By Bob Katzen

The House 151-0, approved and sent to the Senate a bill designed to help firefighters who are diagnosed with cancer as a result of their job and decide to get treatment with the intention of going back to work. Under current law, a firefighter would have to use his or her accrued sick time to cover the days of the treatment. The bill would change the law and the firefighter would not use the sick time during the treatment. He or she could then use it for follow up care.

“This Legislature is committed to supporting our first responders who put their lives on the line every day for the public,” said Rep. Dan Cahill (D-Lynn), the sponsor of the proposal. “Speaker DeLeo secured bipartisan support to unanimously pass this bill in fulfillment of that commitment.”