Bill > HSB584

This Study Bill authorizes local governments in Iowa to create "length of service award programs" for volunteer firefighters and emergency medical care providers, which are individuals who provide essential emergency services without pay. These programs are designed to offer financial awards to these volunteers based on their years of service, with the intention of these awards being treated as tax-deferred benefits under federal tax law, similar to retirement savings plans. To help fund these programs, the bill establishes a "length of service award program grant fund" and appropriates one million dollars annually from the state's general fund to this account, which will then be distributed as grants to municipalities that establish such programs. These grants require a matching contribution from the municipality, meaning the municipality must contribute an equal amount to the program for every dollar it receives in state grant funding.