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H 3188

Firefighter training reimbursement

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Steven Long and 1 co-sponsor

Creates a reimbursement scheme where a new employer must repay the prior employer for firefighter training costs when a firefighter is hired within 2 years, with 100% repayment if

Referred to Committee on Ways and Means
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Bill Summary · H 3188

Bill summary — H 3188 (filed/prefiled Dec 5, 2024; introduced Jan 14, 2025)

Note on source material: the text submitted for H 3188 appears to contain language from two different measures/jurisdictions. One portion amends Massachusetts General Laws (property tax exemption language for survivors of police/firefighters killed in the line of duty) and a separate, longer section would add a new South Carolina statutory section (S.C. Code § 40‑80‑65) establishing procedures for reimbursement of firefighter training costs. This summary describes both components and highlights the apparent inconsistency.

Purpose

  • Massachusetts portion: narrowly amend the statutory phrase in chapter 59, section 5 to reference police officers and firefighters “who died in the line of duty” (affecting property tax exemptions for survivors).
  • South Carolina portion: create a statutory reimbursement scheme under which an employer (fire department) that pays for mandatory firefighter training may be reimbursed by a subsequent employer who hires the firefighter within a defined period.

Key provisions — South Carolina-style training reimbursement (S.C. Code § 40‑80‑65)

  • Reimbursement window: if a firefighter completes mandatory training while employed by Employer A and is hired by Employer B within 2 years of satisfactory completion, Employer B must reimburse Employer A.
    • If hired within 1 year: Employer B reimburses 100% of training costs.
    • If hired after 1 year but before the end of year 2: Employer B reimburses 50% of training costs.
  • “Cost of training” defined to include the firefighter’s salary paid during training plus other training expenses incurred by Employer A.
  • Chain reimbursement: if the firefighter moves through multiple subsequent employers within the 2‑year period, an employer that already reimbursed Employer A may seek reimbursement from the next subsequent employer under the same 100%/50% rules.
  • Caps and limits:
    • No employer may be reimbursed for more than 100% of the combined training costs.
    • Employers must first seek reimbursement from the subsequent hiring employer before seeking other reimbursement sources.
    • Firefighters may not be required to assume repayment responsibility for these costs (employer cannot require firefighter to repay).
  • Pre‑existing agreements: agreements entered into before the statute’s effective date remain valid only to the extent they do not conflict with the caps and firefighter protections. Employers may not require promissory notes for repayment as a condition of employment after the statute’s effective date.
  • Effective date: upon approval by the Governor.

Key provisions — Massachusetts tax exemption language

  • Insert the words “who died in the line of duty or was” after the word “firefighter” in section 5 of chapter 59 (2016 Official Edition) — this appears to be a narrow textual amendment tied to property tax exemptions for survivors of certain police officers and firefighters.

Who is affected

  • Fire departments/employers that fund mandatory firefighter training (municipal, county, volunteer departments depending on jurisdiction and statutory scope).
  • Subsequent hiring employers who recruit firefighters within the 1–2 year windows.
  • Firefighters (protected from being compelled to repay training costs).
  • Survivors of line‑of‑duty deaths (Massachusetts property tax exemption change).

Procedural status & timeline (as provided)

  • Prefiled: 2024‑12‑05
  • Introduced/read first time: 2025‑01‑14
  • Referred to Committee on Ways and Means (and earlier to Revenue)
  • Hearing scheduled: 2025‑06‑24
  • Committee reported favorably and referred to House Steering, Policy & Scheduling: 2025‑10‑06
  • Rules suspended; read second and ordered to third reading; reported to Orders of the Day: 2025‑11‑03

Practical impact and considerations

  • The reimbursement scheme aims to protect departments that invest in mandatory training from losing that full investment when firefighters leave soon afterward, while also limiting total recovery to avoid double‑recovery and protecting firefighters from personal liability.
  • Implementation questions include how “costs” are documented and audited, how the statute interacts with collective bargaining agreements or inter-municipal compacts, and whether the law would apply to volunteer vs. paid firefighters (text refers to “employer” generally).
  • The mixed-source drafting (Massachusetts vs. South Carolina language) should be clarified to determine the bill’s intended jurisdiction and operative provisions.

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

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