WASHINGTON– U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar today announced unanimous Senate passage of The Firefighter Cancer Registry Act, bipartisan legislation to create a national cancer registry for firefighters diagnosed with the deadly disease. The bill calls on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to monitor and study the relationship between career-long exposure to dangerous fumes and toxins and the incidence of cancer in firefighters to determine if there is a link, and to develop better protective gear and prevention techniques. The bill is led by Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and cosponsored by Klobuchar and Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Marco Rubio (R-FL).

“With cancer becoming the leading cause of death for firefighters, we need to learn more about the cancer risks our firefighters face so we can support them if they get sick. Right now, we don’t know enough to protect the people protecting us,” Klobuchar said. “The Firefighter Cancer Registry Act of 2017 will start giving us the information we need to ensure the health and safety of those who put their lives in danger to keep us safe.”

The bill, originally introduced in the 114th Congress and reintroduced in February 2017, has 47 Senate cosponsors: Murkowski, Klobuchar, Rubio, Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ed Markey (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Steve Daines (R-MT), Charles Schumer (D-NY), John McCain (R-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jon Tester (D-MT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tom Carper (D-DE), Bob Casey (D-PA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NE), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Todd Young (R-IN).

Firefighters are exposed to a range of harmful toxins, and research has indicated that there is a strong connection between firefighting and an increased risk for several major cancers such as testicular, stomach, multiple myeloma and brain cancers.

The registry would improve collection capabilities and activities related to the nationwide monitoring of cancer incidence among all firefighters – career and volunteer.  Specifically, the registry would:

  • Store and consolidate epidemiological information submitted by healthcare professionals related to cancer incidence among firefighters
  • Make de-identified data available to public health researchers to provide them with robust and comprehensive datasets to expand groundbreaking research
  • Improve our understanding of cancer incidence and could potentially lead to the development of more sophisticated safety protocols and safeguards as more data is collected
  • To ensure the effectiveness of the registry, its administrators would be required to consult regularly with epidemiologists, public health experts, clinicians, and firefighters.

In recent years, Klobuchar has travelled the state meeting with firefighters and promoting the The Firefighter Cancer Registry Act. She has also been a leader in the fight to protect people from harmful carcinogens. In February, Klobuchar and Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) introduced the Helping Veterans Exposed to Burn Pits Act. The bill would create a center of excellence within the Department of Veterans Affairs to better understand the health effects associated with burn pits, such as cancer, and treat veterans who become sick after exposure. In 2010, Klobuchar along with Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA) passed the Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act that directed the EPA to establish national standards for formaldehyde emissions in new composite wood products.

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