Volunteer Firefighter and EMS Personnel Job Protection

Title VII of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5201 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

707.

Volunteer Firefighter and EMS Personnel Job Protection

(a)

Definitions

In this section: (1)

Qualified volunteer fire department

The term qualified volunteer fire department has the meaning given such term in section 150(e) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. (2)

Volunteer emergency medical services

The term volunteer emergency medical services means emergency medical services performed on a voluntary basis for a fire department or other emergency organization. (3)

Volunteer firefighter

The term volunteer firefighter means an individual who is a member in good standing of a qualified volunteer fire department. (b)

Termination of employment of volunteer firefighters and emergency medical personnel prohibited

(1)

Termination prohibited

No employee may be terminated, demoted, or in any other manner discriminated against in the terms and conditions of employment because such employee is absent from or late to the employee's employment for the purpose of serving as a volunteer firefighter or providing volunteer emergency medical services as part of a response to an emergency or major disaster. (2)

Deployment

The prohibition in paragraph (1) shall apply to an employee serving as a volunteer firefighter or providing volunteer emergency medical services if such employee— (A)is specifically deployed to respond to the emergency or major disaster in accordance with a coordinated national deployment system such as the Emergency Management Assistance Compact or a pre-existing mutual aid agreement; or (B)is a volunteer firefighter who— (i)is a member of a qualified volunteer fire department that is located in the State in which the emergency or major disaster occurred; (ii)is not a member of a qualified fire department that has a mutual aid agreement with a community affected by such emergency or major disaster; and (iii)has been deployed by the emergency management agency of such State to respond to such emergency or major disaster. (3)

Limitations

The prohibition in paragraph (1) shall not apply to an employee who— (A)is absent from the employee’s employment for the purpose described in paragraph (1) for more than 14 days per calendar year; (B)responds on the emergency or major disaster without being officially deployed as described in paragraph (2); or (C)fails to provide the written verification described in paragraph (5) within a reasonable period of time. (4)

Withholding of pay

An employer may reduce an employee’s regular pay for any time that the employee is absent from the employee's employment for the purpose described in paragraph (1). (5)

Verification

An employer may require an employee to provide a written verification from the official of the Federal Emergency Management Agency supervising the Federal response to the emergency or major disaster or a local or State official managing the local or State response to the emergency or major disaster that states— (A)the employee responded to the emergency or major disaster in an official capacity; and (B)the schedule and dates of the employee's participation in such response. (6)

Reasonable notice required

An employee who may be absent from or late to the employee’s employment for the purpose described in paragraph (1) shall— (A)make a reasonable effort to notify the employee’s employer of such absence; and (B)continue to provide reasonable notifications over the course of such absence. (c)

Right of Action

(1)

Right of action

An individual who has been terminated, demoted, or in any other manner discriminated against in the terms and conditions of employment in violation of the prohibition described in subsection (b) may bring, in a district court of the United States of appropriate jurisdiction, a civil action against individual's employer seeking— (A)reinstatement of the individual’s former employment; (B)payment of back wages; (C)reinstatement of fringe benefits; and (D)if the employment granted seniority rights, reinstatement of seniority rights. (2)

Limitation

The individual shall commence a civil action under this subsection not later than 1 year after the date of the violation of the prohibition described in subsection (b).