PRINTER'S NO. 1578

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE BILL

No.

1193

Session of

2024

INTRODUCED BY MASTRIANO AND PENNYCUICK, MAY 3, 2024

REFERRED TO VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS,

MAY 3, 2024

and for duties of State Fire Commissioner.

Section 1. The definitions of "active volunteer" and

"volunteer" in section 79A03 of Title 35 of the Pennsylvania

Consolidated Statutes are amended and the section is amended by

adding a definition to read:

§ 79A03. Definitions.

The following words and phrases when used in this chapter

shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Active volunteer." A volunteer for a volunteer fire company

response team" is defined in section 103 of the act of December

7, 1990 (P.L.639, No.165), known as the Hazardous Material

Emergency Planning and Response Act.

* * *

"Volunteer." A member of a volunteer fire company [or], a

nonprofit emergency medical services agency or a volunteer

HAZMAT Team.

* * *

Section 2. Sections 79A21, 79A22, 79A23(a) and (c) and

79A33(1) of Title 35 are amended to read:

§ 79A21. Volunteer service credit program.

consider the following activities in determining credit toward a

certification of active service:

responds.

training and drills for a volunteer.

administrative and other support services, including

fundraising and facility or equipment maintenance.

(c) Guidelines.--The governing body shall, with the advice

of the chief of a volunteer fire company and the supervisor or

chief of a nonprofit emergency medical services agency or the

head of the volunteer HAZMAT Team or their designees, adopt

guidelines, including forms and applications, necessary to

implement this section.

(d) Eligibility list.--A notarized list of eligible active

volunteers shall be submitted to the governing body, no later

than 45 days before tax notices are to be distributed, by the

following:

governing body.

§ 79A22. Service record.

(a) Log.--The chief of a volunteer fire company [or], the

supervisor or chief of a nonprofit emergency medical services

agency or the head of the volunteer HAZMAT Team or their

designees shall establish and maintain a service log that

documents the activities of each volunteer that qualify for

credit toward active service under the volunteer service credit

program and the calculation of the total credits earned for each

volunteer in the volunteer fire company [or], nonprofit

services agencies or volunteer HAZMAT Teams shall be subject to

periodic review by the commissioner, the Auditor General, the

governing body where the volunteer fire company [or], nonprofit

emergency medical services agency or volunteer HAZMAT Team is

located and the governing body where the volunteer fire company

[or], nonprofit emergency medical services agency or volunteer

HAZMAT Team provides services.

§ 79A23. Certification.

(a) Self-certification.--The active volunteer shall sign and

submit an application for certification to the chief of the

volunteer fire company [or], the supervisor or chief of the

agency and the head of the volunteer HAZMAT Team shall sign the

application attesting to the individual's status as an active

volunteer or that the individual can no longer serve as an

active volunteer due to injury. The application shall then be

forwarded to the municipality, as appropriate, for final review

and processing.

§ 79A33. Duties of State Fire Commissioner.

The State Fire Commissioner shall:

fire companies [and], nonprofit EMS agencies and volunteer