Relating to claims for benefits or compensation for certain cancer brought by firefighters or emergency medical technicians.

HB 1691 expands eligibility for benefits or compensation under Texas law for firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) diagnosed with certain cancers linked to job exposure. The bill specifically adds to the qualifying list: cancers of the stomach, colon, rectum, skin, prostate, testis, brain, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, multiple myeloma, malignant melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, and any other cancer caused by exposure to heat, smoke, radiation, or carcinogens (as determined by the International Agency for Research on Cancer). This change applies only to claims filed on or after the bill’s effective date (September 1, 2025, unless passed with a two-thirds vote for immediate effect). It directly affects first responders who develop these specific cancers and seek compensation through existing state benefit programs.