Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Volunteer Emergency Services Recruitment and Retention Act of 2011. This bill fixes a long-standing problem with the tax code that harms the ability of volunteer fire departments to recruit and retain both firefighter and emergency service personnel. For years, local and state governments have provided their volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel with different forms of benefits including Length of Service Award Plans, commonly known as LOSAPs. These are pension-like benefits for volunteer emergency responders. Unfortunately, the way the tax code handles LOSAPs hinders departments' abilities to administer the plans and makes it more difficult for volunteer emergency personnel to receive the benefits. My bill would simplify the taxation of LOSAPs in two steps. First, it would allow LOSAPs to be elected as deferred compensation plans, and second, it would exempt them from the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. This bill makes these necessary changes, which will improve access to LOSAP benefits for volunteer emergency responders, without increasing federal spending. Today, an estimated 180,000 volunteer firefighters across 27 states participate in some form of LOSAP. Many states that do not offer these benefits would be more likely to do so if the federal tax code were simplified. This, in turn, would help volunteer fire departments to more easily recruit and retain personnel.…”