MACo’s 2024 initiative bill, which enhances firefighter recruitment and retention tools, has passed the House and is set to pass the Senate.
For the 2023 and 2024 legislative sessions, MACo has led the charge in advancing firefighter recruitment and retention. Earlier this morning, the House passed HB899 on third reader, sending the bill to the Senate. The Senate, meanwhile, is set to pass the crossfire, SB691, later this afternoon. Committees in both chambers passed identical versions, meaning there should be little resistance to seeing this legislation make it through before Sine Die. Passage of HB899/SB691 would cap a multiyear, multistakeholder collaborative effort to find solutions for Maryland’s fire and emergency medical services (EMS) recruitment and retention crisis.
What’s in the amended bill?
As first drafted, HB899/SB691 was created to implement several recommendations from the 2023 Commission to Advance & Strengthen Firefighting and EMS within Maryland. The initial bill included three elements:
- Expand the scope of programs covered under the Charles W. Riley Scholarship and expand the possible coverage to 100% of undergraduate programs and 50% of graduate programs.
- Create the Maryland Loan Repayment Assistance Program for Firefighters & Emergency Medical Service Providers.
- Require the Department of Budget and Management to study possible childcare and healthcare incentives for career and volunteer firefighters.
As amended, the bill includes only the scholarship expansion element, as committees in both the House and Senate struck the loan repayment program and the childcare and healthcare incentives studies. While not as robust as counties and stakeholders would have preferred, this legislation still makes a considerable and positive step forward in ensuring Maryland has enough adequately trained first responders.
Read more about the state of fire/EMS recruitment & retention in Maryland.
Read more about the Commission to Advance & Strengthen Firefighting & EMS in Maryland.
