By Richard Fellinger
The Lebanon Daily News
Copyright 2008 Lebanon Daily News
HARRISBURG, Pa. — With volunteer fire companies and ambulance crews struggling to find volunteers, the Senate approved three bills yesterday aimed at making it more appealing to join.
The package would give state tax credits to volunteers and their employers and provide volunteers with tuition reimbursement for college credits.
The bills, all co-sponsored by Lebanon County Sen. Mike Folmer, passed the Senate unanimously and now head to the House.
“We can no longer take (volunteers) for granted, or assume volunteers will be available to answer the call at the firehouse or be available for an ambulance run,” said Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Luzerne, sponsor of two of the bills.
The package would cost the state $23 million, and supporters hope to negotiate final approval with the 2008-09 state budget so it goes into effect for the 2009 tax year.
One of Baker’s bills would give a tax credit up to $500 to active, certified members of volunteer fire and ambulance organizations.
A second bill, also Baker’s, would give employers a $1,000 tax credit for each full-time employee who volunteers in an emergency-service organization. Employers would not be able to claim more than $5,000 in any tax year.
Sen. Mike Waugh, R-York, sponsored the bill to create a tuition-reimbursement program that would give undergraduates a 50 percent reimbursement for each college credit.
Waugh, a former assistant fire chief, said tuition reimbursement would encourage younger volunteers who play a key role in any fire or ambulance company.
“Once folks are in the house, especially at a young age, my experience has been they’ll stay with it,” Waugh said.
Supporters of the package say research and the experience of neighboring states show the proposals can help boost the ranks of volunteers.
Maryland has had a tax-credit program for volunteer firefighters since 1996 and has seen an increase of nearly 5,000 volunteers in that time, said Senate Democratic Whip Mike O’Pake, D-Berks.
Tax credits and tuition reimbursement were recommended in a 2004 report, commissioned by the Senate, which examined ways to improve emergency services in Pennsylvania.
A fourth bill in the package would allow municipalities to offer volunteers tax credits against local earned-income taxes.
It is expected to see a floor vote tomorrow, said its sponsor, Sen. Andrew Dinniman, D-Chester.