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SF 3030

Service line-of duty death benefits for part-time, paid on-call, and volunteer firefighters provided provision

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Andrew Lang and 1 co-sponsor

Minnesota bill extends line-of-duty death benefits to part-time, paid on-call, and volunteer firefighters, equalizing survivor protections across employment types.

Author added Maye Quade
#fireandfirefighters #publicsafetyandpublicsafetydepartment
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SF 3030

Legislative bill overview

SF 3030 expands line-of-duty death benefits to part-time, paid on-call, and volunteer firefighters in Minnesota. Currently, such benefits may be limited to full-time career firefighters. This bill would ensure that firefighters who serve in non-traditional employment arrangements receive the same death benefits and survivor protections as their full-time counterparts.

Why is this important

Volunteer and part-time firefighters comprise a significant portion of fire services across Minnesota, particularly in rural and suburban areas. These firefighters face the same life-threatening risks as full-time personnel but often lack equivalent survivor financial protections, creating a gap in support for families of deceased responders.

Potential points of contention

  • Fiscal impact: Expanding benefit eligibility increases state or municipal pension/benefit obligations, raising questions about funding mechanisms and budget implications
  • Eligibility definitions: Determining what qualifies as "part-time" or "on-call" service and ensuring consistent standards across different fire departments could create administrative complexity
  • Benefit structure parity: Whether benefits should be proportional to hours worked or equal to full-time benefits, and how this affects overall program costs and fairness considerations

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

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