article: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Volunteer Firefighter and EMS Support Act of 2008''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress makes the following findings: (1) Volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services personnel are a vital component of the first responders across the United States. (2) The 800,000 volunteer firefighters and emergency medical service personnel in the United States save lives and property everyday. (3) The national financial savings resulting from volunteer firefighting and emergency medical services has been calculated at more than $37,000,000,000 each year. (4) Many volunteer fire stations and emergency medical services organizations in the United States face growing challenges as volunteers contend with increased competition for their time from their jobs, families, and other responsibilities. (5) Some State and local governments provide financial incentives to volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services personnel, such as retirement benefits and tuition assistance. Unfortunately, many communities that rely on volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services personnel, especially rural and low-income communities, do not have the resources to provide such incentives. (6) There is an important role for the Federal Government and the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration in supporting volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services personnel, including providing funds to contribute to incentives for the recruitment and retention of volunteers. SEC. 3. ASSISTANCE FOR VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PERSONNEL. The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2201 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 33 the following new section: ``SEC. 33A. ASSISTANCE FOR VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PERSONNEL. ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a program to provide funds to a State or local government, non-profit firefighter association, or governmental or nongovernmental emergency medical services organization, that carries out a volunteer firefighter incentive program in accordance with the provisions of this section. ``(b) Definitions.--In this section: ``(1) Approved benefit or incentive.--The term `approved benefit or incentive' means a benefit or incentive that has been approved by the Administrator and is provided to a volunteer firefighter, including-- ``(A) a retirement benefit; ``(B) reimbursement for travel and training; ``(C) health insurance or other health benefits; ``(D) life insurance; ``(E) tuition or school loan forgiveness; ``(F) a tax reduction; and ``(G) any other benefit or incentive approved by the Administrator. ``(2) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary of Homeland Security. ``(3) Volunteer firefighter.--The term `volunteer firefighter' means an individual who provides firefighting service or emergency medical service to a State or local government or a governmental or nongovernmental organization without pay. A volunteer firefighter may receive benefits or incentives for firefighting service or emergency medical service, including benefits and incentives described in subparagraphs (A) through (G) of paragraph (1). ``(4) Volunteer firefighter incentive program.--The term `volunteer firefighter incentive program' means a program carried out by a State or local government, a non-profit firefighter association, or a governmental or nongovernmental emergency medical services organization to provide approved benefits or incentives. ``(c) Matching Payments to States.-- ``(1) Requirement.--For each fiscal year in which a State or local government, non-profit firefighter association, or governmental or nongovernmental emergency medical services organization carries out a volunteer firefighter incentive program, the Secretary shall pay such government, association, or organization, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated for such fiscal year, an amount equal to the total amount of expenditures of funds not received from the Federal Government made by such government, association, or organization for such fiscal year to carry out the volunteer firefighter incentive program. ``(2) Entitlement.--Paragraph (1) constitutes budget authority in advance of appropriations Acts and represents the obligation of the Federal Government to provide payment to a State or local government, non-profit firefighter association, or governmental or nongovernmental emergency medical services organization of any amount provided for under such paragraph. ``(d) Regulations.--The Secretary shall prescribe regulations to carry out this section. ``(e) Reports.-- ``(1) Reports from recipients.--A State or local government, non-profit firefighter association, or governmental or nongovernmental emergency medical service organization that receives funds under this section to carry out a volunteer firefighter incentive program for a fiscal year shall submit to the Secretary a report on-- ``(A) the use of such funds; and ``(B) the programs to recruit or retain volunteer firefighters carried out by the government, association, or organization during that fiscal year. ``(2) Reports from the secretary.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of the Volunteer Firefighter and EMS Support Act of 2008, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on-- ``(A) the activities carried out under this section during the previous year; and ``(B) the status of programs to recruit and retain volunteer firefighters in the United States.''.
summary: Volunteer Firefighter and EMS Support Act of 2008 - Amends the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a program to provide funds to a state or local government, nonprofit firefighter association, or governmental or nongovernmental emergency medical services (EMS) organization, that carries out a volunteer firefighter incentive program in accordance with this Act. Directs the Secretary, for each fiscal year in which a state or local government, nonprofit firefighter association, or governmental or nongovernmental EMS organization carries out a volunteer firefighter incentive program, to pay such government, association, or organization (organization), out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated for such fiscal year, a sum equal to the total expenditures of funds not received from the federal government made by such organization for that fiscal year to carry out the program. Declares that this constitutes budget authority in advance of appropriations Acts and represents the obligation of the federal government to provide payment to a state or local government, nonprofit firefighter association, or governmental or nongovernmental EMS organization any amount so provided. Requires reports from recipients, and from the Secretary annually, to Congress.