On December 18, 2025, the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act Of 2025 was signed into law. The act expands the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) program to recognize service-related cancers as “line-of-duty” deaths or disabilities. The act covers 20 types of cancers prominent in the fire service including:
Bladder cancer, brain cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, colon/colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer, kidney cancer, leukemia, lung cancer, malignant melanoma, mesothelioma, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, skin cancer (non-melanoma), stomach cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid cancer and any World Trade Center related cancer as defined in the Public Health Service Act.
The law creates a presumption that the officer’s exposure to carcinogens while performing official duties was a “line of duty” injury, eliminating any requirement to identify a specific incident of exposure. The act permits retroactive claims to be made for death or disabilities that occurred on or after January 1, 2020.
The deceased or disabled officer must have served for at least five years before diagnosis or, if no longer serving, the diagnosis must occur while in service or within 15 years of leaving service.
Claims can be denied by the Department of Justice if competent medical evidence demonstrates that the cancer was not caused by an occupational exposure such as evidence of a non-service-related cause, proof that the cancer was present prior to the officer’s start of service, or a diagnosis that occurs more than 15 years after leaving service.
The PSOB benefit amount changes annually for inflation. For deaths and disabilities occurring on or after October 1, 2025 the benefit amount is $461,656.
If you or someone you know is a current or former firefighter diagnosed with cancer, call the Law Firm of Alex Dell, PLLC for a free consultation on the potential benefits available to you under the law.
The Law Firm of Alex Dell, PLLC represents injured and disabled individuals throughout New York State and Florida with respect to Workers’ Compensation and disability retirement claims, and also represents individuals and veterans nationwide with their Social Security Disability, Public Safety Officers’ Benefits and Veterans Affairs compensation claims.
Should you have any questions or would like to discuss this matter with us further, please contact our office for a free consultation at 1-866-965-2667 or visit us at www.alexdell.com
We are here to help you!
