time. 

(C) A method for estimating the number of fire 

incidents attended by a firefighter as well as the type 

of fire incident so attended in the case such firefighter 

is unable to provide such information. 

(D) Further information, as deemed necessary by the 

Secretary. 

(e) CONSULTATION AND REPORT.—The Secretary shall consult 

with non-Federal experts on the Firefighter Registry established 

under this section, and shall submit to the Committee on Health, 

Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee 

on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report 

that includes, as appropriate, information on goals achieved and 

improvements needed to strengthen the Firefighter Registry. Such 

non-Federal experts shall include the following: 

(1) Public health experts with experience in developing 

and maintaining cancer registries. 

(2) Epidemiologists with experience in studying cancer 

incidence. 

(3) Clinicians with experience in diagnosing and treating 

cancer incidence. 

(4) Active and retired volunteer, paid-on-call, and career 

firefighters as well as relevant national fire and emergency 

response organizations. 

(f) RESEARCH AVAILABILITY.—Subject to subsection (g), the Secretary shall ensure that information and analysis in the Firefighter 

Registry are available, as appropriate, to the public, including 

researchers, firefighters, and national fire service organizations. 

(g) PRIVACY.—In carrying out this Act, the Secretary shall 

ensure that information in and analysis of the Firefighter Registry 

are made available in a manner that, at a minimum, protects 

personal privacy to the extent required by applicable Federal and 

State privacy law. 

Public 

information. 


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PUBLIC LAW 115–194—JULY 7, 2018 132 STAT. 1509 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 931 (S. 382): 

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 115–301 (Comm. on Energy and Commerce). 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD: 

Vol. 163 (2017): Sept. 12, considered and passed House. 

Vol. 164 (2018): May 10, considered and passed Senate, amended. 

June 22, House concurred in Senate amendment. 

Æ 

(h) AUTHORIZATION OF FUNDS.—To carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $2,500,000 for each of the fiscal 

years 2018 through 2022. 

Approved July 7, 2018. 


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