ticipation among volunteer, paid-on-call, and ca-
reer firefighters to meet minimum participation 
targets. 
(C) Additional steps that may be required 
to ensure the equitable representation of groups 
identified in paragraph (5). 
(D) Information on how the Secretary will 
store data described in subsection (c)(1) and 
provide links to relevant health information de-
scribed in subsection (c)(2). 
(E) Working in consultation with the ex-
perts 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. 
(3) REPORT
TO
CONGRESS.—The Secretary 
shall submit the strategy described in paragraph (2) 
to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Sen-
ate not later than 30 days after the date of the com-
pletion of the strategy. 
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(4) GUIDANCE FOR INCLUSION AND MAINTE-
NANCE OF DATA ON FIREFIGHTERS.—The Secretary 
shall develop, in consultation with the stakeholders 
identified in subsection (e), and disseminate guid-
ance to State health agencies, State departments of 
homeland security, and volunteer, paid-on-call, com-
bination, and career firefighting agencies that out-
lines the following: 
(A) How new information about fire-
fighters 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 nec-
essary by the Secretary. 
(5) ENSURING
REPRESENTATION
OF
UNDER-
REPRESENTED GROUPS IN REGISTRY.—In carrying 
out this section, the Secretary shall take such meas-
ures as the Secretary deems appropriate to encour-
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age the inclusion of data on minority, female, and 
volunteer firefighters in the Firefighter Registry es-
tablished under this section. 
(e) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall, on a reg-
ular basis, seek feedback regarding the utility of the Fire-
fighter Registry established under this section and ways 
the Firefighter Registry can be improved from non-Fed-
eral experts in the following areas: 
(1) Public health experts with experience in de-
veloping 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.—The Secretary shall 
develop and make public a process for de-identifying data 
from the Firefighter Registry and making such data avail-
able without a fee for research or other purposes. Such 
process shall provide that such data shall be made avail-
able for such research purposes only if there is an agree-
ment to make findings, journal articles, or other print or 
web-based publications derived from such research public 
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or available to the relevant stakeholders identified in sub-
section (e). 
(g) PRIVACY.—In carrying out this Act, the Secretary 
shall apply to the Firefighter Registry developed under 
subsection (a) data security provisions and privacy stand-
ards that comply with the best practices of the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention and provide for data 
privacy and security standards similar to those in the 
HIPAA privacy regulation, as defined in section 
1180(b)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320d– 
9(b)(3)). 
(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. 
Æ 
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