[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 6 (Tuesday, January 13, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E62]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     PROTECTING VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS AND EMERGENCY RESPONDERS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 12, 2015

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 33, 
the ``Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act,'' 
which clarifies that volunteer firefighters and first responders are 
not to be counted towards an employer's calculation of its full-time 
employees for the purposes of determining if the employer falls under 
the ACA's employer responsibility requirement.
  I support this bill because it protects fire departments from being 
required to pay for the insurance of their volunteers.
  If they were required to pay, it is likely that many fire companies 
would be forced out of business.
  This bill is identical to H.R. 3979, reported in the 113th Congress 
by the Ways and Means Committee by a 37-0 vote, and passed on the House 
floor by a bipartisan 410-0 vote.
  The only reason this bill was never delivered to the President's desk 
was that the Senate ran out of time in their effort to pass the FY 2015 
National Defense Authorization Act, preventing the Federal government 
from shutting down.
  Within the state of Texas, nearly 85% of fire departments are 
operated entirely on a volunteer or mostly basis.
  Failure to pass this bill would mean dire consequences for the future 
of these volunteer fire departments.
  As this bill was passed unanimously in the previous House, I see no 
reason why it should not do the same in this one.
  I ask that my colleagues to join me in protecting our nation's fire 
departments by voting for the passage of this bill.

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