Summary of Bill S 6654
Bill Number: S 6654
Title: Creates a volunteer firefighter training fund; appropriation
Status: REFERRED TO FINANCE
Introduced: March 19, 2025
Classification: bill
Sponsors:
- Joseph A. Griffo (primary)
Legislative Actions:
- 2025-03-19: REFERRED TO FINANCE
- 2025-03-19: REFERRED TO FINANCE
Related Bills:
- S 8518 (prior-session)
What this bill would do (as stated)
- Create a dedicated fund named the Volunteer Firefighter Training Fund intended to support training for volunteer firefighters.
- Authorize an appropriation from the state budget to fund training programs, activities, and related expenses for volunteer fire service members.
- The bill’s text would specify how funds are to be administered, allocated, and overseen, though these details are not provided in the summary information available here.
Note: The specific mechanisms for funding sources, eligible programs, grant criteria, eligibility of recipients, matching requirements, reporting, and sunset provisions are not detailed in the summary you provided. The actual text would clarify these elements.
Key provisions and changes (high level)
- Establishment of a new dedicated financing stream (the Volunteer Firefighter Training Fund) to support training for volunteers.
- Budgetary appropriation to the Fund to fund training initiatives.
- Administrative and oversight provisions would be laid out in the bill (to be defined in the full text).
Because the detailed text is not included in your summary, the exact scope of eligible training (e.g., basic training, annual refresher courses, emergency medical training, specialized rescue training), eligible participants (individual volunteers vs. volunteer fire departments), and governance (state agency responsible, fiduciary rules, reporting) remain to be determined by the bill’s provisions.
Who would be affected
- Primary beneficiaries: Volunteer firefighters and the volunteer fire departments that rely on their personnel.
- Training providers and certifying bodies that deliver eligible training programs.
- State agencies responsible for fire services and budget administration (as the fund would require oversight and reporting).
Procedural and timeline aspects
- Introduced and referred to the Finance committee on March 19, 2025.
- Referred to Finance again on the same date (indicating standard committee referral repetition in the legislative record).
- As a Finance referral, the bill would proceed to budget-related review, potential amendments, and consideration for floor action if advanced.
- The absence of further actions in the summary means no additional committee or floor dates are available here.
Additional notes
- A related bill from a prior session, S 8518, suggests similar or complementary intent may exist in prior legislative efforts.
- For a complete understanding of funding amounts, eligibility criteria, administration, reporting requirements, and the bill’s effective date or sunset provisions, the full text and fiscal notes would be essential. Readers should review the bill text once published and tracked in the legislative database.
