Bills › 91st General Assembly
Authorizing length of service award programs for volunteer fire fighters, volunteer emergency medical care providers, and reserve peace officers, and making appropriations
Sponsored by Sen. Mike Klimesh (R)
Topics:State budgetCities & countiesPublic safety & emergencies
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedJanuary 29, 2025
- Done: SubcommitteeFebruary 5, 2025
- Done: Senate committeeApril 10, 2025
- Skipped: Passes the SenateContinued as SF 627
- Next: House committee
- Next: Passes the House
- Next: To the Governor
- Next: Signed into law
Became SF 627 → Its progress continues under the new number. Go to SF 627 What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
AI summary Local governments can now create special award programs to reward volunteer firefighters, emergency medical workers, and reserve police officers for their years of service. To help pay for these programs, the state will use money from sports wagering to provide grants to cities and counties. These grants can match up to $300 per person each year to help fund the awards.1
Read the official explanation
This bill authorizes a municipality, defined as a city, county, township, benefited fire district, or agency authorized by law to provide emergency response services, to establish a length of service award program as described in section 457(e)(11) of the Internal Revenue Code for volunteer fire fighters, volunteer emergency medical care providers, and reserve peace officers. The bill provides that the governing body of a municipality that establishes a program shall, in consultation with the chief or other person in command of the fire department and police department serving the municipality, as applicable, adopt guidelines providing for eligibility requirements for participation by volunteer fire fighters, volunteer emergency medical care providers, and reserve peace officers, minimum vesting requirements, distribution requirements, and such other guidelines as deemed necessary to operate the program. The bill also establishes a length of service award program grant fund under the control of the department of revenue.5 million is appropriated from the sports wagering receipts fund to the department for deposit in the length of service award program grant fund.5 million as of July of the fiscal year is transferred from the sports wagering receipts fund to the length of service award program grant fund. Moneys in the fund are appropriated to the department for grants to municipalities that have established a length of service award program to provide contributions to the program on behalf of participants. The bill requires the department to adopt rules establishing a grant application process that shall provide for up to a dollar-for-dollar funding match, in an amount not to exceed $300 per award recipient per year from the fund, to a municipality that has established a length of service award program. The bill also requires the grant process to allow a municipality to use moneys received from any source for purposes of providing the funding match required by the bill.
Changed since by amendments S-3183, S-3180; see Amendments.
Senate subcommittee
Named February 5, 2025. On February 6, 2025 it recommended passage.
Three legislators hear a bill first and recommend what the committee should do; it’s the best time to weigh in. How to take part
Family tree
Tried before
Study bill
Earlier and later bills are matched by wording or an identical title.
Tried before
This idea has been filed in 3 earlier General Assemblies. None became law, though one got through a chamber.
- HF 340 Authorizing length of service award programs for volunteer fire fighters, volunteer emerge…90th General Assembly · Passed House · same titlePassed a chamber
- SF 272 Authorizing length of service award programs for volunteer fire fighters, volunteer emerge…90th General Assembly · Renumbered as SF 447 · same titleCleared committee
- SF 447 Authorizing length of service award programs for volunteer fire fighters, volunteer emerge…90th General Assembly · Approved by committee · same titleCleared committee
- HF 193 Authorizing length of service award programs for volunteer fire fighters, volunteer emerge…90th General Assembly · Renumbered as HF 340 · very similarCleared committee
- HF 2574 Authorizing length of service award programs for volunteer fire fighters, volunteer emerge…89th General Assembly · Passed House · similarPassed a chamber
- HF 2487 Authorizing length of service award programs for volunteer fire fighters, emergency medica…88th General Assembly · Subcommittee recommends passage · similarCleared committee
Matched by wording or an identical title.