Rep. Cairns files bill in North Carolina House to expand firefighter death benefits

A new bill filed by State Rep. Cairns seeks to expand benefits for firefighters diagnosed with cancer under state programs and align related death benefits, according to the North Carolina State House.

The bill, filed as HB 276 on March 4 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Align Benefits for Firefighters with Cancer.’

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill aligns firefighter benefits by expanding the definition of “killed in the line of duty” under the Public Safety Employees’ Death Benefits Act to include any cancer diagnosis for which a firefighter received benefits under the Firefighters’ Cancer Insurance Program or the Firefighters’ Health Benefits Pilot Program. It establishes the Firefighters’ Cancer Insurance Program to provide supplemental health benefits to eligible firefighters diagnosed with cancer from Jan. 1, 2022. The program, administered by the State Fire Marshal, is a permanent continuation of the pilot program and will not involve purchasing commercial insurance. Up to 10% of the allocated funds can be used for administrative expenses. The bill appropriates $2 million in recurring funds annually for the 2025-27 fiscal biennium to support the implementation of related death benefits. The act takes effect July 1, 2025, and applies to qualifying deaths from that date.

A related bill, SB 226, was also filed in the North Carolina Senate, introduced by Sen. Todd Johnson (and two others) on March 3, 2025.

Of the four sponsors of this bill, Kyle Hall proposed the most bills (14) during the 2025 regular session.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Cairns graduated from the University of Georgia with a BBA.

Cairns, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2023 to represent the state’s 13th House district, replacing previous state representative Patricia McElraft.