[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3676 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3676
To support the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters and
emergency medical services personnel, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Volunteer Firefighter and EMS
Support Act of 2008''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services
personnel are a vital component of the first responders across
the United States.
(2) The 800,000 volunteer firefighters and emergency
medical service personnel in the United States save lives and
property everyday.
(3) The national financial savings resulting from volunteer
firefighting and emergency medical services has been calculated
at more than $37,000,000,000 each year.
(4) 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.
(5) 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.
(6) 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.
SEC. 3. 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:
``SEC. 33A. ASSISTANCE FOR VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL
SERVICES PERSONNEL.
``(a) 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.
``(b) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) 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) a retirement benefit;
``(B) reimbursement for travel and training;
``(C) health insurance or other health benefits;
``(D) life insurance;
``(E) tuition or school loan forgiveness;
``(F) a tax reduction; and
``(G) any other benefit or incentive approved by
the Administrator.
``(2) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary
of Homeland Security.
``(3) 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).
``(4) 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.
``(c) Matching Payments to States.--
``(1) 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.
``(2) 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.
``(d) Regulations.--The Secretary shall prescribe regulations to
carry out this section.
``(e) Reports.--
``(1) 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--
``(A) the use of such funds; and
``(B) the programs to recruit or retain volunteer
firefighters carried out by the government,
association, or organization during that fiscal year.
``(2) 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--
``(A) the activities carried out under this section
during the previous year; and
``(B) the status of programs to recruit and retain
volunteer firefighters in the United States.''.
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