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03/28/2024 09:36 AM
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20130&cosponId=20490
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House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: June 28, 2016 03:01 PM
From: Representative Eddie Day Pashinski
To: All House members
Subject: Pension Plan for Volunteer Firefighters
 

RE: Pension Plan for Volunteer Firefighters
DATE: June 28, 2016

Retention and attraction of volunteer firefighters has proven challenging across the state and nationwide. Several states have established pension plans for volunteer firefighters, including New Jersey and Minnesota. The plans vary in format, requirements and funding. However, the goal of these plans is the same – to provide security for fire service volunteers serving their community.

It is for this reason that I will be introducing legislation amending the Tax Reform Code (Sales Tax Vendor Discount) redirecting one-half of that portion of the sales tax vendor discount currently allotted to businesses to a newly created restricted account within the State Treasury. A business would have to meet an annual sales threshold of $500,000 for this new mechanism to activate.
The amount will be used to establish a retirement pension plan for volunteer firefighters. The new Volunteer Firefighter Retirement Pension Account will be administered by State Employee Retirement System (SERS). Using the sales tax as a funding mechanism provides reliable and sustainable revenue to support the pension plan.
I hope you will join me in support of this important legislation. Now more than ever, it is critical that we, as legislators, begin to provide benefits to long-time volunteers who dedicate their lives to protecting and serving our communities.