II
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3676
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
October 1 (legislative day, September 17), 2008
Mr. Sanders introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
A BILL
To support the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services personnel, and for other purposes.
Short title
This Act may be cited as
the Volunteer Firefighter and EMS
Support Act of 2008
.
Findings
Congress makes the following findings:
Volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services personnel are a vital component of the first responders across the United States.
The 800,000 volunteer firefighters and emergency medical service personnel in the United States save lives and property everyday.
The national financial savings resulting from volunteer firefighting and emergency medical services has been calculated at more than $37,000,000,000 each year.
Many volunteer fire stations and emergency medical services organizations in the United States face growing challenges as volunteers contend with increased competition for their time from their jobs, families, and other responsibilities.
Some State and local governments provide financial incentives to volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services personnel, such as retirement benefits and tuition assistance. Unfortunately, many communities that rely on volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services personnel, especially rural and low-income communities, do not have the resources to provide such incentives.
There is an important role for the Federal Government and the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration in supporting volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services personnel, including providing funds to contribute to incentives for the recruitment and retention of volunteers.
Assistance for volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services personnel
The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2201 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 33 the following new section:
Assistance for volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services personnel
Establishment
The Secretary shall establish a program to provide funds to a State or local government, non-profit firefighter association, or governmental or nongovernmental emergency medical services organization, that carries out a volunteer firefighter incentive program in accordance with the provisions of this section.
Definitions
In this section:
Approved benefit or incentive
The term approved benefit or
incentive
means a benefit or incentive that has been approved by the
Administrator and is provided to a volunteer firefighter, including—
a retirement benefit;
reimbursement for travel and training;
health insurance or other health benefits;
life insurance;
tuition or school loan forgiveness;
a tax reduction; and
any other benefit or incentive approved by the Administrator.
Secretary
The
term Secretary
means the Secretary of Homeland Security.
Volunteer firefighter
The term volunteer firefighter
means
an individual who provides firefighting service or emergency medical service to
a State or local government or a governmental or nongovernmental organization
without pay. A volunteer firefighter may receive benefits or incentives for
firefighting service or emergency medical service, including benefits and
incentives described in subparagraphs (A) through (G) of paragraph (1).
Volunteer firefighter incentive program
The term volunteer
firefighter incentive program
means a program carried out by a State or
local government, a non-profit firefighter association, or a governmental or
nongovernmental emergency medical services organization to provide approved
benefits or incentives.
Matching payments to States
Requirement
For each fiscal year in which a State or local government, non-profit firefighter association, or governmental or nongovernmental emergency medical services organization carries out a volunteer firefighter incentive program, the Secretary shall pay such government, association, or organization, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated for such fiscal year, an amount equal to the total amount of expenditures of funds not received from the Federal Government made by such government, association, or organization for such fiscal year to carry out the volunteer firefighter incentive program.
Entitlement
Paragraph (1) constitutes budget authority in advance of appropriations Acts and represents the obligation of the Federal Government to provide payment to a State or local government, non-profit firefighter association, or governmental or nongovernmental emergency medical services organization of any amount provided for under such paragraph.
Regulations
The Secretary shall prescribe regulations to carry out this section.
Reports
Reports from recipients
A State or local government, non-profit firefighter association, or governmental or nongovernmental emergency medical service organization that receives funds under this section to carry out a volunteer firefighter incentive program for a fiscal year shall submit to the Secretary a report on—
the use of such funds; and
the programs to recruit or retain volunteer firefighters carried out by the government, association, or organization during that fiscal year.
Reports from the Secretary
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of the Volunteer Firefighter and EMS Support Act of 2008, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on—
the activities carried out under this section during the previous year; and
the status of programs to recruit and retain volunteer firefighters in the United States.
.