POLISCOPE
Back to feed
Part offirefighters →
SB 984FLORIDA · STATEWIDESession 2026Ordered engrossed, then enrolled
High Impact

New Death Benefit Rules for Former Firefighters

Original title: Firefighter Cancer Benefits and Prevention

December 19, 2025

firefighterscanceremployee benefitsdeath benefitslabor lawpublic officers, employees, and records

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

Where This Stands

Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Signed

Currently Ordered engrossed, then enrolled. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Signed.

Procedural history

22 actions
  1. Feb 26, 2026House
    In Messages
  2. Feb 26, 2026Senate
    Immediately certified
  3. Feb 26, 2026SenateFloor
    CS passed; YEAS 37 NAYS 0
  4. Feb 26, 2026SenateFloor
    Read 3rd time
  5. Feb 26, 2026SenateFloor
    Read 2nd time
  6. Feb 24, 2026Senate
    CS/CS by Appropriations read 1st time
Show 16 earlier actions
  1. Feb 23, 2026Senate
    Placed on Special Order Calendar, 02/26/26
  2. Feb 20, 2026Senate
    Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
  3. Feb 20, 2026Senate
    Pending reference review -under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute)
  4. Feb 18, 2026Senate
    CS/CS by- Appropriations; YEAS 18 NAYS 0
  5. Feb 18, 2026Senate
    CS by Governmental Oversight and Accountability read 1st time
  6. Feb 13, 2026Senate
    On Committee agenda-- Appropriations, 02/18/26, 1:30 pm, 412 Knott Building
  7. Feb 12, 2026Senate
    Now in Appropriations
  8. Feb 12, 2026Senate
    Pending reference review under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute)
  9. Feb 11, 2026Senate
    CS by Governmental Oversight and Accountability; YEAS 9 NAYS 0
  10. Feb 6, 2026Senate
    On Committee agenda-- Governmental Oversight and Accountability, 02/11/26, 3:00 pm, 110 Senate Building
  11. Jan 28, 2026Senate
    Now in Governmental Oversight and Accountability
  12. Jan 27, 2026SenateCommittee
    Favorable by Community Affairs; YEAS 8 NAYS 0
  13. Jan 22, 2026Senate
    On Committee agenda-- Community Affairs, 01/27/26, 3:30 pm, 37 Senate Building
  14. Jan 13, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Introduced
  15. Jan 7, 2026SenateCommittee
    Referred to Community Affairs; Governmental Oversight and Accountability; Appropriations
  16. Dec 19, 2025SenateIntroduced
    Filed

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

The Frame

What this does

This change extends financial protections to the families of former firefighters who pass away from cancer, ensuring they remain eligible for death benefits for up to 12 months after the firefighter leaves their position.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Firefighters

The bill establishes a one-year window post-employment during which their beneficiaries may claim death benefits related to cancer.

Former employers of firefighters

These entities are required to provide death benefits to beneficiaries of former employees for one year after the employee's termination.

What changed

Current stage: Ordered engrossed, then enrolled.

What's next

Signed.

Background

  • This bill amends existing Florida law that provides cancer-related benefits to firefighters. context

Summary

This bill requires former employers to provide death benefits to the beneficiaries of firefighters who die from cancer within one year of leaving their job. It ensures that these benefits remain available even after a firefighter has terminated their employment, provided they met the eligibility criteria at the time of departure.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Why It Matters

This change extends financial protections to the families of former firefighters who pass away from cancer, ensuring they remain eligible for death benefits for up to 12 months after the firefighter leaves their position.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible for these death benefits?
Beneficiaries of former firefighters who die from cancer or cancer treatment, provided the firefighter met the criteria at the time of termination and did not work as a firefighter afterward.
How long after leaving a job is a firefighter covered?
The benefits are available for one year after the date the firefighter terminated their employment.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Voting Record

Motion succeededsenate2/26/2026Official roll call ↗

Third Reading

Total

47

Yes

43

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Motion succeededsenate2/18/2026Official roll call ↗

Favorable with Committee Substitute

Total

18

Yes

18

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Motion succeededsenate2/11/2026legiscanOfficial roll call ↗

Favorable with Committee Substitute

Total

9

Yes

9

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Motion succeededsenate1/27/2026Official roll call ↗

Favorable

Total

8

Yes

8

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Full roll-call analysis →

Sponsors

Connected Entities

dollar_amount37“Number of senators voting in favor.”Map →
locationKnott Building“Location of a committee meeting.”Map →
organizationGovernmental Oversight and Accountability“The committee that subsequently handled the bill.”Map →
dollar_amount110“Number of senators voting in favor.”Map →
locationSenate Building“Location of a committee meeting.”Map →
dollar_amount412“Number of senators voting in favor.”Map →
bill_numberFirefighter Cancer Benefits and Prevention“The title of the bill.”Map →
organizationCommunity Affairs“The committee that initially reviewed the bill.”Map →
organizationAppropriations“The committee involved in the final vote.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance75
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy10
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools

Share or embed this record

POLISCOPE publisher tools

Share or embed this record