[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 4 (Wednesday, January 8, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E25]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 H.R. 3685--PROTECTING VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS AND EMERGENCY RESPONDERS 
                                  ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. RODNEY P. FRELINGHUYSEN

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, January 8, 2014

  Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the 
Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act, and to 
thank Representative Lou Barletta of Pennsylvania for his sponsorship 
of this legislation.
  Volunteer firefighters, first aid squads, and emergency medical 
technicians are vital in ensuring safety in my home state of New Jersey 
and across the nation. Many communities rely exclusively upon such 
dedicated volunteers for protection and emergency medical services.
  The National Volunteer Fire Council reports that there are 783,000 
volunteer firefighters in the U.S. comprising 70 percent of the 
firefighting force, and our nation has over 20,000 volunteer 
departments.
  However, thousands of volunteer groups across the nation could be 
forced to shut down because the towns cannot afford the high costs of 
the President's new healthcare law.
  Due to the Affordable Care Act's requirements, fire departments, 
emergency squads and municipalities may have to provide health 
insurance for volunteers working more than 30 hours a week. The current 
law stipulates that the `employer mandate' will apply to organizations 
that have at least 50 employees, which can include multiple fire 
departments and EMS houses within one community.
  The vast majority of volunteers I speak with do not expect to receive 
health insurance from their departments or organizations. Volunteer 
firefighters and EMS responders do not see their work as a career or a 
part-time job--it's a call to serve the community passed down from one 
generation of a family to the next.
  I know that volunteer fire and EMS departments operate on a 
shoestring budget, and won't have the resources to pay for health 
insurance for their personnel. Without this new bureaucratic burden, 
most departments already have difficulty making ends meet.
  I am deeply concerned that subjecting fire departments and 
municipalities to this provision will result in vital volunteer 
services being reduced or eliminated in our communities.
  This is why I am proud to cosponsor H.R. 3685, the Protecting 
Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act, and again thank 
Congressman Lou Barletta for his leadership in addressing this critical 
public safety issue.

                          ____________________