Elissa Slotkin (D-MI)
Federal Firefighter Cancer Detection and Prevention Act of 2025
A Democratic bill with 2 Republican cosponsors · See all 3 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the ``Federal Firefighter Cancer Detection and Prevention Act of 2025'', requires the Secretary of Defense to provide specific medical testing to Department of Defense firefighters. The goal is to detect, document, and prevent certain types of cancers. Services include screenings for breast, colon, and prostate cancers, as well as other cancers identified by the CDC as higher risk for firefighters. These services are to be provided at no cost to the firefighter during annual health assessments or other indicated intervals. The bill also outlines specific documentation and privacy requirements for managing the resulting health data.
Yes· 3 of 7
- Scored +7
Would women be better off under this?
The bill mandates specific, frequent mammogram screenings for female firefighters.
- Scored +7
Does this make health care easier to get in general?
The bill mandates that the Secretary of Defense provide specific cancer screenings and medical testing to Department of Defense firefighters at no cost.
- Scored +6
Would people in middle age be better off under this?
The bill provides targeted cancer screenings for firefighters aged 40, 45, and 50 years old or older.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Free Medical Screenings: The Secretary of Defense must provide medical testing and related services at no cost to the firefighter (Section 2(a)).
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Breast Cancer Prevention: Female firefighters receive mammograms twice a year if they are between 40 and 49, and annually if they are 50 or older, which includes a review of results by a licensed radiologist (Section 2(b)(1)).
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Colon Cancer Prevention: For firefighters aged 45 or older, the bill provides for visual examinations like colonoscopies or stool-based blood testing, along with physician review of the results (Section 2(b)(2)).
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Prostate Cancer Prevention: Male firefighters are provided with prostate-specific antigen tests annually if they are 50 or older, or if they are 40 or older and considered high-risk (Section 2(b)(3)).
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Targeted Cancer Detection: The bill includes routine screenings for any other cancers that the Director of the CDC has identified as having a higher risk among firefighters (Section 2(b)(4)).
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Data Privacy Protection: When analyzing health information, the Secretary is required to ensure the name and any other personally identifiable information is removed (Section 2(e)(2)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Opt-out Option: A firefighter of the Department of Defense has the choice to opt out of receiving the medical testing or related services provided under this act (Section 2(c)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would women be better off under this? — The bill mandates specific, frequent mammogram screenings for female firefighters. Would Black Americans be better off under this? — The bill recognizes African Americans as a high-risk group for prostate cancer requiring specific screening protocols. Would people in middle age be better off under this? — The bill provides targeted cancer screenings for firefighters aged 40, 45, and 50 years old or older. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — The bill includes mandatory annual screenings for firefighters aged 50 and older. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill provides expensive cancer screenings at no cost to the individual firefighter.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill mandates that the Secretary of Defense provide specific cancer screenings and medical testing to Department of Defense firefighters at no cost.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive? — By providing cancer prevention and screening services to Department of Defense firefighters, the bill enhances the health support provided to these personnel.
- 6/3/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/29/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 9/9/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Susan CollinsRepublican · Maine
Jeanne ShaheenDemocrat · New Hampshire
Eric SchmittRepublican · Missouri