HB 1033 Summary

• Shifts cancer benefit payments for first responders from insurance policies to the Mississippi Attorney General's Office, funded by state appropriations rather than employer-purchased insurance.

• Removes the requirement for municipalities, counties, and fire protection districts to purchase insurance coverage by April 1, 2022, and instead requires the state to appropriate $250,000 to the Attorney General's Office for benefit payments.

• Maintains cancer benefit amounts of up to $35,000 for serious cancers and up to $6,250 for less serious cancers, with a lifetime combined limit of $50,000 per first responder.

• Extends cancer benefit eligibility to five years after retirement, whereas previous law only covered active service periods.

• Repeals Section 25-15-407 which required employers to bear the cost of cancer insurance coverage, and transfers regulatory authority over the program from the Commissioner of Insurance to the Attorney General.