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HB 1311

Divorce; cruelty, reasonable apprehension of bodily hurt, or willful desertion or abandonment.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Bonita Anthony and 5 co-sponsors

The bill directs a 2025–26 interim study to identify barriers and propose strategies and possible legislation to boost recruitment and retention of volunteer emergency responders.

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Bill Summary · HB 1311

Summary — HB 1311: Legislative management study on volunteer emergency responder recruitment and retention

Status: Introduced/enrolled in the 69th Legislative Assembly (2025 session)
Primary sponsors: Representatives Satrom, Brandenburg, Grueneich, Ostlie; Senators Conley, Erbele

Main purpose

Direct the Legislative Management to conduct a study during the 2025–26 interim on recruitment and retention of volunteer emergency responders, with the goal of identifying barriers and recommending strategies and possible legislation to strengthen volunteer emergency service capacity.

Key provisions

  • Requires the Legislative Management to consider a study during the 2025–26 interim focused on volunteer emergency responder recruitment and retention.
  • The study must:
    • Examine recruitment and retention challenges affecting volunteer emergency responders, explicitly including firefighters, emergency/disaster volunteers, and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members.
    • Identify strategies to encourage volunteerism in emergency response.
    • Solicit and incorporate input from relevant stakeholders, such as:
    • Disaster/emergency organizations
    • Nonprofit associations
    • Representatives of law enforcement
    • Emergency medical service providers
    • State and local agencies, departments, and institutions
  • Deliverable: report findings and recommendations (including any draft legislation necessary to implement recommendations) to the Seventieth Legislative Assembly.

Who is affected

  • Volunteer emergency responders and organizations that recruit, train, and deploy them (rural and municipal fire departments, EMS, CERTs, disaster volunteer organizations).
  • Local governments and agencies that rely on volunteer responders for emergency response and public safety.
  • State agencies and policymakers (Legislative Management and subsequent legislature) that may act on study recommendations.

Timeline and procedure

  • Study period: 2025–26 interim.
  • Report due to the Seventieth Legislative Assembly (next regular session following the interim).
  • The study is investigative/analytical; it does not itself appropriate funds or change service delivery but may include recommended legislation requiring further action.

Potential impacts

  • Identification of systemic barriers (training time/cost, volunteer availability, liability, compensation, certification, retention incentives).
  • Policy options likely to emerge: recruitment campaigns, training support, financial incentives or stipends, liability protections, volunteer-friendly scheduling or leave policies, grant programs, and administrative reforms.
  • If recommended, the subsequent legislature could consider bills to implement funding or statutory changes to support volunteer emergency services.

Note: HB 1311 establishes only the directed study and reporting requirement; any changes to law, funding, or programs would require separate legislative action based on the study’s recommendations.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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