Bill > A5905

Introduced Session

This bill concerns the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters and is based upon recommendations contained in the Volunteer Firefighter Recruitment and Retention Task Force Report issued by the State of Delaware. Specifically, the bill: 1) requires the Division of Fire Safety to manage any Americorps program related to volunteer firefighters that are established in this State and implement a recruitment program for volunteer firefighters; 2) establishes a paid service program in the Office of Volunteerism to allow for new volunteers of any firehouse in this State to receive a monthly stipend for their service. The bill creates a special fund to pay for the volunteer stipends and allocates an initial $2 million to support the program; 3) encourages school districts to sponsor an after school program on the topic of volunteer fire service and requires the Department of Education to establish a public awareness campaign regarding the after school program; 4) establishes the Volunteer Firefighter Tuition Remission Program to incentivize volunteer firefighting in the State. The program is to provide tuition remission for up to 16 undergraduate or eight graduate credits per semester, for a maximum of eight semesters. The bill requires the Legislature to annually appropriate from the General Fund to the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority amounts necessary to implement the Volunteer Firefighter Tuition Remission Program; 5) requires county vocational schools that include grades nine through 12 to incorporate instruction on public safety services into the curriculum for students as part of the district's implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education. The instruction will include information on firefighting and emergency medical services; 6) requires the Division of Fire Safety in the Department of Community Affairs to establish training course materials regarding incentives to promote the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters and requires the division to administer a website dedicated to the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters; and 7) provides a $1,000 gross income tax credit to taxpayers that are members of a volunteer fire company and perform at least 100 hours of volunteer service to the company each year. To be eligible for a credit, a taxpayer would be required to obtain certification from the fire company noting the number of hours that the taxpayer performed volunteer services for the company during the taxable year.

Committee Categories

Kevin Rooney (R)*,  DeAnne DeFuccio (R),  Bethanne Patrick (R),  Beth Sawyer (R),  Parker Space (R), 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee (on 12/28/2023)

Official Document