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Panel advances bill to protect volunteer firefighters’ jobs during training and service
Summary
House Bill 405 would provide job protections for volunteer firefighters in rural communities, requiring notice to employers and aiming to improve recruitment and training retention; the committee moved the bill forward after debate over small-business burdens and implementation details.
Representative Gonzales introduced House Bill 405, which would create job protections for volunteer firefighters to cover training time and in-service time without mandating paid leave.
Gonzales said the bill aims to recognize volunteer firefighting as public service similar to jury duty or military leave and would require volunteers to certify their status with their fire chief and provide notice to employers when training is scheduled. She said the bill includes a requirement that employees give employers notice (the sponsor described a 30-day notice requirement for training) to allow businesses to plan.
Supporters and witnesses said volunteer departments are facing recruitment and retention challenges. The sponsor said volunteer recruitment and retention had “shown over 50% decline” and described an aging volunteer force. Committee testimony emphasized the value of training for maintaining ISO ratings and insurance access for rural fire departments; testimony named types of training including basic fire and EMT courses that can last up to five days.
Opponents and skeptical senators raised concerns about the financial and operational burden on small businesses if employees are repeatedly absent for multi-day trainings. Senator Solis asked how small businesses would cover shifts while an employee attends training. The sponsor and supporters said the leave is not required to be paid and is intended to be accommodated by employers as recognition of public service; they pointed to flexible scheduling (nights, weekends, virtual training) and the expectation that chiefs and volunteers coordinate timing.
Committee members also asked whether employers could deny employment to applicants who are volunteer firefighters; witnesses said nothing in the bill creates a protected class and that employers could ask about volunteer status during hiring.
A senator moved a due-pass recommendation, a second was recorded, and the chair called the roll. The transcript records the motion to give a due pass and the committee then recessed; the excerpt does not include a detailed roll-call tally in the provided text. The transcript includes no reimbursement mechanism for businesses or a funding source for the protections; the bill’s practical impacts on small employers were a central point of debate in committee.
