House Republican Press Release

April 23, 2008

Press Office: 860-240-8700

Rep. Williams: State Senate Must Act Soon on Bill to Allow Paid Firefighters to Join Local Volunteer Units

Bill Passed House with Strong Bipartisan Support; Senate Action Needed Soon as May 8^th Adjournment Date Looms

With the state legislature’s statutory adjournment date drawing near, state Representative Sean Williams today urged the state Senate to act soon on legislation that would allow firefighters employed by municipalities with full-time fire departments to join volunteer units in their home towns.

The measure (House Bill 5646), which passed the House last week on a 127 – 19 vote, is still awaiting final legislative approval by the state Senate.

“This legislation enjoys widespread support from firefighters who work for full-time municipal departments but live in nearby towns that have volunteer fire departments,” said Representative Williams, R-68^th District, who cosponsored the bill. “Although many firefighters would like to join volunteer fire departments in their hometowns, they are prohibited from doing so by their contracts with the municipalities that employ them.”

“With more than 90 cosponsors, this bill clearly has strong bipartisan support in the state legislature. The House voted to approve it by a lopsided majority and, given the chance to vote on it, I’m sure it will pass the Senate just as easily. This year, the General Assembly has a unique opportunity to finally enact a bill that will enable professional firefighters to perform a valuable and much-needed service for their communities. With our statutory adjournment date almost upon us, the Senate needs to act soon to enact this legislation. Connecticut’s firefighters have been seeking it for years,” Representative Williams said.