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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | February 2, 2016 03:27 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Katharine M. Watson |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Creating a Loan Forgiveness Program for Emergency Services Personnel |
| I plan to re-introduce legislation from a previous session. Respectfully, I am soliciting your support to establish a recruitment and retention tool by creating a new loan forgiveness program for emergency services personnel. It is my opinion that it is critical that we expand our focus and efforts on behalf of those who serve our communities, providing us greater safety and a more secure future. To be sure, we have done good work to improve the status of emergency services providers in the form of loans for equipment, grants, and tax credits. We have even expanded the "Fire Company and Volunteer Ambulance Service Grant" program as well as the "Volunteer Loan Assistance Program." Yet our emergency services companies and communities all across Pennsylvania are plagued with declining memberships. As a solution to the shortage of volunteers, I am introducing the "Volunteer First Responder Loan Forgiveness Program" in order to incentivize young people to return to their communities and volunteer, train, and serve in volunteer emergency services companies all across the Commonwealth. Respectfully, I ask for your support and co-sponsorship. Please join me in sponsoring an important recruitment and retention program to assist our struggling emergency services personnel. |